UK enhances visa for international PhD graduates

In a speech at the Embassy Education Conference in London published on the U.K.’s government website on July 23, U.K. Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Philipson, made clear that the country values and welcomes international students.

The speech reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the graduate visa route.

Specifically, U.K.’s current graduate route visa will remain in place to let international students stay to work in the country for two years after graduating, and as announced by Philipson, it will rise to three years for PhD graduates.

Highlighting the new government’s recognition of the significant contributions made by international students, Phillipson said: “International students are welcome in the U.K. This new government values their contribution – to our universities, to our communities, to our country.”

According to statistics from the U.K. government, study visa applications dropped to 34,000 in the first quarter this year, a decrease from 46,900 applications in 2022.

The Home Office said after new government rules banning Masters-taught students from bringing dependents came into force on Jan. 1, total dependent study visa applications have fallen from 23,800 in Q1 of 2022 to 6,700 in the same period this year.

Previously, British officials attributed the record high of 745,000 immigrants in 2022 partly to international students. Then, nearly 136,000 issued visas were for dependents of international students, almost nine times more than three years before that.

In May last year, the U.K. decided to limit this group by preventing international students from switching from a student visa to a work visa before graduation.

At the end of March this year, the country began reviewing its graduate route work visa program. After two months, it was announced in May that program will continue allowing international students post-study work rights.