Government announces that the Graduate route will not be scrapped, following backlash

Friday 31 May 2024

Government announces that the Graduate route will not be scrapped, following backlash

The Government has now pulled back from their plans to introduce major reforms to, and possible closure of, the Graduate route. This decision follows the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) rapid review of the route on 14 May 2024 and strong opposition from the Cabinet regarding potential threats to the economy and the higher education sector.

The Home Secretary and Education Secretary have instead announced new set of proposals focused on the Student category while maintaining that the Graduate route will remain under review.

Graduate route overview

The Graduate route enables international students who complete a course of study at a UK university to remain in the UK for two years post-graduation (three years for PhD graduates) in order to find employment in the UK. This route has been very popular with individuals wishing to remain in the UK after finishing their studies, particularly due to its flexibility – applicants are not required to obtain sponsorship from a UK employer and are permitted to work in the UK with very few restrictions placed on their employment activity.

Initial MAC review of the Graduate route

The Home Secretary James Cleverly commissioned the MAC to conduct a review of the Graduate route in March 2024, due to concerns about the potential abuse of the route and its deviation from its intended purpose of attracting the ‘best and brightest’. In his commissioning letter, James Cleverly expressed worries about the route undermining the overall integrity of the UK higher education system and cited the increased proportion of international students studying at lower tariff institutions who will have access to the route (and therefore the wider labour market) on completion of their studies.

The MAC review recommended that the Graduate route is retained in its current form, noting that it is broadly achieving its objectives and supporting the Government’s wider International Education Strategy – a 2019 plan to increase the number and value of international students and education exports by 2030. The review warned that any additional restrictions or the closure of the route could significantly impact the higher education sector. These concerns are sharpened by the fact that under the current higher education funding model, universities are becoming increasingly reliant on international student fees to fund increasing losses on domestic student provision and research.

The MAC additionally found no evidence of widespread abuse of the route, interpreting ‘abuse’ as the deliberate non-compliance with immigration rules (this particular term having not been specifically defined in the Home Secretary’s commissioning letter).

The MAC review did however raise concerns about recruitment agents used by higher education institutions providing misleading information to prospective international students. The MAC suggested that that the Government establish a mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents and subagents, and require universities to publish data on their spending on international recruitment agents and the number of students recruited through agents annually as a starting point in improving disclosure and transparency.

The Government’s response – new restrictions on Student route

Having initially hinted that the Government may scrap the Graduate route in order to curb migration and perceived abuse of the Student route, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now indicated that the route will in fact be retained following a widespread backlash from many stakeholders, including the higher education sector and several of his colleagues in the Cabinet (including the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, the home secretary, James Cleverly and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan). However, new, more modest restrictions on the Student route will be aimed at addressing some of the Government’s initial concerns.

In a recent blog post, the Government announced the following new proposals to tighten requirements under the Student immigration category, with the stated intention of ensuring that ‘the UK’s world-leading higher education sector is used for education, not as a gateway to immigration’:

  • Regulation of international student recruitment agencies – Universities will be mandated to sign up to a stringent framework for agents in an attempt to filter out unscrupulous recruitment agents.
  • Stricter compliance checks on licensed student sponsor institutions – With those institutions who admit international students who then go on to fail the government visa checks, or to enrol and complete their courses, risking losing their sponsor licence.
  • Increase in the financial maintenance requirement for prospective students – Suggested increase on the financial maintenance requirements for Student visa applicants (currently 12,006 for students studying in London and £9,207 for students studying outside of London).
  • Review of the English language assessments – Standardising independent English language assessments, with the aim of ensuring all international students have sufficient language ability to engage fully with their courses.
  • Remote studying – Restrictions on remote delivery of courses to ensure that international students are primarily undertaking face-to-face courses.

While these measures will doubtless address some of the Government’s wider concerns regarding perceived misuse of the Student category, it remains to be seen whether they will result in a significant reduction in net migration. The looming General Election of course throws the future of the Graduate route into the realm of the unknown, with the Labour Party having not yet specifically commented on the MAC review or the route itself. For the time being, the Government’s decision not to scrap the route will be cautiously welcomed across a somewhat beleaguered higher education sector.

Get in touch

To learn more about upcoming changes to UK immigration law, please refer to our website, contact your assigned LDI lawyer, or email enquiries@lauradevine.com.

Wilfrid Boon profile image

Wilfrid Boon


Solicitor

Melike Çelik


Paralegal


Latest Insights


Important updates to good character guidance could bar many refugees from British citizenship

Concerning amendments have been made to the good character guidance pertaining to applications for British citizenship, effective 10 February 2025.

Fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap registration period to begin 7 March 2025

H-1B season has finally arrived for fiscal year 2026. H-1B visas enable foreign workers with at least a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience,…

EUSS: Pre-settled status holders to be granted 5-year extensions and Home Office to begin automatic grants of pre-settled to settled status from January 2025

The Home Office has announced its intention to automatically convert as many eligible pre-settled status holders as possible to settled status from…

Immigration Services


UK Immigration

US Immigration

News