Immigration Central: From January 2024, the UK will debar international students from bringing dependents

Representational image. (Photo via Unspalsh)

In a move that will impact countless international students, specially Indians, the United Kingdom (UK) government has announced that starting January 2024, international students will not be permitted to bring their dependents under the UK Student Visa, regardless if they are children under 18, family members, spouses, civil partners or elderly parent. The new rule, however, will not be applicable to international students in postgraduate research courses, such as research-based PhDs and Master’s programs. Students enrolled in these courses will remain able to bring their dependents even after January 2024.

Among other measures, international students are also no longer able to switch from a study visa to a work visa before completing their course, following a growing trend of newly-arrived students dropping out to work in the healthcare sector. Currently, undergraduate students are permitted to remain in the UK for two years through the Graduate Route, while those in doctoral and PhD studies will be able to continue their stay for three years.

The decision to prohibit students from bringing their dependents to the UK is expected to impact all students but specially those from India and Nigeria.

“Evidence shows this decision will also disproportionately affect students from countries such as India and Nigeria, both priority countries in the International Education Strategy, as well as female students, who are more likely to bring dependents with them. For many universities in London, this will mean a significant reduction in annual intake,” said Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher.

According to the Home Office, in 2022, nearly a million students visas were granted and the number of dependents of these students rose by 750 per cent since 2019. Around 136,000 visas were granted to dependents of sponsored students in the year ending December 2022, an increase from 16,000 in 2019.

India is now the UK’s top student-sending country, with almost 140,000 visas issued in 2022. This represents 73 per cent growth over 2021, or around four times the visas that were issued in 2019, with the Graduate Route being the main driver of Indians choosing universities in the UK. An overall total of 72,893 students were granted visas under this route in 2022, allowing them to stay and work in the UK for up to two years (or three years for PhD graduates).

Non-European Union (EU) students account for 12 per cent of all full-time undergraduate student population while they comprise 59 per cent of the total full-time post-graduate students.

In the 2021-22 academic year, international students contributed £41.9 billion to the UK’s economy, according to a report by Universities UK International, HEPI and Kaplan International Pathways. The figure has risen from £31.3 billion in the 2018-19 academic year. The net economic impact of each student is around £98,000 throughout their study period, according to the report. The total benefits versus costs, according to the report, imply a benefit-to-cost ratio of 9:4.

“International students put nearly 10 times more into the economy than they take out — boosting both local and national economic well-being,” Gavan Conlon, partner at London Economics that conducted the research said.

Countries that allow students to bring their families:

With the UK announcing curbs on dependents of student visa holders, the focus is back on countries that allow students to bring their families:

Canada: Canada’s dependent visa allows international students to bring their dependents and also allows them to work or study full time once they have the relevant permits.

Germany: Germany’s dependent visa also known as a family reunion visa permits the spouse, children, and other family members to join and live with their family members residing in Germany.

Australia: Its dependent visa programme allows international students to bring their spouse and families to the country.

Denmark: If an international student wants to bring their family to Denmark, they must apply for its green card Dependent visa.

Estonia: A popular student destination of various professional programs offering more than 150 degree, students can bring along their dependents.

Finland: Finland has very flexible and favourable in the student’s interest, it allows students to bring their families, dependents.