The Home Office has announced new visa restrictions for foreign students in UK from bringing family members to the country.
The Home Office stated in a post on X on Monday that it was dedicated to achieving a ‘decisive’ reduction in migration.
“From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK,” the announcement added.
“Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also welcomed the position, claiming that his administration was ‘delivering’ for the British people.
The UK visa restrictions were introduced in May by now-deposed Foreign Minister Suella Braverman in reaction to migration levels reaching 745,000, which the Conservatives deemed excessive.
Foreign students bringing family members was described as an “unreasonable practice” by Home Secretary James Cleverly.
“This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK,” he added.
Braverman stated when the measures were first announced in May that the number of dependants coming to the nation with students had increased from 16,000 in 2019 to 136,000 in 2022.
Also Read: Visa-Free Entry in UK Announced for Multiple Islamic Countries
IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEIR FUTURE
According to Guardian figures, Nigerian students brought the most dependents to the UK, followed by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
India, which has the second-largest number of international students studying at UK institutions, is expected to bear the brunt of these changes. With the ban on moving to work visas before their studies are done, these students’ career prospects are expected to suffer.
International students, who contribute an estimated 35 billion pounds to the UK economy each year, maybe discouraged and choose to study in other countries. This move can potentially reroute the flow of overseas students, resulting in a seismic upheaval in global education dynamics.
The UK has already raised income limits to deter workers from migrating to the nation, and the cap is anticipated to rise more in the coming months.
