According to The Times (UK), international students won’t be allowed to bring their spouses and kids to the UK unless they are pursuing “high-value” degrees.
Science, math, and engineering degrees are among the degree that the UK government values.
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The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the home secretary Suella Braverman, according to the article, are growing more concerned as a result of a nearly eightfold increase in the number of families enrolling overseas students.
When a parent or spouse has a valid student visa, the UK allows dependents to travel with them.
Nigerians had the highest year-over-year rise in the number of dependents traveling with students in 2022.
Moreover, sponsored study grants for Nigerian nationals increased by 57,545 (+686%) from 2019 to a record high of 65,929, making them the third largest nationality group in the most recent year. This represents the highest growth in sponsored study grants compared to 2019.
The Times stated that 490,763 students were granted visas last year, according to the most recent immigration statistics.
135,788 dependents, including spouses and children, accompanied them, up from 16,047 in 2019.
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According to the article, foreign students would not be permitted to bring families unless they are pursuing a higher degree, such as a master’s or Doctorate.
Universities and lawmakers from all parties, however, criticized the ideas, citing studies that claimed that international students boost the economy by £35 billion annually.
The change is the most recent of Braverman’s “aspirations” to limit immigration to the UK.
Originally posted 2023-02-25 00:45:36.