Can International Students Work In UK After Study? No, Says Government

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Do you want to earn a recognised degree from the UK and start your career there? Although it is a great plan to start with, but pursuing higher education in the United Kingdom is becoming increasingly challenging for international students. Recently, the UK Business Secretary claimed that the Government is planning to “break the link” between overseas students studying here and staying back once they graduate.

Breaking the Link 

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Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has informed international students that he would like them to earn their degrees in the UK and then leave the country, in an attempt to break the link between learners attending college and staying on for career development after graduation. In an interview to BBC Radio 4, Javid commented that he desires to develop a system where foreign nationals will not be allowed to abuse their right to study in the United Kingdom as a means to stay back.

He said “What we need to make sure – and we do have this – is that our immigration system allows those from abroad that want to come to Britain to study in our world-class universities, our fantastic colleges to come here.”

Javid added “But we’ve also got to have a system that doesn’t allow any abuse when people are using the right to study as a way to achieve settlement in Britain. So we’ve got to break the link and make sure it’s focused on people who want to study and then, once they’ve had their studies and completed that, then they leave.”

Preventing Postgraduate Work Opportunity 

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The UK government has faced bitter criticism for prohibiting the post-study work visa back in 2012. Most UK universities consider this move as an obstacle to foreign students, especially non-European Union students and learners from India. Vince Cable, the then business secretary, said that international students become caught in the very emotional and torrid argument regarding the volume of immigrants in the United Kingdom.

A 2014 study by HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) revealed a “significant” decline in the volume of overseas students studying at UK universities, with a fall of almost 50 per cent in the number of postgraduates from India as well as Pakistan, even though the volume of students from these nations have been rising in other nations.

Can it affect UK Education?

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Seamus Nevin, Head of Employment and Skills Policy at the Institute of Directors, commented “The Business Secretary’s proposals to eject foreign students after graduation are misguided and would damage the British education system, our economy and global influence. The UK is a world leader in higher education. The reputation of our institutions draws the brightest and the best from all over the world, bringing in billions of pounds every year and building lifelong trade ties which benefit our businesses for years to come.” He added “Other countries welcome such students. Britain already makes it difficult and artificially expensive for them to enter and stay, and now these proposals would eject them ignominiously when their studies are finished. ”

Nevin further said “Restricting talented workers from staying on in the UK would damage business and lead to a loss of important skills. Shutting the door to highly-trained international graduates at a time when our economy needs them most would be hugely damaging for UK businesses. In the interests our education sector, our businesses, and our international standing, the Business Secretary should reconsider this proposal.”

Here's what some UK national had to say about this idea

@NECCRoss That's why they came here in the first place unless they had ulterior motives like abusing the visa rules;) Get out of here!

— rebecca turner MP (@beckyturnerMP) July 10, 2015

Do you support the UK government in this decision? Make sure to share your own views and opinions with us by commenting below. We would love to hear from you.

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