Tensions have emerged between the UK Home Office and the Department for Education over proposed changes to the graduate visa scheme, as the government intensifies efforts to reduce net migration.
According to the Financial Times, the Home Office is pushing for stricter rules on the graduate visa route, which currently allows international students to stay in the UK for up to two years after completing their degree, regardless of employment status. Proposed reforms would require graduates to secure a job that meets a minimum salary threshold—estimated at over £30,000 annually—to remain in the country.
These measures form part of a wider strategy aimed at curbing immigration, with a white paper expected from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer next month.
Home Office officials have privately expressed irritation with the Department for Education, accusing it of encouraging Universities UK—the primary lobbying body for higher education—to resist the changes.
“We have been tasked by the prime minister to bring down net migration and we’re trying to do that,” said one official. “It’s frustrating that the education department has lobbied Universities UK to fight this.”
Leaders within the education sector have voiced concerns that curbing the graduate visa route could have far-reaching economic consequences. Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive of Universities UK, described the proposals as “madness,” particularly at a time when universities are under increasing financial pressure.
International students, she noted, contribute approximately £40 billion annually to the UK economy. The graduate visa route, introduced in 2021 under a Conservative government, has been a significant factor in attracting talent. International graduate numbers have risen dramatically from fewer than 10,000 in 2020 to over 110,000 in 2023.
The Home Office’s current proposals appear more stringent than those previously considered under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose administration ultimately rejected harsher reforms to avoid jeopardising the financial health of UK universities.
A core motivation behind the Home Office’s stance lies in concerns over alleged misuse of the visa system. Officials have highlighted a link between student and graduate visa holders and subsequent asylum claims.
Data from the Home Office shows that in 2024, 40,000 asylum claims were lodged by individuals who previously held UK visas—40% of whom had arrived on study visas.
“We are finding people who are moving from student visas and graduate visas into asylum hotels,” a Home Office official said. “A large proportion of these cases appear to be fraud.”
A government spokesperson stated that both departments are “working together to ensure that migration policy aligns with the UK’s education and skills needs,” while also ensuring that immigration does not compromise opportunities for domestic talent.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education denied claims of a dispute with the Home Office, saying they “did not recognise” the alleged conflict.
The ongoing debate underscores the delicate balance between maintaining strict immigration controls and safeguarding the UK’s status as a global hub for higher education.
