The rules regarding study visas have been stregthened as of January 1, 2024. As a consequence, there has been a significant decline in the number of international students who want to and are allowed to study in the United Kingdom. British universities fear losing substantial revenue as a result of this measure.
Tightening of the requirements for obtaining a student visa
On January 1, 2024, the Conservative government led by the Prime Minister at the time, Sunak, introduced a series of stricter requirements regarding the study visas for the United Kingdom. The goal was to combat immigration. Those who opposed to this measure claimed that this would lead to a important decrease in the number of international students. They feared a major financial setback for British educational institutions. It appears that these fears have partially been realized.
During the first four months of 2024, there have been 30,000 fewer applications for a study visa than over the same period in 2023. This achieves the goal in terms of reducing migration. However, it seems that British educational institutions are accumulating a large financial deficit. The reason for this is that international students are a major source of income, since they pay higher tuition fees than British students. According to representatives of the education sector, the deficit has already reached nearly GBP 7 billion. Experts fear that, as a consequence, the quality of British education is at risk.
More financial problems for international students
International students do not only have to deal sricter visa requirements. In addition, the UK Home Office has announced that, as January 2, 2025, international students will be subject to stricter financial requirements. In 2024, international students were already required to prove they had sufficient savings to pay for their studies and stay in the UK.
In 2025, the minimum amount students need to have in their account to qualify for a study visa will be increased by about 11 percent. This minimum amount will go from GBP 1334 to GPB 1483 per month for international students in London, whereas for students outside London, the amount will be increased from GBP 1023 to GBP 1136 per month. Although this increase takes into account the inflation compensation, opponents to the measure fear that this will increase the difficulty for students from countries with lower incomes to study in the United Kingdom.
Hopes pinned on the new government
Since the Labour party came to tower after the British elections in July 2024, the tone towards international students has changed. The new government seems recognise the importance of international students and is slowly restoring confidence among British educational institutions. However, the new government is not yet ready to change the visa policy established by the Conservative government. As a result, the stricter visa rules for the student visa will remain intact for now. Many critis remain skeptical. For example, opponents of the visa policy argue that these restrictions could have important long-term consequences which could damage the reputation of British higher education.
The ETA for the United Kingdom
International students who want to study in the United Kingdom need a study visa. At the moment, European travelers do not need a visa or travel authorization for a tourist trip to the United Kingdom. However, This will change in 2025, with the introduction of the ETA for the United Kingdom. The ETA will allow British immigration authorities to have a better control over who is traveling in and out of the country. British authorities hope this will improve domestic security. European travelers will be required to apply for this ETA in the future in order to enter the country.
Travelers need to provide some important information in order to submit an ETA application, for instance, data regarding the passport details and the travel itierary. They will also need to upload a scan of their passport. Once the ETA will be granted, they will be able to stay in the United Kingdom for up to 6 months.