UK Government Announces Planned Changes to the UK Student Visa
If you are planning to study as an international student in the UK it is important to be aware of future planned changes to the UK student visa and dependant visa rules. The May 2023 announcement may affect your decision to apply for a student visa in 2023 rather than defer your studies until 2024.
If you have questions about the UK student visa our immigration solicitors can help answer them and advise on your UK student, work, and family visa options.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors
For advice on student visas call the immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Government announcement on migration figures and changes to the student visa
The government has announced planned changes to the UK student visa prompted by ‘migrant flows’. The November 2022 Office for National Statistics (ONS) data estimated that UK net migration in the year June 2021 to June 2022 was 504,000. This figure amounted to a significant rise from the 2020-2021 figures. The net migration figure for 2022-2023 will be higher still.
The figures can be explained in part by the post-Covid surge in immigration applications as well as by specialist visas to accommodate Ukrainian nationals fleeing the war in Ukraine and those with British national (overseas) status applying for the Hong Kong visa. However, the UK government has identified a rise in student visa applicants being accompanied to the UK by dependant family members who have qualified for a dependant visa. The rise is said to be an 8-fold increase to 136,000 dependant visas granted to the dependants of international students studying in the UK on student visas.
Immigration solicitors and higher education institutes may question the relevance of increased numbers of dependant visa applications given the importance of education and the international student programme to the UK economy, especially as each dependant visa application was vetted by a Home Office official and met the dependant visa criteria.
The May 2023 government announcement emphasises the need to reduce net migration to the UK whilst not highlighting what issues an increase in the grant of dependant visas relating to student visas has created within the context of the importance of international students to the UK economy.
Student visa and dependant visa planned changes
The UK government has said that it plans to:
- Stop international students on student visas from being able to bring family members to the UK with them unless the international student is enrolled on a postgraduate course currently designated as research programmes
- Prevent international students from being able to switch from a student visa to a work visa before the student has completed their course of studies
- Review the maintenance requirements for both student visa applications and associated dependant visa applications
- Review activities of education agents and enforce immigration rules on student visas
The government says it intends to put in place new immigration rules as soon as possible after consultation with universities and key stakeholders.
Coming to the UK on a student visa or as a dependant of an international student
If you want to come to the UK on a student visa you can apply in advance of your course start date. The immigration rules say that if you are applying for a student visa from outside the UK then you can apply for the visa up to 6 months before you start your studies. If the application is made from within the UK, then you can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your course commences.
The student visa lasts for up to 5 years if you are a student aged 18 or over and your course is at degree level. The visa lasts up to 2 years if your course is below degree level. A dependant visa lasts for as long as the visa of the main visa applicant.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors
For advice on student visas call the immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
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