After the UK government announced in mid-2023 that it was considering barring visas for relatives of international students, indeed, on January 1st 2024, the new rules for student visas in the UK came into effect.
With the aim of reducing the number of study visas issued to students in the UK, the changes followed what had been initially proposed and restrict permissions for dependents of students to reside in the UK. Additionally, they still prevent students from staying to enter the job market.
UK Student Visa: The New Rules
With the new determinations, in general, those studying in the UK will no longer be able to be accompanied by family members, as they are not entitled to visas. The exception to this rule is students of postgraduate courses considered research programs, PhD, or doctoral programs.
Another discouraging new development is that it is no longer allowed to switch from a student visa in the UK to a work visa before completing studies. This makes it impossible for those who wish to remain working in the UK after completing their university course.
How Do the New UK Student Visa Rules Affect You?
One of the first effects of the change in UK student visa rules can already be felt directly by women interested in studying in the UK. In January 2024, the British Council released its scholarship announcement for women in science, one of the few scholarships that offered extra assistance for mothers to study abroad with dependents, and the announcement came without the guarantee of assistance for dependents.
The new rules also mean that scholarship holder from the Chevening program will not be able to bring dependents to the UK legally during their master’s degrees. Family members can still go to the country as tourists, but they will not be able to obtain dependent visas. This is because the Chevening program only covers scholarships for taught masters.
Work Visa and Dependent Entry for Students in the UK
In the package of new UK immigration rules, in addition to changes regarding student visas in the UK, there are also changes related to obtaining work visas and dependent entry.
The main change concerns the increase in the minimum salary required both to obtain a work visa and to bring a dependent from abroad to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The amount increases from £26,200 annually to £38,700 annually. This is a very high figure considering that, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – like the UK’s IBGE – the gross annual salary in the UK was £34,963 in April 2023.
The determinations regarding this increase in the minimum income for obtaining the visa come into effect from March 2024. Regarding the work visa, the salary does not apply to some specific jobs in sectors that are considered to be in need of manpower – health, education, civil engineering, graphic design, construction, architecture, and veterinary medicine.
However, despite being able to work in the UK without such a high income, if they wish to bring their families to the UK, these workers will still need to have a minimum income according to the government’s new requirements.
Changes to Student Visa Rules in the UK
All these new rules regarding student visas in the UK and the new minimum salary required for work visas and bringing dependents are part of a package of measures from the Home Office aimed at curbing immigration.
According to government data, together, the new rules will contain about 300,000 people who would migrate to the UK if the changes had not been determined.
With regard to students, it is expected that the package will also have a significant impact on net migration. Around 153,000 visas of this type were granted in the academic year ending in September 2023.
Also part of the set of measures is the increase in the annual health surcharge for immigrants, which increases from £624 to £1,035. This fee, known as the NHS Health Surcharge, is covered in scholarships such as the British Council and Women in Stem, but university scholarships and Erasmus Mundus scholarships, in general, do not cover this amount so that students can have access to the British public health system, the NHS.
About the UK Student Visa
To apply for a student visa in the UK, you must be 16 years old or older and meet some requirements:
- Receive an unconditional offer of a place on a course by a sponsor licensed to do so;
- Have sufficient financial resources to support yourself and pay for the course (£1,334 per month for up to 9 months for courses in London and £1,023 per month for up to 9 months for courses outside London);
- Know English (speaking, reading, writing, and understanding);
- Have parental consent if you are 16 or 17 years old.
If you are outside the UK, the maximum deadline for applying for a visa is six months before starting the course. As a rule, the decision regarding granting or not is announced within three weeks.
Which UK Student Visa allows family / dependents?
Regarding family members, as mentioned here, in general, dependents of students no longer have the right to a visa unless you are in a:
- PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8);
- “research-based higher degree,” which does not include taught masters.
If this is your case, in any case, your partner and child(ren) will also need to prove a certain amount of available money – an addition to the resources you must have to support yourself, being £845 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London and £680 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses outside London.
For more details on the UK student visa, you need to access the official government information.