International students in HE submission
Ahead of the General Election announcement on 22nd May, the Russell Group Students’ Unions network was hard at work preparing a submission in response to the call for evidence for the now defunct Education Select Committee’s inquiry into international students in English universities. With a principle focus on changes in numbers of international students in recent years, the Committee aimed to also examine recent and proposed changes to student visas and the Graduate Route.
While this inquiry is no longer taking place, we still think it is important to share our submission. The Russell Group Students’ Unions network are committed advocates for international students who constitute a third of the student body across our institutions. As 40% of all international students at UK universities attend Russell Group institutions, we are well-placed to speak to the continuous positive impact that international students make to both UK Higher Education and society at large.
Despite the hostile environment they face, caused by factors including Brexit, changes to the dependent entitlement, and rising visa application fees, international students continue to enrich the UK. Their positive impacts are wide ranging including the economic, such as the £42bn that international students contributed to the UK economy in 2021/2022, and, given that international students often engage with volunteering opportunities more than home students, the social.
Our intended submission echoed many of the asks and recommendations recently published in our manifesto. These included:
The removal of international students from net migration figures to better reflect their temporary residence in the UK;
The reversal of changes to the Student Visa which removed the right for international students, excluding postgraduate research students, to bring their dependents with them to the UK;
The removal of working restrictions limiting international students to only 20 hours of paid work per week during term time;
An extension to the duration of post-student work visa and an accompanying awareness campaign for employers.
We hope the new government will recognise that international students are an asset to UK HE and that their experiences are crucial to its global reputation.
