Why UK Stopped International Students from Bringing Family Members and How it Affects Indians?

Amid the ongoing attempt of the Conservative government to crack down on migration levels, Rishi Sunak has limited foreign university students from bringing family members to the UK.

As per the new rule, most international students, including Indians, starting courses at British universities this month will no longer be able to bring family members under tougher UK visa norms effective from Monday.

The UK Home Office said the changes, first announced by former home secretary Suella Braverman in May last year, are aimed at clamping down on people using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK and will see an estimated 140,000 fewer people come to the UK.

What does the new rule say on bringing dependents?

As per the new rule, international students in the UK will no longer be able to bring dependants on their student visa, unless they are studying a postgraduate research programme from January 2024.

Moreover, from 17 July, international students are no longer permitted to switch to work route visas unless they have completed their course.

“Today, a major part of that plan comes into effect, ending the unreasonable practice of overseas students bringing their family members to the UK. This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK,” Home Secretary James Cleverly said.

Why Has the New Rule Been Imposed?

The UK government wants to reduce the number of dependents entering the country on student visas in order to fulfil its promise to the British people of cutting net migration.

As per reports, there has been an unreasonable practice of overseas students bringing dependants, which have officially risen by more than 930 per cent since 2019.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that in the year ending September 2023, as many as 152,980 visas were issued to dependants of students, a massive rise from the 14,839 in the year ending September 2019.

A UK Minister said that though the country attract brightest students, there as been a surge in the number of dependants and leading to unsustainable levels of migration.

“Our world-leading universities rightly attract some of the brightest students from around the world to the UK. But we have seen a surge in the number of dependants being brought by students, which is contributing to unsustainable levels of migration,” said UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border Tom Pursglove.

The new rules would also prevent international students from switching to work visas or leaving their studies before completing their courses.

Will It Affect Indians?

Indian students, making up a significant number in the UK, will be affected with the latest move. In the student visa category, Indian nationals represent the largest group of students granted leave to remain on this route, making up 43 per cent of grants.

Diaspora student groups have expressed widespread concerns over this proposed review of the route, which allows for post-study work experience and is the topmost factor behind students from India choosing UK universities.

This package of measures, taken in addition to the measures on student dependants, means that around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not be able to in the future the largest reduction ever.

UK Cutting on Migration

Rishi Sunak-led UK government has committed to bring down levels of migration, both legal and illegal, into the country. Sunak has pledged to reduce new arrivals and has been under pressure ever since statistics released last month showed that net migration to Britain hit a high in 2022.

Last month, Cleverly announced a further set of measures including tightening health and care visas by stopping overseas care workers from bringing dependants and requiring care firms in England to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission to sponsor visas.

(With inputs from PTI)