The new visa policy brought in by the government of the United Kingdom has already started showing its effect on Indian students who wish to pursue a degree from a UK University. The new policy which was heavily criticized by the student fraternity has made it difficult for anyone to come to the United Kingdom on a dependent visa.
The new rules came into effect on the 1st of January and made it practically impossible for students to bring in family members on dependent visas. The year 2024 witnessed a drastic fall of 80 percent in the number of dependent visa holders in the country.
In the year 2024, 26,000 fewer visa applications have been received by the UK government till now as compared to 2023 in the same time period. This means that the fear of Indians students opting for countries other than the UK was right and the consequence of it will have to be borne by the universities.
Many universities in the UK rely heavily on the foreign students for their funding since there’s a cap on tuition fees for the residents of the UK. These universities are also facing the impact of the change in visa policy.
