Nigerian Students, Others Ban From Bringing Family To UK

Nigerian and other overseas students are not permitted to bring family members to the UK unless they are studying for a PhD, according to a crackdown launched by the country’s Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, ahead of predicted record immigration figures.

Only students enrolled in full-time, postgraduate studies lasting nine months or more are permitted to bring family members to the UK under current regulations.

Those students may bring their partner and any minor children under the age of 18, but they must demonstrate that they have at least £680 a month to support each of their dependents.

However, in announcing the restriction on Tuesday, May 23, Braverman stated that family members of overseas students will no longer be permitted to reside in the United Kingdom.

Making the announcement, the Home Secretary 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.”

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Also commenting on the recent ban, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “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 a commitment to our International Education Strategy, which continues to enrich the UK’s education sector and make a significant contribution to the wider economy.”

Ms Braverman also stated that they will eliminate the ability for international students to switch to work visas during their studies, citing worries that some people have taken advantage of the system. In addition, the government will tighten down on “unscrupulous education agents” who offer “immigration, not education” to international students.

The reforms are scheduled to go into force in January 2024, with the Home Office preparing delivery plans in the next months.

It comes after 136,000 overseas students brought 136,000 dependents to the UK last year, an eightfold rise since 2019. Ms Braverman revealed the new measures ahead of the release of net immigration numbers on Thursday, May 25.

Ms Braverman is thought to be focusing on foreign students as a more manageable way of reducing total migration numbers while the government tries to crack down on illegal immigration.

The Home Secretary said on Tuesday that the clampdown on foreign student visas “strikes the right balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring to the UK”

Ms Braverman had been advocating for a broader crackdown on international students, but her plans were opposed by other Cabinet members.

Both the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, cautioned that tighter regulations would harm the British economy and drive overseas students away.

According to a survey published last week by London Economics, international students helped the UK economy by an estimated £41.9 billion last year, an increase of around one-third over the previous three years.

According to Home Office data published last year, some overseas students brought up to six family members with them in the fiscal year ending June 2022, with considerable variances depending on nationality.

Chinese students made up the majority of international students who came to the UK in the year to June, although they brought the fewest dependents with them. Last year, 114,837 Chinese students came to study in the United Kingdom, bringing with them 401 dependents.

In comparison, 34,031 Nigerian students came to the UK last year, accounting for 7% of the total, but they brought 31,898 dependents with them. Meanwhile, 93,049 Indian students arrived in the UK, accompanied by 24,916 dependents.