UK Uni Students Face Visa Crackdown, Threatening Course Choices in New Zealand

UK students might discover their selection of university course narrowing If ministers proceed with stricter immigration policies, higher education specialists are cautioning them.

Some suggest a possible stricter approach could be coming soon. study visas might set off "many" additional program and faculty cuts, potentially causing British higher education institutions to fall in international rankings.

The warning bells are ringing in a week that witnessed the university regulatory body, the Office for Students (OfS), lay out the already parlous state of the sector’s finances, revealing that 43 per cent of England’s higher education providers face a deficit in 2024/25.

Job and research reductions might become more severe.

Currently, concerns are rising that the scenario—wherein universities have already laid off staff and cut back on research funding—might soon become "even more dire" should the government implement the proposed alterations to immigration policies discussed earlier this week. An analysis has revealed this potential worsening impact. The i Paper indicates that billions of pounds are in jeopardy.

Viewed by some as a reaction to Reform’s local election successes The revised rules propose reducing the number of international students permitted to stay in the UK for low-wage employment post-graduation. They would instead need to secure a position requiring at least a bachelor’s degree level qualification to continue residing there.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) thinktank, said such rule changes could worsen universities’ “doom loop”, further reducing the number of international students and deepening the sector-wide funding crisis.

'We're allowing our top-tier status to decline.'

"It would result in numerous course shutdowns throughout the UK as these programs would become unsustainable; additionally, it would lead to significantly reduced university research due to the loss of funding from international student fees which previously supported such activities," he explained. The i Paper .

What we're allowing to pass us by is our top-tier status in international rankings," he mentioned additionally. "Many institutions might not face financial ruin, yet they will fall short of their potential excellence.

Hillman cautioned that the issue in Scotland, where the Scottish Funding Council has just approved a £22 million rescue package for Dundee University, is "heading towards England," forecasting as many as 20,000 academic job cuts this year along with the shutting down of entire departments.

This increases the 10,000 jobs that are slated to vanish from the sector, as stated by the University and College Union (UCU).

"If Labour imposes stricter regulations on international students studying in the UK and doesn’t provide additional funding for the education sector, there’s a significant danger that universities could face financial ruin," stated General Secretary Jo Grady.

New regulations might cost universities billions.

It has been reported that the Home Office’s immigration white paper, due next week, could also include a crackdown on student visa applications from Pakistanis, Nigerians and Sri Lankans – and those from other countries where students are statistically most likely to overstay and claim asylum in the UK.

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Research carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) for The i Paper uncovers the significant portion of university funding at risk due to this change. The data shows that there were 32,977 study visas issued for bachelor’s degree programs or higher to Pakistani students, 17,771 to Nigerian students, and 3,299 to Sri Lankan students in 2024. These enrollments contributed £3 billion to UK universities in the same year.

The study, utilizing HESA data, revealed that 170,371 graduate visas were issued in 2024. This resulted in an injection of £11.4 billion into UK university income, according to values adjusted for 2024 pricing.

Jamie Arrowsmith, who leads Universities UK International, stated that reducing the duration of the graduate visa—which presently allows international students to remain in the UK for two years following completion of their studies—could "significantly undermine the appeal of the UK."

He stated that many years of inadequate funding had caused domestic teaching and research activities to be supported by revenues from international student tuition fees. He added that "removing this financial resource without tackling other underlying problems would exacerbate an already difficult scenario."

Certain institutions might face greater exposure compared to others. In the case of eight major UK universities—those with a tuition fee revenue exceeding £50 million—a majority of their student population consists of international students, as reported by HESA statistics.

This encompasses institutions like the LSE, which reports that 64 percent of its students come from overseas based on available data, UCL with 52 percent, and Imperial with 51 percent. These universities have been reached out to for their input.

The University of Hertfordshire, which has 55 percent international students, stated that they "firmly oppose" any modifications that would make the UK a less appealing destination for studies.

“A spokesperson stated, ‘Although the University of Hertfordshire remains stable, any limitations affecting international students would be harmful.’”

This announcement follows the university’s ongoing redundancy process affecting multiple schools, which includes positions such as six roles in Law, five in Creative Arts, and potentially up to 16 in Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences.

At the University of Bedfordshire, 47 percent of students come from abroad, with 9 percent being Nigerian and 6 percent Pakistani. Following some restructuring over the summer of 2023 and the closure of certain performing arts programs, they have also revealed plans to reduce their workforce by around 240 positions.

The Royal College of Art, where 74 percent of the students come from abroad, has introduced an optional resignation program specifically for long-term employees.

The London Business School, with 84 percent of its student body coming from abroad, stated that these international participants significantly boost the UK’s economy. According to Dean Sergei Guriev, many students receive sponsorship from their firms and go back home right away, whereas others establish enterprises or secure high-skilled positions within the UK.

In recent times, international students have become an ever-more significant source of revenue for tertiary institutions.

However, the number of international students seeking UK study visas decreased by 16 percent the prior year. This decline followed the preceding Conservative administration’s decision to prohibit overseas postgraduates enrolled in non-research programs from accompanying their families to the UK starting January 2024.

Hazards for learners if institutions of higher education must shut down

This week, the regulatory body, the Office for Students (OfS), stated that the decline in international student enrollment is mainly responsible for worsening university financial situations. They also predicted that the number of students from abroad might now be over one-fifth less than earlier projections.

"If this pattern persists, it could place additional strain on institutions' financial situations," according to the OfS report.

Philippa Pickford, who directs regulation at the OfS, stated, "In the near future, we aren’t anticipating several universities closing down. However, the long-term pressures are substantial, intricate, and continuous."

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She also mentioned: "It's clear that if a major educational institution were to fail, our capacity to ensure positive results for students would be significantly reduced. That's why we believe it's crucial to establish a specific oversight mechanism for tertiary education."

I’m aware that this is an issue we’re currently discussing with the Government.

In response to the OfS report, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that the "alarming" statistics highlighted why the previous year's increase in tuition fees and educational reforms were essential.

The previous week, Alan Johnson, who served as both the education and home secretary in the NewLabour government, alerted officials that stringent new immigration measures might cause financial strain for certain universities, potentially leading to their downfall.

Updated immigration policies might 'derail' the industry.

As the current Chancellor of the University of Hull, he stated: "Should they mistakenly think that undermining our universities and shutting down some of them is the solution to the migration issue – which is how severe this would be – then they would indeed be gravely mistaken."

A Universities UK study involving 60 institutions released earlier this week revealed that one in four universities has already implemented mandatory layoffs, almost half (49 percent) have discontinued programs, 18 percent have shut down complete departments, and 19 percent have decreased funding for research activities.

The Home Office has said that international students will “always be welcome in the UK” but added that net migration “must come down”, with the white paper setting out a plan to “restore order to our broken immigration system”.

Universities Scotland stated that there is "a very high level of worry" within the sector as they await the UK Government’s immigration white paper. They have urged for consistency in immigration policies to maintain their current standards for local students, industry collaborators, and research associates.