This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Commit to keeping the Graduate Visa Route
The Migration Advisory Committee will review the Graduate Visa, which allows international students to remain in the country for two years after graduating to join the workplace.
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We want the government to confirm that it is committed to the Graduate Visa and that there is no risk it will be cut back.
We believe:
1. The route offers international students – who pay a premium at UK universities – work experience, connections in the UK workplace & a chance to mitigate study costs
2. It helps to keep UK higher education competitive in a global market. Without it, we believe that many universities – which rely on international fees would risk going into the red
3. Employers & economy: it's been estimated that the economic benefit of international students to the UK is £41.9 billion and the route offers employers access to talented graduates
This petition closed early because of a General Election Find out more on the Petitions Committee website
Government responded
This response was given on 1 November 2024
The Government accepts the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations.
Read the response in full
The Graduate route provides an opportunity for eligible international students to stay in the UK and work, or look for work, at any skill level for 2 years, or 3 years for doctoral students. It is also possible to switch into other routes, such as the Skilled Worker or Global Talent routes, if the requirements of such routes are met.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) was commissioned to conduct a rapid review of the Graduate route to ensure it works in the best interests of the UK, to prevent abuse and protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education.
The MAC’s expert and independent review was published on 14 May and made a number of recommendations.
Whilst the MAC found no substantive evidence of abuse within the Graduate route, they raised a concern over potential exploitation of both Student and Graduate visa holders due to poor practices by agents who recruit students onto courses and may be mis-selling UK higher education.
On 23 May, the previous Government announced a series of measures, building on those to reduce the potential for abuse on the student and graduate visa routes.
As the Home Secretary set out in her statement on legal migration on 30 July, this
Government strongly values the economic and academic contribution that international students make to this country, including those here on the Graduate visa, and that is why it is important to ensure that the system is effective and not open to abuse.
The Government will continue with the previously announced measures to ensure that international students themselves, the institutions they are coming to study at, and the immigration system as a whole is protected from those who wish to exploit it.
The Government will continue with the measures set out below:
• Establish a mandatory registration scheme for agents - we will require all higher education institutions who recruit international students to work within the Agent Quality Framework (AQF), ensuring it is mandatory, and regularising the work of International Education Agents.
• Require universities to publish information on the extent to which they use international agents and the number of international students recruited.
• Introduce a requirement for universities to provide the Home Office with confirmation of the course outcome on the student route.
• Review compliance metrics that Higher Education Providers have to meet in order to be able to sponsor students.
• Increase the level of funds that students are required to have to support themselves in the UK to align with domestic maintenance loans. This is coming into force for students making a visa application on or after 2 January 2025.
• Review how institutions are self-assessing students’ English language ability.
• Ensure face-to-face teaching is the predominant method of course delivery by setting limits on how much of a course can be delivered remotely.
• DfE to review franchised providers.
Home Office