The UK government is contemplating enhanced regulations for international students seeking to extend their stay on two-year graduate visas.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), tasked by Home Secretary James Cleverly, is set to review the current program as part of a broader initiative to reduce net migration by 300,000.
Potential changes may include barring foreign students with lower grades from staying in the UK on two-year graduate visas.
The current scheme has experienced a substantial increase, with over 98,000 students granted extensions in the year leading to June 2023, marking a 74% rise from the previous year.
Concerns have arisen over the potential misuse of the program as a gateway to low-skilled jobs or as a mere two-year stay in the UK due to the absence of employment requirements.
Professor Brian Bell, Chairman of the MAC, emphasized the need to address the lack of academic performance benchmarks in the existing visa criteria.
“There’s no requirement to get particular grades in your university course… That’s the question we want to review,” stated Bell. The committee is exploring the possibility of introducing minimum grade thresholds or specific course achievements as eligibility factors.
Further considerations for restrictions include limiting the visa to graduates of specific universities or courses and restricting visa holders to certain job types or activities. Presently, visa holders face no limitations on their activities within the UK.
