UK's Graduate Visa programs may stay, but Sunak plans crackdown on foreign education agents
economictimes.indiatimes.comPrime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to announce a crackdown on agents marketing graduate visa schemes overseas, aiming to project a tough stance on migration before this year’s general elections. This comes after UK's university regulator warned of severe financial strains on institutions due to a decline in international student numbers.
According to a Financial Times report, the new measures, anticipated to be revealed next week, will coincide with the release of quarterly migration data from the Home Office and the Office for National Statistics. The crackdown could involve mandatory registration for agents and fines for malpractice.
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Sunak is also considering stricter criteria for the graduate visa scheme, potentially limiting visas to the «best and the brightest.» However, this approach has not yet been formally discussed with ministers. This proposal faces resistance from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who worry about the financial impact on universities if international student numbers drop further.
The decision on whether to limit the scheme to top-tier students is expected to depend on upcoming net migration figures. Keegan supports measures to prevent system abuses by agents but opposes limiting access based on student quality or degree type. “This can’t all be about PPEs from Oxford,” she said.
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