Why the UK must implement an integrated study visa

The reintroduction of the two-year post-study work visa for the 2020/21 university intake will see the UK regain its lost market share after years of anti-international student rhetoric, boosting our economy and helping universities that are struggling financially. 

Yet while this policy change from Boris Johnson has rightly received strong commendation from the sector, international students still face problems with the UK visa system before and during their studies.

With its world-class universities, the UK has always been a highly sought after destination for international students. In India, in particular, there was huge demand for the country’s higher education institutions. This was until 2012, when then home secretary Theresa May revoked the two-year post-study work visa, resulting in a 40 per cent drop in the number of Indian student enrolments.

Our new government has demonstrated a more positive attitude to international students with the reintroduction of an attractive post-study work offering. Universities minister Chris Skidmore is working closely with colleagues across departments including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Foreign Office and the Home Office on a positive international education strategy, supported by sector bodies such as Universities UK, the UK Council for International Student Affairs and the CBI. 

However, the restrictive governance of Theresa May has left in its wake several speed bumps that could hamper the growth and success of the UK higher education sector.

Current situation

This shift in policy has already had a positive impact: research from IDP Connect revealed that Indian students immediately shifted enquiries from Australia to the UK following the announcement.

A 2019 study by the Higher Education Policy Institute found that just one cohort of international students that stays in the UK to work pays £3.2 billion in tax. The research also revealed that international students fill critical skills shortages. These benefits are only set to be compounded with the new visa and a subsequent rise in international student numbers. 

The new post-study work offering will accelerate the popularity of the UK at a time when the ongoing US-China trade war and controversies on US campuses are driving many Chinese students to UK universities instead. This boost in international students will help struggling UK universities alleviate their financial pressures and will also offer cultural benefits on campus.

However, there are still speed bumps in the UK immigration system that continue to dampen the growth of international students applying to study at British universities. Currently, students who come to the UK on a short-term study visa to learn English or gain a particular qualification (which many do, to prepare for further study) must apply for a Tier 4 visa if they wish to continue their studies at a UK university. 

International students changing courses or institution are also forced to reapply for a Tier 4 visa, and these students have to return to their home country to do so. This cumbersome process is time-consuming, expensive, painfully inconvenient for international students and, ultimately, unnecessary.

Those international students who do meet the requirements to be able to apply for a Tier 4 visa from within the UK must deal with an inadequate visa application service. In 2018, the Home Office handed the visa document checking process to information technology company Sopra Steria, which has resulted in lengthy delays in being able to obtain an appointment to submit the required new Tier 4 visa application. Previously, international students had been able to arrange document checks at their local post offices. Universities UK claimed in July 2019 that international students were being forced to pay large amounts of money for a “woefully inadequate document checking service”, with Sopra Steria unable to handle demand. If the current visa application system cannot handle demand now, it is undoubtedly going to struggle with an increase in international students  attracted by the new post-study work offering who choose to continue their education at a UK university.

A streamlined and integrated visa would offer a seamless student journey and allow students to continue their studies in the UK without having to endure painful visa application processes. This would have the added benefit of reduced pressure on Sopra Steria and the Home Office.

What would the benefits of a streamlined visa be?

International students and academics who come to study or work in the UK have greatly enhanced the higher education sector, British society and our economy. Yet, for years, the government’s lukewarm attitude towards international students has been sending the wrong signal.

An integrated visa will go a long way in reversing the damage caused by this sentiment and allow the UK to claim back lost market share. It will provide choice and flexibility for students, reduce pressure on the Home Office and, importantly, send a strong message that the UK has its doors open for talented young people around the world.

Given the size of our education export market (which was recently valued at £21.4 billion according to the UK government), it is in the UK’s best interests to prioritise this.

To maximise the success of international student recruitment and restore the UK’s status as a first-choice study destination, we must continue to demonstrate to students around the world that we value them and aim to support them as much as possible. An integrated visa is an excellent way to do this.

James Pitman is managing director for the UK and Europe at Study Group.