Proposed Changes to UK Student Visa Rules - Implications for University HR Teams
Following recent headlines generated by the publication of the latest immigration statistics, the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing net migration.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman's recent statement on 23 May 2023 honed in on international students and outlined some measures intended to curb overall migration to the UK.
Why are These Changes Being Made?
In 2019, when net migration stood at 226,000, the Conservative manifesto committed to making sure "overall numbers come down". Despite Brexit bringing an end to freedom of movement for European Union nationals in the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported a significant increase in net migration from June 2021 to June 2022, at around 606,000.
The Government has attributed this rise to factors such as post-pandemic surges and safe and legal routes to resettlement in the UK, for example the Ukraine and Hong Kong schemes. Additionally, there has been an unexpected increase in the number of dependants accompanying international students.
Whilst the Home Office has acknowledged its commitment to the International Education Strategy and attracting international students to the UK, it believes that this should not come at the expense of its commitment to lowering overall migration and prioritising highly skilled migration.
New Package of Measures for International Students
The measures announced by the Home Secretary include removing the right for international students to bring dependants, except for those on postgraduate research programs, and preventing international students from switching to work routes before completing their studies. The maintenance requirements for students and dependants will also be reviewed, and steps will be taken to combat unscrupulous education agents who facilitate inappropriate immigration applications. The Government has said that it will aim to communicate immigration rules more effectively to the higher education sector and international students while improving enforcement activities.
A separate announcement on GOV.UK confirmed that the changes will not come into force until January 2024 to allow future international students time to plan ahead.
Impact of These Changes on Employers
Although the changes will primarily affect international students and the educational institutions which sponsor them, there will be knock-on effects for employers.
The primary concern is that these proposals will lead to a reduced number of international students choosing to study in the UK. This decrease in the pool of international graduates could present challenges for employers seeking to recruit skilled individuals from a diverse talent pool. In addition, dependants of students frequently enter the UK labour market and become valued employees. The availability of candidates with specialised skill sets may therefore diminish, making it more difficult for employers to meet their workforce requirements, potentially hampering innovation and growth.
Requiring students to complete their courses before switching to a work visa will extend the time it takes for students to transition from education to employment and penalise those students whose intentions to complete their studies genuinely change when offered an opportunity to join the workforce.
So these proposed changes - particularly the limitations on dependants accompanying students and the requirement for students to complete their course before switching to a work visa - may have a profound impact on employers. Employers may face talent acquisition challenges, reduced access to international graduates, and potential limitations on workforce diversity and innovation.
