Category: Immigration

The unforeseen consequences of restricting the migration of student dependents

“Whilst understanding the UK government’s objective to control migration, the potential repercussions of curtailing this route could be substantial”

The recent announcement by the Home Office regarding the restriction of family migration for international students arriving in the UK, from January 2024, has gained significant attention in the context of rising migration figures.

The latest statistics from the ONS confirmed that net migration has peaked to 606,000 in the 12 months to December 2022; far higher than the government’s target – although the largest increase in these figures is down to visas being issued under the Ukraine Schemes and British National (Overseas) route.

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Impact of UK visa & IHS fee hikes on international students

“A four-year course student will have to budget up to £3,100 for the IHS surcharge alone in the UK – a significant difference from the current £1,880”

The UK has always been a dream leading destination for many students in different parts of the world. Every year, thousands of international students apply to UK institutions, and besides securing admission, they also need to obtain a student visa.

Generally, anyone travelling to reside in the UK for an extended period must pay an immigration health surcharge, an upfront fee paid to access the National Health Service, the government-funded medical and healthcare services for residents in the UK. So, that’s an additional mandatory expense to cover. How much an international student will pay for visa application and IHS surcharge, depend on their study duration.

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UK to introduce tougher immigration rules for students and dependents?

“The proposed policy seems out of the blue, as it goes against everything the government has said in the past decade”

British home secretary Suella Braverman is drawing up new immigration rules to make it harder for foreign students to come to the UK with their dependents. This proposal has come in light of a five-fold growth in “dependant visas” issued in the last three years.

If approved, it will be added to other post-Brexit measures implemented since the UK left the European Union. But how will a changed immigration system impact student migration and how will education exports economy be impacted?

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The UK digitisation process continues: the end of bio-metric residence permits

“Students with a course end date beyond 31 December 2024 have been left confused and panicked”

Since July 2015, the Bio-metric Residence Permit has been the main immigration status document held by those with a UK visa valid for longer than six months.

It is widely known that BRPs in circulation failed to incorporate next generation encryption technology, which was essential in order to meet specific EU requirements. At the time, the EU advised that BRPs can only be valid until 31 December 2024, and, although this notice has since been lifted by the EU, the UK has progressed with its plans to digitalise immigration status.

As part of the transition into the realms of digital status, individuals can prove their immigration status via the “View and Prove Your Immigration Status” online service.

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The recent fall in the value of the Indian rupee has significantly impacted students’ plans to study abroad

“With the cost of education and living expenses on the rise, it is becoming increasingly difficult for students to afford a quality education”

The rupee has been on a downward spiral for the past few months and hit a new low against the US dollar last week. This has caused many students and parents to rethink their plans for studying abroad, writes Prajwal Ikhar, co-founder of EduCred India.

The cost of studying in the US has always been high, but the rupee’s recent depreciation has become even more expensive. Besides the US, the cost of studying in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada has increased by at least 10% in the last few months. But for students planning to study in the US, the pain is too much as they are now facing a 20-30% increase in the cost of their education. This is a major deterrent for students who have plans to study abroad.

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The Turing Scheme: new horizons for international student mobility

“Given the far-reaching benefits of international experience, it’s vital as many young people as possible have the chance to access it”

‘We can see only a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.’ So said the pioneering mathematician and computer scientist, Alan Turing, in whose honour the Turing Scheme – the UK Government’s global programme to study and work abroad – is named.

It’s a quote that seems to speak to our times: the uncertainty that has defined recent years and the global challenges ahead. Turing himself studied abroad and, as applications open for this year’s funding, I hope he would forgive me for borrowing his words to reflect on the key challenges and priorities in international student mobility.

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Challenges ahead for displaced Afghan students

“As a volunteer mentor for students affected by the Syrian civil war, I’ve seen first-hand how displacement disrupts tertiary education”

One of the many developing tragedies of the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan is the loss of access to tertiary education for students displaced by the conflict, writes Boston area higher ed administrator and volunteer mentor for conflict-affected students, Abby Kawola.

Mass displacement of Afghan students – not to mention a potential return to education restrictions for women seen during Taliban rule of the 1990s – threaten to derail the dreams of the nearly 400,000 Afghans enrolled in tertiary education institutions across the country as of 2018. Like the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Venezuela, the current situation in Afghanistan highlights the need for the development of proactive rather than reactive support systems for tertiary education students impacted by displacement.

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Why the unis who win intl students will be those with provable graduate outcomes

“81% of international students see buying an international education as an investment”

This year has been an incredible year of disruption for international education, writes Shane Dillon, found of Cturtle and UniAdvisor. It has rapidly brought to the forefront conversations around education delivery and the value of tertiary education in general in the 21st century.

As of March 2020, the global movement of international students has vanished and the future of the sector, the countries and university brands involved are in a state of flux.

Now more then ever before it is critical for the sector to embrace data on international graduate employment outcomes to illustrate clearly to consumers the value and return on investment an international education delivers. Numerous studies from UNICEF, QS and Cturtle show clearly that employability is the most important consideration impacting student choice across Asia.

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How new immigration policies in the US will affect student exchange programs

“Even students in America are deciding to enrol outside the US”

According to concerned groups, the final rule published last Monday will have drastic effects on international students enrolling in colleges and universities in the United States.

As it is, the list of international students enrolled in higher education institutions in the U.S. fell by over 6% in the last school year. The public believes that the new immigration policies of the Trump administration are responsible for undercutting the demand for higher education from overseas students. Schools report that the low inflow of international students is already in its third year.

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Future of UK academia hangs on UK immigration policy

“For academic visitors, applying for a UK visitor visa is now akin to rolling a dice”

Immigration reform is critical if the UK is to retain standards and reputation for academic excellence, explains immigration lawyer Anne Morris.

The UK immigration system is failing UK academia. Visa processing is protracted, expensive and unpredictable, undermining the efforts of educational institutions to attract and retain global academic talent.

The challenges are affecting both short-term academic visitors and longer-term recruitment programmes. The sector is missing out on staff and speakers and is in danger of losing its standing as a leading global hub of academic excellence.

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