The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) this week revealed a 16 per cent drop in Indian student applicants over the year ending December 2023 amid an overall 10 per cent fall in the net migration figures for the country compared to 2022.
There were 116,455 sponsored study visa grants to main applicants that are Indian nationals in the year ending March 2024, (26 per cent of the total), 21,717 fewer than the previous year. The majority (94,149, or 81 per cent) of Indian students come to the UK to study at Master’s level and the recent decrease in Indian students was driven by 21,800 fewer Indian nationals coming to study at Master's level, the ONS data reveals. The fall in numbers follows growing rhetoric around student visas, with tightening of rules on family dependents, and will worry universities that are reliant on the higher overseas student fees of which Indians are the largest cohort.
The Home Office pointed out that the ONS figures released this week do not take into account stricter visa rules on family dependents that were enforced earlier this year, pointing to a 25 per cent drop in visa applications since then. Under further tougher student visa measures, it said it will regulate the recruitment of international students, “cracking down on rogue recruitment agents” who encourage people to apply to British universities by mandating universities to sign up to a "stringent framework for agents".
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Tougher compliance standards for institutions recruiting students from overseas will be introduced under which universities that accept international students who then fail to pass visa checks, enrol or complete their courses, will risk losing their sponsor licence.
UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “We have taken decisive and necessary action to deliver the largest cut in legal migration in our country’s history. Applications are already falling sharply, down by almost a quarter on key routes in the first four months of this year compared to last, with the full impact of our package still to be seen.
“But we must go further to make sure our immigration routes aren’t abused. That’s why we are cracking down on rogue international agents and, building on work across government, to ensure international students are coming here to study, not work.”
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With reference to the Graduate Route, the Home Office took note of the independent Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) warning that rogue recruitment agents pose a threat to the system, with poor practices exploiting student and graduate visa holders who are "mis-sold" UK higher education. Since migrants on the student route transition directly to the Graduate Route, immediate action is necessary, the Home Office said, adding that it also remains concerned that the scheme is not attracting the “highest earners who contribute to our economy” after an analysis from the tax department.
Among other measures planned, financial maintenance requirements will be raised, so international students will have to prove their financial self-sufficiency. The government said it is already reviewing English language assessments with the objective of standardising independent assessments, ensuring all international students are equipped with the skills to understand their course materials – or they shouldn’t expect a place at a UK university. Restrictions on remote delivery will also ensure all overseas students are predominantly undertaking face-to-face courses.