In order to curb migration from abroad, Britain wants to tighten visa rules for international students. In the future, only master’s or doctoral students should bring their family members to the country during their stay, as announced yesterday by the British government.
Last year, 136,000 visas were issued to family members of international students. This was eight times more than in 2019.
As an additional restriction, foreign students must be prevented from moving into an employment relationship in the future without completing their studies and thus extending their stay. However, according to the government, students can still stay in the country for two years on the same visa if they find employment after graduation.
migration peaks
Since Brexit, the UK has ended visa-free entry for students from the European Union (EU). However, it is estimated that migration will peak this year.
This trend was supported by tailored visas for refugees from Ukraine, Hong Kong and Afghanistan. But many students, mainly from India and Nigeria, also came to the country. EU “uncontrolled immigration” was one of the big problems for Brexit supporters in 2016.