The UK government is working on new requirements for those coming to the country on a Graduate Visa, raising the bar for English language proficiency requirements.
International students coming to the UK under the Graduate Route will soon be required to take mandatory language tests in order to remain in the country, as the government aims to filter ‘only the best and brightest’ candidates, VisaGuide.World reports.
We are committed to attracting the best and brightest to study at our world-class universities whilst preventing the abuse of our immigration system.
The same also added that the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak thinks there are more measures to come, as the Cabinet is determined to reduce net migration rates, which last year reached a historic high.
Redesigned Scheme to Affect Job Opportunities for Graduate Visa Holders
The Cabinet also intends to put a boot in universities and colleges that have high dropout rates, hindering their opportunities to recruit international students.
In addition, the Home Office will address cases of recruiting agents who attract students to the UK, offering them less than the minimum wage and keeping them away from their field of study.
Talks for new rules follow plans of PM Sunak to ban British universities from accepting certain postgraduate courses, in an effort to reduce net migration in the UK, which is highly driven by international students.
However, there are no rules tighter than this on the horizon as any move can encounter resistance from universities and Cabinet ministers, as the Daily Mail reports.
Figures from HM Revenue and Customs reveal that 41 per cent of those using the graduate visa to work were earning less than £15,000, equivalent to $19,000.
The Graduate Route, which is a post-study visa, allows graduates to stay and work in the UK for up to two years after finalising their studies. The government estimates that this visa has attracted many migrants to the UK, with them often misusing their benefits and coming to the country to work instead of pursuing academic careers.
These claims were fueled even more after net immigration to the UK reached a record high of 764,000 in 2022, as the Office for National Statistics shows. In 2023, net migration has dropped by ten percentage points, to 685,000. However, compared to the pre-pandemic levels, these rates remain considerably higher.
ONS data show that work was the main driver of immigration in 2023. More than four out of ten people coming to the country for employment purposes in 2023, came from India or Nigeria, especially filling positions in the health and social care sector.