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The government is currently contemplating a proposal that would prevent all international university students studying below the Ph.D. level from bringing their family members to the UK. This measure, if implemented, would result in over 100,000 dependants, who are currently accompanying overseas students pursuing masters, MBAs, and other postgraduate programs, being prohibited from entering the country.
Ministers think that implementing this ban would effectively decrease immigration and put an end to what they argue is an exploitative practice that has contributed to the soaring levels of net migration.
The forthcoming figures, scheduled for release later this week, are anticipated to reveal that net migration reached unprecedented levels in the previous year, projected to range from 700,000 to one million.
Sunak ‘Exploring Various Possibilities’
During the G7 leaders’ meeting in Tokyo, Rishi Sunak stated his commitment to taking measures to reduce net migration. He assured that announcements would be made shortly, although government sources downplayed the possibility of unveiling a comprehensive plan this week.
Sunak emphasized that he is actively exploring various options to decrease the figures, emphasizing the government’s determination to address the issue of excessively high levels of legal migration.
There has been a significant increase in the number of dependants accompanying foreign students in the UK, with the figure rising from 12,800 in 2018 to 135,788 last year. Evidence obtained by The Telegraph suggests that this surge is partly due to low-skilled individuals from India exploiting the student spouse visa system to gain employment opportunities in the UK.
According to reports, students have revealed how they utilize the visa scheme as a means to bring their less-educated spouses to the UK, effectively creating a backdoor route to work. Agents in India actively assist in this process by advertising services that can secure dependant visas for spouses within a matter of days, without the need for an English language proficiency certificate.
A postgraduate student enrolled at Central Lancashire University shared their experience, stating, “My husband in India dropped out of college. To bring him along, our family decided to invest in my post-graduation studies in the UK. Currently, he is employed as a sales executive at a grocery shop, and we are earning a good income.”
In a similar vein, Rohit Sharma, a worker from Punjab who aspired to come to the UK, informed The Telegraph, “My dependant visa applications for Canada and the US were rejected. Consequently, I arranged for my wife to pursue post-graduation studies in the UK, which enabled me to obtain the dependant visa promptly.”
Efforts to Restrict Dependents’ Entry
Agents based in India actively promote their services through social media platforms. One advertisement by Visa Planet Education consultants stated, “Study in the UK. Spouses can accompany you with or without IELTS. Apply for the September intake.”
Similarly, a Facebook post by Success Overseas Education Consultancy mentioned, “UK dependant visa approval within six days. Study in the UK without requiring IELTS (International English Language Testing System).”
It has been reported that ministers have reached a consensus to exempt Ph.D. students from the proposed restrictions on dependants. This exemption is attributed to the significant research contributions made by Ph.D. students in major projects and their involvement in teaching undergraduate courses. Notably, Ph.D. students accounted for only five percent of all postgraduate visas issued last year.
However, there appears to be a difference in opinions between Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, and Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, regarding the extent of restrictions on dependants. While Keegan intends to limit the curbs to one-year master’s courses, Braverman is reportedly inclined to implement stricter measures.
She expressed, “Our universities highly value the presence of students from all over the globe. We also view it as a fantastic opportunity to potentially attract talented individuals.”