The government’s immigrations advisers have concluded that there is no evidence of widespread abuse of the UK’s graduate visa route.
The UK’s Migratory Advisory Committee's review of the Graduate Route has been released and the overarching recommendation is for the government to leave the route – which allowed international students to work in the UK for two or three years after graduating – in place and unchanged.
On the 14th of May 2024, Professor Brian Bell, Chair, Migration Advisory Committee, wrote in a letter to the Home Secretary:
“We have not found evidence of widespread abuse on the Graduate route, where we define abuse as deliberate non-compliance with immigration rules, and we conclude that the route is not undermining the integrity and quality of the UK higher education system.
We recommend retaining the Graduate route in its current form.”
Restricting Graduate Route could lead to ‘overcorrection.’
The MAC has assured that the termination of student dependants’ right to accompany international students is already having tangible effects on migration levels. Should the UK restrict the Graduate Route as well, the MAC cautions that the UK risks “overcorrection.”
“The changes to the rules on student dependants which were implemented in January and are in effect a change to the dependant rules of the Graduate route, will likely have a significant effect on Graduate route usage going forward… Implementing additional restrictions or closing the route now could risk overcorrection.”
“Given international student fees help make up the financial deficit that universities have from teaching domestic students and research, any significant restrictions to the route should only be considered once the structural funding issues in the higher education sector have been addressed.”
The committee’s decision was greeted with relief by university vice-chancellors
University vice-chancellors have warned in the past that abolishing the graduate visa would lead to financial turmoil for the sector.
Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said that the conclusions drawn by MAC are “extremely important and welcome.”
Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russel Group concurs:
“The MAC’s thoughtful review is crystal clear: the Graduate Route should be retained in full, finding no evidence of widespread abuse.”
“International students bring huge value to our university communities, offering global perspectives and important skills, and creating diverse learning environments.”
“As the MAC recognises, they are also critical to the financial sustainability of our world-leading universities. Moreover, the Graduate route plays a crucial role in ensuring the UK is an attractive destination for global talent.”
Conservative politicians criticise the review
The report’s release has been met with criticism, with senior right-wing MPs describing it as a “whitewash.” Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his concerns:
“The MAC’s conclusions have clearly been constrained by the narrow terms of reference deliberately set by the government. If you order white paint, you get a whitewash.”
Tory MP Neil O’brien, similarly described the report as a “whitewash”: “We are pursuing an arbitrary target, and the expansion of universities for their own sake.”
The government has not yet indicated whether it will accept the recommendations.
Higher education stakeholders have been told they can expect the government’s response to the report next week. According to The Guardian, a source close to the home secretary said the review will be read thoroughly and carefully before any decision is made.
Alex Proudfoot, chief executive of Independent Higher Education, said:
“We urge the government to swiftly confirm they will follow their experts’ recommendation that the graduate visa be retained in its current form, and commit afresh to working with the education sector to maximise the benefits that international students bring.”
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