FAMILY members of foreign students will no longer be allowed to live in the UK under a major clampdown on legal migration.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced a series of tough new measures today aimed at bringing migration figures down to pre-pandemic levels.
Suella Braverman, pictured leaving Downing Street today, has announced a series of new measures aimed at reducing legal migration numbers
It comes as net migration figures published tomorrow are set to hit a whopping one million.
Tory MPs are fuming at the figure.
They say it’s way too and urgently needs reducing.
Rishi Sunak this week vowed to bring the number down, but refused to say if this would be achievable before next year’s general election.
As exclusively revealed by HOAR on Sunday, under the latest clampdown foreign students on postgraduate courses will no longer be allowed to bring partners or family members with them to the UK.
Undergrads are already banned from bringing dependents.
But PHD students, who tend to be older, will still be able to.
Last year almost 500,000 people were granted student visas, while the number of dependants increased by 750% since 2019 to 136,000.
The Home Office say student visas account for the largest proportion of migration to the UK.
Officials will also clampdown on “unscrupulous” education agents.
Some organisations have been accused of supporting student visas for migrants who are really just using the route as a backdoor to find work.
Ms Braverman said: “The UK is a top destination for the brightest students to learn at some of the world’s best universities.
“But we have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of student dependents being brought into the country with visas.
“It is time for us to tighten up this route to ensure we can cut migration numbers and meet the government’s pledge to the British people to cut net migration.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan added: “Attracting the top students from around the world isn’t just good for our universities – it’s essential for our economy and building vital global relationships.
“But the number of family members being brought to the UK by students has risen significantly.
“It is right we are taking action to reduce this number while maintaining commitment to our International Education Strategy, which continues to enrich the UK’s education sector and make a significant contribution to the wider economy.”
