United Kingdom’s new immigration rules to hit Indian students and workers hard

As per the recent rules released by the UK government, foreign students will now be allowed to stay only for 18 months post completion of their degrees in the UK universities

Hyderabad: The United Kingdom government’s decision to tighten visa norms are set to hit Indian students, more particularly Telugus, aspiring to study and build a career in Great Britain, hard.

As per the recent rules released by the UK government, foreign students will now be allowed to stay only for 18 months post completion of their degrees in the UK universities. Though the government retained the Graduate Route, a visa that allows international students to stay in the country and work, it had reduced the stay duration from 24 months to 18 months.

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Under the new measures, foreign students who acquired Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6 (graduate) and above qualification will be eligible for skilled worker visas. This is a significant shift from previous rules, which allowed recruitment at RQF Level 3 like care workers and other mid-skilled workers.

The salary threshold for skilled workers has also been increased, making it difficult for the employers to hire international students who graduated from the UK universities.

Further, the UK government has done away with the social care visas to new applications received from overseas. Until a new workforce strategy is developed and rolled out by 2028, the government decided to permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those who are already in the UK.

These new norms are set to impact an already plummeting number of Indian students opting for higher education in the UK, which recorded a 26 per cent decrease. As per the UK Home Office data, the sponsored student visas issued to Indian students fell from 1,20,000 to 88,732 between years 2023 and 2024.

“There is already a drop in the number of students going to the UK, Canada and US due to tighter immigration norms. Given the new rules, students opting for the UK are expected to further come down. Students are now opting for countries – New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Germany – for their higher education,” said Ajaya Kumar Vemulapati, Director IMFS.

Further, the UK government has made new English language requirements for immigration routes, for both applicants and their dependents, mandatory. This is to ensure a better knowledge of English of the applicants and their dependents.

The UK government, as per reports, is contemplating levying a new six per cent tax on tuition fee income, which the universities generate from intentional students, and reinvesting into the higher education and skills system. If the plan fructifies, the higher education for international students will turn more expensive as universities pass the tax on overseas students.