Labour has confirmed it has no plans to overturn the previous Conservative government’s restrictive student visa policies.
In an interview with Sky News this week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has confirmed that the government does “not intend” to reverse the ban on international taught master’s students from bringing dependents to the UK introduced by the former Conservative government. However, Labour has also confirmed that it is committed to keeping the graduate route, which was reviewed by the former government earlier this year and maintains that international students are welcome in the UK.
The night before confirming that the government does not intend to reverse the ban on dependents, the Department for Education released a video in which Secretary Phillipson welcomes international students intending to study in the UK.
The ban on international postgraduate students began on 1 January, 2024. Universities have reported a sharp decline in applications from international students, following the introduction of the measures. Data from the Home Office shows that applications for study visas between January to July 2024 were 16% lower than the same period in 2023. However, the drop in applications is likely to also be due at least partly to country-specific issues such as the Nigerian currency crisis. The Home Office cautions that the full impact of the visa changes cannot be fully assessed until after the traditional August peak in applications.
The Times Higher Education reports that the 16% drop in visa applications could represent lost revenue of “almost a billion pounds” for the sector next year. According to a Financial Times report, 67 UK higher education institutions are implementing redundancy and restructuring programmes, with this number expected to rise.
However, there is some evidence that the policy changes may continue to impact future student interest in the UK, as well as Australia and Canada, which have also tightened policies around international students. An IDP Survey of 11,500+ current and prospective students from around the world found that while the UK remains popular with students, it is less attractive than previously. For the first time in many years, the USA is the most desired destination for students intending study abroad, with 24% saying the US is their preferred destination, followed by Australia (23%), the UK (22%) and Canada (19%).
