UK to ban foreign students from bringing family over

The United Kingdom is expected this week to announce restrictions preventing foreign students from bringing family members into the country.

The move follows reports that net migration into the UK has hit 1 million with Tory MPs asking Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “to get a grip on the rocketing numbers”.

UK current immigration law permits dependants to accompany their spouses or parent(s) who have a valid student visa.

According to the report, UK ministers are expected to announce the immigration clampdown on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The ban will affect all master’s students and some other post-graduates, but it will not apply to PhD students who are highly skilled and whose courses last between 3 to 5 years.

If implemented, the crackdown will affect many Nigerian students hoping to pursue their postgraduate studies in the UK, as they accounted for the highest increase in the number of dependants accompanying persons with study visas in 2022.

The Times (UK) had also reported in February that the UK was nursing the ban and that Sunak and Suella Braverman, the home secretary, were becoming more concerned after a near-eightfold rise in the number of family members joining foreign students.

media reports had reported how the home secretary considered reforming the graduate visa route.

Under her proposal, foreign students would have to obtain a work visa by getting a skilled job or leave the UK within six months after the end of their studies.