
UK International Student Target of 600,000 by 2030

The government is fully enrolled to grow the number of international higher education students in the UK.
In spite of the effect of Covid-19 on study numbers abroad, the UK government’s target of attracting 600,000 foreign students by 2030 is still “fully attainable,” as stated by the Head of the Home Office for Student Migration Policies.
Speaking during a conference at the IHE 2020 Policy Live virtual conference, Paul Jeffery stated “the government is fully enrolled to grow the number of international higher education students in the UK and that the intent of the new migration scheme is to keep it as “easy and successful” as possible. The new path for graduates is a vital part of the system and will start next summer 2021”. Once students are on the path, there will be no sponsorship or English language conditions. And all they need to do is to be able to demonstrate that you have successfully finished a course that enables them to apply for a VISA.
Moreover, students will be able to work in any profession at any skill level for two years if they have accomplished a degree or master’s level course and three years for a doctoral-level course.
However, as Jeffery stated, “there are governmental questions that still need to be answered, mainly about entitlement for those studying articulation degrees as it may require to have done two years out and two years in the UK”.
Students that are on this path will need to pay the health surcharge for immigration and registration fee. At present time it is not known how much this could be. Nevertheless, this is a strong signal and a good message for international students.
It is expected that the policy will be agreed by the end of the year in order to write the legislation and guidelines by the end of April 2021.
During the IHE conference prof. Sir Steve Smith, the UK International Education Champion, stated that “this is an enormous benefit for the UK in achieving international ambitions.”
In the beginning, the new path will focus on five countries such as Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, India and Saudi Arabia, whereby, prof. Sir Steve Smith will begin to establish contact with the stakeholders of these countries. Other than the countries mentioned above, Western and Eastern Europe will also be a target for the new path. However, he affirms that with so many competitors around the Globe, a new international education strategy that will be drawn which will replace the 2019 approach so that it can put on the plate an international education offering that will be renowned around the world.
In order to do so, a mechanism through which the Home Office is able to know that someone has successfully completed their course needs to be in place so that they can submit their application.
Due to Covid-19, many students have started or finished their course online, so they will have the chance to be admitted to the new degree path if the right mechanism is in place. It should be possible within the UK, and the cause for this is that, because the new path for visa application doesn’t insist on maintenance prerequisites. However, it needs to be sure that students have been to the UK and have demonstrated that they have been able to meet the terms of their visas. IHE is working closely with UKCISA to find a possible way to do it.
In order to do so a mechanism through which the Home Office is able to know that someone has successfully completed their course need to be in place so that they can submit their application.
Due to Covid-19, many students have started or finished they course online, so they will have the chance to be admitted to the new degree path if the right mechanism is in place. It should be possible within the UK and the cause for this is that because the new path for visa application doesn’t insist on maintenance prerequisites. However, it needs to be sure that students have been to the UK and have demonstrated that they have been able to meet the terms of their visas. IHE is working closely with UKCISA to find possible way to do it.