The UK government is considering stricter regulations for international students hoping to stay on two-year graduate visas, with the Migration Advisory Committee having said foreign students on two-year graduate visas who fail to achieve high grades may be barred from staying in the UK.
According to The Telegraph, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), commissioned by Home Secretary James Cleverly, will scrutinize the current program as part of a broader effort to reduce net migration by 300,000.
The graduate visa scheme has seen a dramatic surge in recent years, with over 98,000 students granted extensions in the year to June 2023, a 74% increase from the previous year.
However, concerns have emerged about its potential misuse as a backdoor route to low-skilled jobs or simply a two-year stay in the UK, given the current lack of employment requirements.
“There are fears that it is being used as a backdoor route to work in the UK, often in low-skilled jobs, or simply to stay for two years as there is no requirement to take up employment,” it said.
Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the MAC, highlighted the absence of academic performance benchmarks in the existing visa criteria.
He stated, “There’s no requirement to get particular grades in your university course… That’s the question we want to review.” The committee will explore introducing minimum grade thresholds or specific course achievements as potential eligibility factors.
Further restrictions potentially under consideration include limiting the visa to graduates of certain universities or specific courses and restricting visa holders to specific job types or activities. Currently, visa holders have no limitations on their activities within the UK.
The move follows past calls from former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick to reform or even scrap the graduate visa, citing concerns about its impact on immigration levels and potential abuse.
However, the MAC previously opposed the two-year visa when introduced, favouring a six-month post-graduation extension with job search expectations. Professor Bell acknowledged the visa’s appeal in attracting students and boosting university finances, but emphasized the committee’s focus on ensuring it attracts “primarily highly skilled graduate workers.”
“At the moment, there’s no restriction on what you can do. You can, if you’ve got the money, just sit around and do nothing in the UK for two years. You can also take a minimum wage job or you can take a very highly paid job,” he said.
The MAC’s annual report also revealed concerns about the care worker visa route being exploited for illegal immigration and bonded labour. Investigations uncovered fraudulent practices involving dormant companies sponsoring hundreds of visas and instances of workers being forced to pay for rent or visa services from their salaries.
The committee expressed disappointment in the government’s failure to implement its recommendations for better pay in the care sector, aligning it with the living wage, to combat exploitation and attract more domestic workers.
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