UK Announces Bad News for International Students

The recent implementation of the UK government’s new regulations, barring most international students from bringing their families to the country, has come into force.

However, PM Rishi Sunak is facing significant opposition within his own party regarding the reduction of both legal and illegal migration.

Effective today, international students embarking on courses will no longer be allowed to bring dependents to the UK, unless they are enrolled in postgraduate research programs or courses supported by government-funded scholarships.

These changes, initially announced in May, aim to curb the misuse of the visa system, with ministers projecting a decrease of around 140,000 individuals coming to the UK annually.

In the year ending December 2022, 486,000 student visas were issued, a notable increase from 269,000 in 2019. The number of student visas granted to dependents in the past year was 136,000, marking an eight-fold surge from 2019 when only 16,000 were issued.

Home Secretary James Cleverly welcomed the rule changes, stating that the government is implementing a robust plan to control borders and prevent manipulation of the immigration system. He emphasized the immediate impact of ending the practice of overseas students bringing their families to the UK, contributing to the government’s broader strategy to reduce migration by tens of thousands.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper expressed Labour’s support for restrictions on dependents for overseas students on shorter courses but criticized the government’s failure to address skills and labor market issues, undermining growth and exacerbating migration concerns.

In early December, the government unveiled a “more robust” set of measures to lower legal migration. However, a key element, the increase in the family visa threshold from £18,600 to £38,700, was quietly revised, with the higher threshold now set to be implemented in “early 2025,” leading to accusations of “weakness” against PM Sunak from his own backbenchers.

Additionally, the prime minister is facing internal opposition over the Rwanda scheme, part of PM Sunak’s efforts to halt small boats crossing the Channel. The emergency legislation to rescue the scheme, ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court in November, passed its second reading in the Commons in early December after a contentious debate. While the number of migrants crossing has decreased year-on-year, challenges within the party persist regarding the implementation of the Rwanda scheme.