A report from the centre-right think tank Policy Exchange has claimed that international students are using higher education courses as a 'backdoor' to long-term settlement in the UK. The paper calls for the graduate visa route to be scrapped for all students except those on postgraduate research degrees.
According to the report, the current model is 'not working' as individuals are using the student visa as a route to longer-term migration. It notes that the number of international students in the UK increased by 66% between 2014/15 and 2023/24, and that two in five (40%) of those who arrived on student visas transferred to a different visa type within one year in 2023, up from just 3% in 2019.
Zachary Marsh, research fellow at Policy Exchange and author of the report, said: 'UK universities must return to the business of selling education, not immigration. Whilst international students can provide valuable economic benefits, the current system drives migration by those who have no interest in study but instead see the student and graduate visa as an open door to working in the UK.'
Shadow education minister Neil O'Brien is expected to address a Policy Exchange event on Wednesday, coinciding with the report's launch. He is expected to say that the system is not working for too many students who face high debt and low wages. Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, defended the graduate visa route, stating it maintains the UK's attractiveness to international students and contributes to the economy.
A Government spokesperson highlighted measures already announced, including reducing the graduate visa from two years to 18 months and strengthening requirements for universities to crack down on abuse. They added: 'We will also ensure international graduates move into graduate level roles.'
