Students hit by visa changes
Minister hints that foreign student visas could be restricted
“Unsustainable.” That’s how Damian Green, the immigration minister, described levels of student migration to the UK. The Conservatives have been planning to curb immigration since before the election, and now more than ever it seems that universities will not be spared.
None of the changes made to the immigration system so far have affected students directly (although some are bound to have an indirect impact; see opposite page). The real trouble begins next April, when the Government will permanently restrict immigration from outside the EU.
The precise scale and nature of these restrictions are still unknown but, judging from Mr Green’s recent comments, it looks as if student visas will be curtailed. This will have a marked effect on those universities that rely heavily on the tuition fees of internationals (no points for guessing which one we’re alluding to); it is the income generated from Mr Green’s “unsustainable” levels of international students that sustains universities such as Imperial.
At a time when the government is proposing cuts to Higher Education funding, the income from international tuition fees represents a significant financial contribution to the College International Office, Imperial
Tuition fees for Brits and Europeans are set to rise, but it is dubious whether this can counteract a joint drop in government funding and international participation. The International Office at Imperial emphasised this, saying: “At a time when the government is proposing cuts to Higher Education funding, the income from international tuition fees represents a significant financial contribution to the College.”
At the same time, a different set of restrictions is being considered. The Tier 1 Post Study Work visa (PSWV) allows recent international graduates to remain in the UK to work for up to two years. These are likely to be curtailed, forcing graduates to leave the UK sooner. The International Office has pointed out that “the Post Study Work visa is an excellent incentive to encourage international students to choose the UK as a study destination.” The fear is that many exceptional international students will opt for countries with lighter restrictions, and that as a result UK universities and the UK economy as a whole will suffer. Amresh, a fourth year undergraduate and an international student, was not deterred. He told Felix that he’d “much rather work in the UK.” He did have some reservations though: “If I’m getting rejected from jobs just because I’m not British, I would be quite pissed off.”
Universities are facing an academic and financial shortfall. How deeply these changes will impact students – international and domestic – remains to be seen.
