UKIBC welcomes the announcement by the Government that it will retain the Graduate Route visa arrangements for international students in the UK
By Trisha Nagpal
The UKIBC welcomes the announcement by the Government that it will retain the Graduate Route visa arrangements for international students in the UK.
This is a big relief for Indian students and their families. It recognises the enormous contribution that international students, especially from India, make in the UK.
It is a good outcome for UK Universities, good for university towns and cities, good for the UK economy and for the wider UK-India relationship.
The Higher Education sector is one of the UK’s greatest economic and soft power assets, enhanced by a thriving community of international students. These students are not just critical to universities’ finances and to the quality of academic and research output, they also make a huge contribution to the wider UK economy; bringing in £42 billion per year (as per 2021/22 figures), creating jobs and supporting growth in towns and cities all across the country.
We also welcome an enhanced compliance framework for agents; this will raise standard in the sector and is helpful both for the universities and students.
Elements of the international student framework remain under review or subject to clarification and UKIBC stands ready to provide feedback to the Government on behalf of our members.
The sooner the Government brings certainty to this sector, the better for Indian students looking for top-quality education overseas, for UK universities and for the Higher Education sector as a whole.
-Richard McCallum, UKIBC Group CEO
