The Home Secretary’s announcement that international student visa holders will no longer be able to bring their dependants from January 2024 may be met with concern in the Higher Education sector. Based on the government’s commitment to reducing net migration, the changed is positioned as closing a “backdoor route to work in the UK”, justified by “an eightfold increase in the number of dependant visas granted between 2019 and 2022”.
What do the current rules allow and what are the benefits?
While the current rules do allow the partners of students to work in the UK freely, there are many legitimate benefits of this policy. Partners being able to work on an unlimited basis in the UK often supports the international student’s decision to choose the UK over global competitors, as they can offer the student both financial and emotional support by maintaining the family unit here.
What will change?
While the ability for partners to work will remain possible for post-graduate research students, and the government has promised to “work with the higher education sector to explore alternative options” for “the brightest and best students”, the fact that most partners will no longer be able to work can only be seen as a disincentive.
Are there other options for international students?
Future cohorts of international students will face a more difficult decision to leave their dependants overseas or have them seek work permission via a limited number of other immigration routes, or choose another country to study in all together. When latest figures show that international students contributed £41.9 billion to the UK economy in 2022, in itself an increase of third on 2019 figures of £31.9 billion, the balance with the International Education Strategy must at least be questioned.
Other planned changes:
Stone King will continue to digest and report on student visa changes (which include more welcome changes such as students only switching into work routes if studies are completed, a review of maintenance levels, and to tackle unscrupulous international student agents) over the coming months.
Stone King is at 3rd floor, Bateman House, 82-88 Hills Road in Cambridge and on 01223 351000.
Julie can be contacted at juliemoktadir@stoneking.co.uk
