UK’s Graduate Route scheme which was popular especially with Indian students will be kept under review for now. The UK government announced this important decision on Thursday. The measures followed the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing a 10 per cent fall in net migration, and was welcomed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the first official day of his campaign for the upcoming July 4 elections.
After Canada and Australia put a limit on the number of foreign students who can come to study and stay in their country to find work, UK was also considering changes to its Graduate Route Visa scheme. And Indian students would have been hit the hardest. In a bid to stem the flow of international students into the country, Sunak had decided to come up with a plan on how to restrict the Graduate Route Visa to only the best and brightest students. But this decision was opposed by his colleagues in the cabinet. Sunak was getting caught up in the demands of the right wing and his cabinet colleagues alleging that he was taking decisions keeping the upcoming elections in mind. On the other hand, Vignesh Karthik, a member of the National Association of Indian Students and Alumni in England, had urged the Sunak government to accept the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) findings and to ensure that the graduate pathway remains stable and permanent in UK’s immigration system. Britain’s education secretary Gillian Keegan, chancellor Jeremy Hunt and foreign secretary David Cameron had opposed Sunak’s decision, saying restrictions on Graduate Route Visas would drastically reduce the number of foreign students, including Indians, coming to England. Therefore, universities in England would suffer financial losses. And a loss of competitiveness would threaten undergraduate teaching and innovation.
Originally, the Graduate Route Visa scheme was introduced in England in 2021. This visa allows one to stay in England for at least two years after successfully completing a bachelor’s, postgraduate or other qualifying course. For those with a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the scheme offers concessions of up to three years of stay. When applying for a Graduate Route Visa the applicant must be in the UK at the time of application, hold a short-term study visa or a general student visa. In addition, the applicant’s education provider must have provided information to the Home Ministry in England about the successful completion of the course. Hence, this visa is actually more beneficial for Indians, as it extends one’s post-education stay in the UK, allowing students to pursue employment opportunities and earn well there. Moreover, while in the UK on a Graduate Route Visa, students can try to get other work visas by finding a good sponsor or employer.
Many students from India want to settle in UK, and so the Graduate Route Visa is a gateway for that. This visa also allows students to stay in England with their families if certain eligibility criteria are met. Experts say Sunak’s proposal to restrict Graduate Route Visas could significantly reduce the number of international students seeking to study in the UK, by creating uncertainty about post-graduation prospects and opportunities to stay in the country long-term. Limiting the Graduate Route Visa to only the best and the brightest would also hamper the prospects of the ‘average’ student who wants to study in the UK. Rather than the UK, international students simply prefer a destination that offers more stability after education. At a time when countries like Canada and Australia have also implemented caps for international students, the UK was emerging as an excellent option, but Sunak’s unprecedented move created an atmosphere of uncertainty for Indian students. Some students said that by working in the UK after studying, students can pay off expensive loans and earn some money to live a comfortable life.
Some education agents may mislead students and authorities if Graduate Route Visa restrictions are introduced. Because the largest community of international students in the UK is Indian. Moreover, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of student visas granted to Indians. According to England’s Home Ministry, between June 2022 and June 2023, there has been a 54% increase in student visas issued to Indians. Also, the subsidy given to Indian citizens has increased by seven times. In fact, 42 percent of Indians in England currently live there on Graduate Route Visas. Therefore, if there is a change in this scheme, the biggest impact will be on Indian students.
Regarding Sunak’s proposal, the UK’s independent MAC reported that Graduate Route Visas are not being misused. Moreover, this visa should be allowed to remain as it helps UK universities to cover financial losses on the domestic front. Hence, Sunak was criticised by his own colleagues for trying to introduce the visa cap. But the latest decision has brought a sigh of relief to the Indian students for now. However, whether or not Sunak will have a change his mind will be known after the UK election results. Till then, the students will have to keep their fingers crossed.
