UK government advisers conclude no evidence of abuse in graduate visa route, contradicting Tory claims. Recommend retaining visas for international students.
The UK government's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has found no evidence of widespread abuse of the country's graduate visa route, contradicting repeated claims made by senior Conservative Party members. The graduate visa allows international students to work for two or three years after graduating from UK universities.
The MAC's report, commissioned by Home Secretary James Cleverly, concluded that the risks of abuse associated with the graduate visa route are relatively low and do not undermine the integrity and quality of the higher education system. The committee recommended that the graduate visa entitlement should remain in place.
The report's release has sparked an internal row within the Conservative Party, with some MPs describing it as a "whitewash" and accusing the government of deliberately setting narrow terms of reference to constrain the committee's findings. Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, and Neil O'Brien, a Tory MP, were among those who criticized the report, claiming that it pursued an "arbitrary target" and promoted the expansion of universities for their own sake.
However, the committee's decision has been welcomed by university vice-chancellors, who had warned that abolishing the graduate visa would spell financial turmoil for the sector. Higher education leaders expressed relief but also voiced concerns that the government might cherry-pick elements of the report to justify further crackdowns.
The MAC review found no evidence of widespread abuse specifically for the graduate route and stated that the risks of abuse are relatively low due to the limited number of conditions imposed by the route. It also noted that graduate visa holders are initially "overrepresented in lower-paid work," but their outcomes improve over time.
While the government has yet to announce its response to the MAC recommendations, a source close to the Home Secretary stated that Cleverly would carefully review the report and listen to the committee's chair, Prof Brian Bell, before making any decision.
