Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Universities, Indian students urge Sunak to keep the post-study visa

Universities, Indian students urge Sunak to keep the post-study visa

Universities and Indian students group have urged prime minister Rishi Sunak to retain the country's post-study visa offer.

This visa, primarily utilised by Indian graduates, allows them to gain work experience for about two years after their degree.


Reports indicate that Sunak may restrict or end the Graduate Route to reduce migration statistics before a general election.

Nearly 30 university vice-chancellors and the National Indian Students and Alumni Association (NISAU) UK sent letters to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. They highlighted the benefits of keeping the Graduate Route visa scheme, emphasising its economic advantages and the role of international students in enhancing the UK's global educational competitiveness.

“Modelling by consultancy London Economics shows that a single cohort has a net economic benefit of GBP 37 billion to the UK economy, as well as through the soft power that Britain's international graduates generate for the country over time, including through furthering ties of trade and diplomacy,” reads the NISAU UK letter to Sunak.

“Indeed, 70 per cent of Indian students have told us that the ability to gain meaningful work experience is a critical element in their decision to choose between competing international destinations, of which the UK is one. The Graduate Route allows the opportunity to gain this work experience for a temporary period. It is non-extendable and does not count towards permanent settlement. This means that neither students nor Graduate visa holders should be considered ‘immigrants' in the context of the long-term picture of migration,” it notes.

This appeal follows the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) recommendation to continue the scheme, finding no abuse of the post-study work offer. The committee noted that Indians accounted for 42 per cent of the visas from 2021 to 2023 and would be most affected by any restrictions.

Universities from northern England, including Sunderland, Sheffield, Leeds, Lancaster, Liverpool, Teesside, Bradford, Huddersfield, York, and Newcastle, warned that removing or reducing this visa would harm their institutions. They stated it is an “intrinsic part of the educational offer that has made the UK so attractive to brilliant students from all around the world.”

“The Graduate Visa Route is regarded by students in key markets like India as an integral part of their educational experience. The MAC review made clear that the removal of this route would make the UK less attractive and thus would cause considerable financial detriment to universities around the country,” reads their joint letter.

They also noted that international student tuition fees have long subsidised underfunded research and the teaching of UK undergraduate students due to frozen tuition fees. Without alternative funding, universities cannot continue to absorb these costs.

International students contribute significantly to the UK economy through income tax, national insurance, and VAT. University chiefs added that they usually contribute to the NHS through the NHS surcharge.

The Russell Group of the UK's leading universities appealed over the weekend. CEO Tim Bradshaw highlighted a 10 per cent decline in international applications for postgraduate courses starting in September following restrictions on students bringing dependent family members.

“A further restriction on international students would not only be unnecessary – as numbers are already falling – but also damaging, resulting in less spending in local communities, fewer opportunities for domestic students and less UK research,” he noted in a letter to Sunak.

Members of Sunak's Cabinet reportedly oppose changes to the Graduate scheme. However, Sunak faces pressure from the right-wing Conservatives demanding curbs on all forms of migration before the election later this year.

(PTI)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less