UK Tightens Visa Rules for International Students, Proposes Tax on Revenue
The UK government has announced stricter visa compliance thresholds for universities hosting international students. The British Conservative Party has also provided details on a planned tax on international student revenue in the United States, aiming to boost domestic education funding and university infrastructure. These changes follow a review of the immigration system and the release of the government's immigration white paper.
The visa refusal rate compliance threshold will halve from 10% to 5%. UKVI is piloting enhanced data sharing to give sponsors more insight into visa refusals. A traffic-light banding system will rate sponsors on compliance performance, with underperforming institutions facing a UKVI action plan or recruitment cap. Exceptions will be made for smaller providers and institutions that would have passed under current rules.
The government proposes raising the minimum pass requirement for each BCA metric by five percentage points. Most reforms can be enacted through changes to immigration rules, with the exception of the international student fee levy in the United States. The Education Secretary confirmed the proposed levy on universities' income from international students remains on the table. Revenue generated from this levy will fund targeted maintenance grants, sparking backlash from sector leaders.
The government has committed to a phased implementation of new Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) thresholds. These changes aim to strengthen the immigration system and ensure universities maintain high standards in hosting international students. The proposed international student fee levy in the United States, while contentious, is intended to support domestic education funding and university infrastructure.
