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

The UK government recently implemented an increase in the minimum income threshold required to sponsor a family member’s visa in the country as a ‘dependent’ as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to control immigration numbers. This move is expected to have an adverse impact on Indian students and work visa holders in the UK. Indian students and alumni have expressed concerns about the potential social implications of these changes. Sanam Arora, the founder and chairperson of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, emphasized the importance of the Graduate visa for Indian students and its significance within the UK’s international higher education system.

Anahita Masters, an Alumni of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), highlighted the setback faced by students with dependents, particularly women, due to restrictions on post-graduate research students bringing dependents. The minimum income required to bring dependents on a work visa has undergone a significant increase, with further planned increments. Additionally, social care workers are now prohibited from bringing any dependents, regardless of their income level. Earlier this year, a rule was implemented barring people on student visas from bringing dependents to the UK.

The potential shelving of the Graduate route visa has raised concerns about its impact on university finances and the well-being of both international and domestic students. The changes also pose a possible disadvantage for sole breadwinners and Indian women, particularly mothers. Anahita Masters shared her personal experience, noting that the removal of the dependent clause for Master’s level students is a significant setback for all students with dependents, especially women with young children. These changes in visa rules are expected to have a substantial impact on Indian students, work visa holders, and their families in the UK.

The implications of these changes extend beyond immigration numbers and are likely to affect the social and academic experiences of individuals and families.