Amidst record-high levels of net migration, the United Kingdom is contemplating the deportation of foreign students on two-year graduate visas who fail to achieve high grades.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has proposed a review of the graduate visa policy, suggesting that more than 98,000 students were granted visas in June 2023 alone, marking a 74% increase in just a year.
Concerns have been raised that the policy might be exploited as a backdoor route to work in low-skilled jobs or to merely stay for two years without employment requirements.
The MAC has urged UK Home Secretary James Cleverly to review the policy as part of a plan to reduce net migration by 300,000. The committee is considering potential restrictions tied to university choices, course completion, and specific job types to address the surge in migration.
Former officials, including Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, advocate for comprehensive reform, highlighting concerns that the graduate visa is being misused, fueling immigration rather than promoting education.
