Businesses warn scrapping of Graduate Visa Route can undermine university sector

While the UK government has been considering whether to axe the Graduate Visa Route scheme or continue it, businesses have warned the government that removing it will undermine the university sector. The Graduate Visa Route allows international students to live and work in the UK for up to two years after graduation.

Moreover, as per reports, the Prime Minister is going to face significant opposition from his own ministers. "Sunak is now finding himself caught between the demands of right-wingers with one eye on the Tory leadership and Conservative moderates who fear the consequences of a lurch to the right on the party's reputation and election chances," said sources close to ministers, as reported by The Observer.

The key Cabinet members against the scrapping of the Graduate Visa Route are - Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Secretary Gillian Keegan, and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

"Studying at university is one of our biggest export successes. Attracting international students boosts local economies and losing competitiveness would put support for undergraduate teaching and innovation at risk," said John Foster, Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer for the Confederation of British Industry, as reported by the Economic Times.

“With the MAC finding that the Graduate Visa is achieving the government’s own policy objectives and is not being abused, it’s time to put its future beyond doubt and end this period of damaging speculation,” he added.

UK Universities to go bust without higher fees or funding: Ex-Ministers

The former ministers and Vice-Chancellors have warned that the cash crisis of UK Universities is so serious that the next government will have to urgently increase the fees or funding to avoid bankruptcies within two years, as reported by The Guardian.

Labour peer Peter Mandelson, a former business secretary and two former university ministers, the Conservative peer David Willetts and Labour’s Alan Johnson said that the funding should be increased urgently.

As per Vice-Chancellors, the increase needed is between £2,000 to £3,500 a year for each student. 

The UK universities are increasingly dependent on international students for funds and the contemplation of removing the Graduate Visa Route by the government can result in a significant reduction in the number of international students. It is further likely to create more cash crises for the universities.

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