Immigration News, News, Students, Visas
Student Dependent Changes: Navigating the Shifting Landscape for Those Starting Out in Education in the UK
According to recent reports by the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Daily Mail, there is a growing urgency among Indian students to apply for visas allowing their dependents to join them in the UK before a government ban takes effect on January 1st.
Unfortunately, some education agents are taking advantage of this situation by charging exorbitant fees to secure placements for students at UK universities before the deadline. Shockingly, there have been instances where couples have paid up to £30,000 to unscrupulous agents for student and dependent visas. To accommodate the surge in applications, certain universities have even opened their application process earlier than usual, starting in November and December.
Earlier this year, Rishi Sunak, in response to a significant increase in study-related visas for dependents, announced that master's and postgraduate students would no longer be allowed to bring their dependents to the UK unless they were enrolled in research programs. The number of study-related visas for dependents nearly doubled from 80,846 in the year ending June 2022 to 154,063 in June 2023, constituting 24% of all sponsored study-related visas.
The latest migration figures, set to be released on Thursday, are expected to reveal that net migration has remained at approximately 500,000, down from a peak of 606,000 last year but still five times higher than the desired level!
We strongly encourage you to submit your application today to avoid any changes that will take effect in January. Additionally, we recommend seeking guidance from OISC registered advisors to ensure you are not subjected to unscrupulous charges or unnecessary risks.
Contact our OISC-accredited team today on 01403 801801 or [email protected]