Disappointed by reduced student visas? Consider a UK Skilled Worker visa

The previous government disallowed foreign students not involved in research from bringing dependants to the UK from January 1, which is having an impact.

The number of foreign students applying for British visas has fallen sharply this year as restrictions on dependants began to bite, which may make other visa routes more attractive for immigrants seeking to bring families into the United Kingdom.

Applications for sponsored study visas from main applicants have fallen 16 percent in the first nine months of this year and from dependants by 85 percent, according to Home Office data released this month.

The drop in student applications comes after the previous government disallowed foreign students not involved in research from bringing dependants to the U.K. from January 1. The Migration Advisory Committee said in May that early indications suggested a 63 percent reduction in the number of deposits paid for the September 2024 intake by international postgraduate applicants compared to the same time in the previous year.

The drop in foreign student applications is also sparking fresh fears about universities’ finances. The government’s International Education Strategy of 2019 sought to boost U.K.’s education exports to £35 billion per year and have 600,000 international students studying in the country by 2030.

Applications for sponsored study visas from main applicants fell to 350,700 in January-September this year from 417,700 in the same period of 2023, according to Home Office data.

The restrictions on dependants may make other visa routes such as the Skilled Worker visa more attractive for potential immigrants.

The Graduate visa route involves paying high tuition fees and now has the drawback of not allowing dependants into the country unless students are part of a research-based programme. While post-graduate students are allowed to work for two years and PhD students for three years after their degrees this time doesn’t count towards that required for settlement. They must switch to another visa route to qualify to settle in the U.K.

Those looking to immigrate may be better served by using the Skilled Worker visa route as companies in the U.K. are continuously looking for skilled employees, especially those who would be willing to invest in the employer company.

These workers may be able to negotiate flexible working hours with their employers to enable them to enrol in a course simultaneously. Skilled Worker visa holders can also bring their dependants to the country with their children having access to free education and they will qualify to apply for settlement after five years.

The restrictions on dependants were part of measures introduced last year to curb surging immigration. Net migration, the number of people immigrating to the U.K. minus those emigrating, climbed to a record 764,000 in 2022, about three times the annual average before the pandemic. Net migration fell 10 percent in 2023 to 685,000, the Office of National Statistics has said, but was still well above pre-pandemic levels.

Following the decline in student applications, universities in the U.K. have also warned of significant financial concerns as a result of frozen domestic tuition fees, The Times reported October 10.

“These hard numbers confirm our fear that the previous government’s changes have made the UK a less attractive study destination,” The Times quoted Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute, as saying. “They also explain why there is so much chatter about university failures.

“A drop of this magnitude forces university managers and governors to reconsider their finances, their staffing levels and their wider strategy and, in a few instances, could prove existential. The new set of ministers have changed the rhetoric, but they have shown no willingness to change the policy or to explain what will happen if an institution topples over.”