Foreign students in the UK to be banned from bringing family over
Foreign students in the United Kingdom would no longer have the chance to invite their families to come over.
UK’s current immigration law allows for dependants to accompany their spouses or parent(s) who have a valid student visa.
But the UK government is concerned about what it calls rocketing numbers of migrants and wants to control that.
The UK authorities are expected this week to announce restrictions that prevent foreign students from bringing family members into the country.
An announcement could come as early as Tuesday or Wednesday, media reports have said.
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When the ban is announced it would affect all master’s students and some other post-graduates.
PhD students who are highly skilled and whose courses last between 3 to 5 years are expected to be exempted.
Nigerian students hoping to pursue their postgraduate studies in the UK would be most affected as they accounted for the highest increase in the number of dependants accompanying persons with study visas in 2022.
The Times in the UK authorities are becoming more concerned after a near-eightfold rise in the number of family members joining foreign students.
The UK’s home secretary also wants to reform the graduate visa route. Foreign students would have to obtain a work visa by getting a skilled job or leave the UK within six months after the end of their studies.
The UK is already seeking to expand its deportation plans after British interior minister Suella Braverman’s visit to Rwanda in March this year.
Braverman visited Rwanda to expand a deal under which has the African country accepting migrants who arrive in Britain without permission.
In a statement at the time Britain’s interior ministry said Rwanda had now agreed to accept “all categories of people who pass through safe countries and make illegal and dangerous journeys to the UK”.
“Anyone who comes to the UK illegally – who cannot be returned to their home country – will be in scope to be relocated to Rwanda,” Britain’s interior ministry said.
