International students bring “very substantial benefits” to the UK, an official report has found following controversial comments by the home secretary.
Suella Braverman complained about foreign students “bringing in family members who can piggyback on to their student visa” and “propping up, frankly, substandard courses in inadequate institutions” in October.
A report by the Migration Advisory Committee, which provides guidance to the Home Office, said international students provide benefits “to local economies, to the public finances and in cross-subsiding research and the education of domestic students”.
It said that applications for undergraduate study from the EU had fallen since Brexit, while applications from outside the EU have risen.
After net migration figures showed that students were a significant contributor to rising numbers last month, the prime minister was reported to be considering a crackdown on people coming to the UK for “low-quality” degrees.
A spokesperson said the government was “considering all options to make sure the immigration system is delivering, and that does include looking at the issue of student dependants and low-quality degrees”.
The around 277,000 people arriving on study visas accounted for the largest proportion of long-term immigration of non-EU nationals in the past year, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Professor Brian Bell, chair of the committee, told a press conference that a rise in the number of student visas was “consistent with government strategy”.
“This does not mean we should ignore the figures or not look at developments that are less expected,” he added.
“There has been a very substantial rise in the number of dependants arriving with international students and it seems only right that the government reviews the rules governing that.”
International students are permitted to work up to 20 hours during term time, and full-time during scheduled holidays, while adult relatives have “nearly full work rights”, the committee’s report said.
Home Office data shows that the number of dependants of foreign students granted visas has increased five-fold in just three years, from 13,664 in 2019 to 81,089 in the year ending June 2022.
Undergraduate students are not allowed to bring dependants, such as children and spouses, but those doing masters and doctorates are, and Prof Bell said the rationale for the difference was “not clear” to him.
Professor Bell previously told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that restrictions on international student numbers could “send many universities over the edge”.
“Most universities for most courses lose money on teaching British students and offset that loss by charging more for international students,” he said last month.
“If you close down the international route I’m not sure how the university continues to survive.”
