UK restricts foreign student visas: No family allowed
World News: The UK Home Office unveiled stringent visa regulations affecting foreign students, curtailing the option to bring family members along, except for postgraduate research courses and government-funded scholarships. This change marks a significant shift in the UK's policy for international students, impacting Indian students planning to enroll in British universities.
These new regulations take immediate effect this month, limiting the majority of foreign university students from bringing relatives to the UK. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reinforced this decision, highlighting the government's commitment to delivering on these changes in 2024.
This move, initially announced by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman in May last year, aims to clamp down on individuals exploiting the student visa as a pathway to work in the UK. It is estimated to reduce migration by around 1,40,000 people. The restrictions specifically target the significant increase, over 930 per cent since 2019, in overseas students bringing dependants, termed as an "unreasonable practice" by official figures.
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Government statements emphasise the commitment to reduce migration, control borders, and prevent misuse of the immigration system. The Home Office asserts that these changes strike a balance to protect the UK's higher education sector's reputation while thwarting immigration exploitation by educational institutions.
The UK government plans to collaborate with universities to devise an alternative approach that permits the brightest students to bring dependants while further curbing net migration. This policy aligns with the broader commitment of the Rishi Sunak-led government to reduce migration, legal and illegal, into the UK.
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