Impact of UK Visa Changes on Indian Former Students: Their Perspectives

The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has recently increased the minimum income threshold required to sponsor a family member’s visa as a ‘dependent’, as part of efforts to control immigration numbers. This move is expected to have significant implications for Indian students and workers in the United Kingdom.

One of the immediate effects of this decision is the impact on Indian students, who form the largest group of individuals granted study and work visas in the UK. Sanam Arora, founder of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, highlighted the importance of the Graduate visa for Indian students and expressed concerns about the potential adverse effects on the UK’s international higher education system.

Anahita Masters, an alumna of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), emphasized the social implications of the new rules, particularly for post-graduate research students and their dependents. She pointed out that the restrictions on bringing dependents could pose significant challenges, especially for women in this category.

The increase in the minimum income required to bring dependents on a work visa represents a substantial rise, with further planned increases in the near future. Additionally, social care workers are now prohibited from bringing any dependents, regardless of their income level.

These changes add to a series of restrictive visa rules that have been implemented, including the recent prohibition on bringing dependents for those on student visas. Furthermore, the potential review of the Graduate route visa by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has raised concerns about the future of international students in the UK.

Ms. Arora highlighted the potential impact on university finances and the cross-subsidization of domestic students and research by international students. Another significant aspect is the potential disadvantage faced by sole breadwinners and Indian women, particularly mothers, due to the removal of the dependent clause for Master’s level students.

Ms. Masters shared her personal experience to illustrate the challenges faced by students with dependents, emphasizing the difficulties young children would face living apart from their mothers for extended periods. These changes in visa rules have wide-ranging implications for Indian individuals studying and working in the UK, and they are expected to have a significant impact on the international student body and the country’s higher education system.