The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) were asked whether the route for international students to stay in the UK is 'undermining the integrity and quality' of the UK's higher education system.
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The report justified its recommendation saying that the visa route, in its current form, is meeting the government’s objectives.
Home Secretary James Cleverly commissioned the review in March. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) were asked whether the route for international students to stay in the UK is “undermining the integrity and quality” of the UK’s higher education system.
Currently international students can continue to live and work in the UK for up to three years after they graduate from university.
University leaders have expressed concern that putting further restrictions on international students would damage the higher education sector.
Professor Brian Bell, chairman of MAC said:
“The fees that these students pay helps universities to cover the losses they make in teaching British students and doing research
“Without those students, many universities would need to shrink and less research would be done.”
Rachel Hewitt Chief Executive of Million Plus, an association of universities, welcomed the review’s findings and told City News:
“The report reaffirms the net positive contribution that international graduates bring to the UK”
and that “any further restrictions to the graduate route, beyond those recently introduced, and whose impact we are still waiting to assess, risks causing the UK significant economic self-harm, which would be felt in regions across the country.”
Why was the report commissioned?
The report comes as the Conservative government face pressure to tackle legal migration.
Legal net migration exceeded a record 640,000 in the year to June 2023.
Robert Jenrick, former immigration minister, called for the route to be abolished in a report to the Centre for Policy Studies, a conservative think-tank.
A Government spokesperson said:
“We are committed to attracting the best and the brightest to study at our world-class universities, whilst preventing abuse of our immigration system, which is why the Home Secretary commissioned an independent review of the graduate route.”
Labour has not yet set out its position.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineVisas for graduating international students should stay, review says
Short HeadlineInternational graduate visas should stay says review
StandfirstThe review found no evidence that the route was being abused.
The report justified its recommendation saying that the visa route, in its current form, is meeting the government’s objectives.
Home Secretary James Cleverly commissioned the review in March. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) were asked whether the route for international students to stay in the UK is “undermining the integrity and quality” of the UK’s higher education system.
Currently international students can continue to live and work in the UK for up to three years after they graduate from university.
University leaders have expressed concern that putting further restrictions on international students would damage the higher education sector.
Professor Brian Bell, chairman of MAC said:
“The fees that these students pay helps universities to cover the losses they make in teaching British students and doing research
“Without those students, many universities would need to shrink and less research would be done.”
Rachel Hewitt Chief Executive of Million Plus, an association of universities, welcomed the review’s findings and told City News:
“The report reaffirms the net positive contribution that international graduates bring to the UK”
and that “any further restrictions to the graduate route, beyond those recently introduced, and whose impact we are still waiting to assess, risks causing the UK significant economic self-harm, which would be felt in regions across the country.”
Why was the report commissioned?
The report comes as the Conservative government face pressure to tackle legal migration.
Legal net migration exceeded a record 640,000 in the year to June 2023.
Robert Jenrick, former immigration minister, called for the route to be abolished in a report to the Centre for Policy Studies, a conservative think-tank.
A Government spokesperson said:
“We are committed to attracting the best and the brightest to study at our world-class universities, whilst preventing abuse of our immigration system, which is why the Home Secretary commissioned an independent review of the graduate route.”
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