To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact student visa restrictions will have on international students studying in the UK.
Answered on
5 June 2023
The UK has been successful in delivering the government’s International Education Strategy ambition of hosting at least 600,000 students per year by 2030, for two years running, and we expect that universities will be able to adapt to reduced dependant numbers.
Our offer to international students remains extremely competitive and we are committed to ensuring the UK remains a destination of choice for international students from across the globe. International students make a significant economic and cultural contribution to the UK’s higher education sector, which is good for our universities and delivers growth at home. Those affected by these changes will predominantly be dependants of international students. Students coming to the UK to undertake postgraduate research courses will not be affected by the new restriction on dependents.
The Department for Education will work closely with the Home Office, the Department for Business and Trade, and across other government departments, to assess the impact of these changes on research, science and arts in the UK.