UK govt plans tighter immigration rules for foreign Graduates in upcoming White Paper

LONDON Feb 25: As the UK grapples with record levels of immigration, the UK government is reportedly considering measures to restrict the ability of foreign graduates to remain in the country after completing their studies.

Under the current system, international students can stay in the UK for up to two years post-graduation, even without securing employment, and may switch to a work visa if they find lower-skilled jobs. However, the forthcoming immigration white paper is expected to propose a higher bar for graduates seeking to extend their stay, reports The Times newspaper.

Government sources told the newspaper that the bar would not be set that high but suggested they would target careers in which salaries do not typically rise beyond a certain level after several years.

The graduate visa is open to any international student who successfully finishes their course, including a nine-month master’s degree. It gives permission to stay in the UK for two years, or three years for those completing a PhD, without having to find a job.

The MAC estimated that 150,000 progressed onto the graduate visa in the UK last year. Most of those on the graduate route completed postgraduate taught courses and a third studied at Russell Group universities.

The Home Office said that the upcoming immigration white paper “will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system, linking immigration, skills and visa systems to grow our domestic workforce, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth.”

Four nationalities dominate the graduate route. Indians accounted for more than 40 per cent of last year’s visas. Students from India, Nigeria, China and Pakistan accounted for 70 per cent of graduate visas.

Of those who switched from the graduate visa, 43 per cent moved onto a skilled worker visa and 50 per cent left the country, according to Home Office data from last year. The remainder switched to smaller visa schemes or to a student visa.

In early 2022, the government decided to make care workers with salaries of £21,000 a year eligible for a skilled worker visa. Twenty per cent of those switching from the graduate route to the skilled worker visa end up as care workers, and about 25 per cent switch to a job paying less than £24,000.

In a report last year, the MAC suggested there was “a small portion of the graduate route cohort [who] prioritise settlement above their future career prospects” and that “students may be working at a level below their experience and training”.

However, any changes to career options for those leaving the graduate route will be scrutinised by universities, who rely on international students and the higher tuition fees they bring, and by the care sector, a third of whose workers are migrants

Universities UK, which represents 142 institutions, said: “Given the enormous economic, social and cultural contribution which international students bring to the UK, both while studying and in later life, it will be important to review any proposed changes to our points-based immigration system carefully.

“We look forward to working with the government on their upcoming immigration white paper and preserving our attractiveness as a global study destination.”