The action comes in response to claims that nett migration to the UK has reached 1 million, and Tory MPs have urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “get a grip on the rocketing numbers.”
The UK’s current immigration rules allows dependents to travel with their parents or spouses who are in possession of a valid student visa.
The story states that the immigration crackdown would reportedly be announced by UK ministers on Tuesday or Wednesday.
All master’s students and some other post-graduates will be affected by the restriction, but highly qualified PhD students whose programmes run three to five years will be exempt.
Nigerians made up the majority of the increase in dependents accompanying individuals with study visas in 2022, therefore if enacted, the crackdown will have an impact on many Nigerian students hoping to complete their postgraduate studies in the UK.
The UK was still enforcing the restriction, according to a February story from The Times (UK), and Sunak and Suella Braverman, the home secretary, were growing increasingly worried after a nearly eightfold increase in the number of families enrolling foreign students.
The home secretary reportedly thought about changing the graduate visa process, according to media sources.
Her plan would require international students to either secure a work visa by landing a skilled job or leave the UK within six months of finishing their education.
