Graduate Route Visa to continue under Labour Government

The Graduate Route visa's review by the previous UK government sent a lot of worries and doubts among aspiring international students and possibly damaged the charm of the UK as a study-abroad destination.

Study in UK: The secretary of state for education Bridget Phillipson has confirmed that the Graduate Route visa will continue in the Labour government. The former government had reviewed this policy to see if it should be removed and continued and later after a lot of political debates and industry opposition, the government decided to continue with the Graduate Route visa.

While speaking on BBC’s program on July 22, she said, "The difference international students make when it comes to the local economy and to regeneration … the soft power and the reach they give us around the world as they return home after their studies." 

UK universities' financial troubles may lead to increased tuition fee

The sector was anxious about the government's efforts to control international students' numbers as it can adversely affect the financial situation of the university sector which is already facing similar issues.

This year, after the government had banned master's taught students from bringing their dependents, the number of study visa applications had already dropped significantly. Moreover, it was further reduced due to the government's doubts and discussions about the Graduate Route Visa which allows students to stay and work in the UK for 2 years after they complete their course in the UK.

Viviene Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said on the program on the BBC program, “The biggest difficulty for universities this year has been caused by the fast downturn in student numbers. The government needs a positive statement that universities are welcome and that the graduate route is going to stay."

Indian students numbers at UK universities rapidly increased in recent times

As per the UK Parliament report, in recent times, the number of students coming from India and Nigeria has rapidly increased. From 2018 to 2019, the number of Indian students was 17,800, which increased to 87,000 in 2021/22.

From year 2021 to 2022, there were a total of 679,970 international students studying at UK universities. It increased to 184,000 in three years, up by 37%.

UK Government’s International Education Strategy aims to increase the education export value to £35 billion per year by 2030, and also increase the international student numbers in the UK to 600,000 by 2030.

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