Overview

• The Home Office is consulting on White Paper proposals to reduce post-study stays from two years to 18 months and introduce a potential 6% levy on international tuition income.
• Policy Exchange has urged restricting the graduate visa to postgraduate researchers and imposing £10,000 surety deposits to deter visa misuse.
• Official data show international student numbers climbed 66% to 732,285 between 2014/15 and 2023/24, with 40% switching visa categories within a year in 2023.
• Universities UK and the Russell Group caution that tighter post-study rules and levies could threaten university budgets and the UK’s competitiveness in the global education market.
• London business bodies warn that tougher visa reforms risk harming regional economies and call for measures that balance migration control with sector growth.