UK Study Visa Changes 2025: Key Updates for Students

The UK has been a favourite destination for many students for higher education and career opportunities. However, in a recent announcement by the United Kingdom, the government has decided to tighten the visa norms for international students. This will significantly affect students aspiring to study abroad and build a career in the United Kingdom.

The student visa application process has become more rigorous, which highly impacts Indian students. As per the recent guidelines, foreign students will now be allowed only for 18 months after the completion of their degrees in UK universities.

In this blog, we will cover the reforms that have been recently introduced and how they impact visa requirements for international students.

Recent Student VISA Changes by the Government of the UK

Below are the recently introduced changes by the UK government in the student visa

Reduction in the Graduate Visa Tenure

The UK has retained the graduate route, a visa that allows international students to stay in the country and work. The tenure of this visa has been reduced from the current two years to 18 months. This change reduces the time that students have to gain work experience and potentially impacts their chances of finding long-term employment.

Increase in Settlement Eligibility Period

The minimum qualifying time for settling in the UK has now increased to 10 years from 5. This significantly affects international students and families who aspire to settle in the country.

Strict English Requirement

Applicants and their dependents will now face a strict assessment of English proficiency. This is to ensure that the immigrants are equipped with effective communication. This move discourages family members of the students from accompanying students.

Increased Tuition Fees

The recent reform has increased the tuition fees by 6%. International students are now required to pay an extra 6% adding to the existing tuition fees. This move makes students search for additional funds, potentially reducing the number of student visas to the UK.

A Relief for Skilled Workers

In contrast to the tightening of the visa rule, the UK government has expanded the global talent visa. This will help high-skilled talent, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence and life sciences, and innovation.

Read: Education Loan to Study in the UK

The Reasons for Changing the UK's Visa Policies

Below are a few reasons to bring these reforms to the UK visa policy

1. Increased Migration: The rise in social care workers during the COVID pandemic led to a lot of immigrants entering the country. This added strain to public services and housing. Over 114,000 visas were issued for health and social care workers. This potentially reduced the employment chances for the local workers.
2. Reduce low-skilled migration: the government raised the skilled worker requirement from level A to degree level. Raising the visa requirement reduces the low-level migrant workers from around the world. potentially encouraging the country's labour.
3. Promoting the domestic workforce: There is are chance that the UK government will take necessary steps to train domestic workers. This helps in the development of local skills rather than importing cheap labour from other countries.

Impact of UK Visa Policies on Indian Students

• Reduction in the graduate visa tenure significantly affects indian students by reducing job opportunities. Earlier, the tenure for a graduate visa used to be 2 years now this has been reduced to 18 months. This potentially reduces the indian students' chances of building a career in the UK.
• Along with the students, dependents are required to meet English language proficiency standards. This indeed becomes a challenge for many indian families. This may substantially decrease the number of dependent visas from India.
• A 6% fee levy on international students increases the higher education expenses for indian students. This move may discourage many indian students from studying in the UK.
• Another reform is that there is an Increase in the criteria for permanent resident eligibility from 5 years to 10 years. This means that Indians are required to stay longer to settle in the UK.

Read: Cost of Studying in Europe: Tuition Fees and Living Expenses Breakdown

Documents Required to Apply for a UK Student Visa

The following are the general documents required to apply for a UK student visa.

• Passport: A valid passport of the student, with validity remaining for at least 6 months
• Passport-sized Photographs: Students need to present recent photographs of the specific size requirement.
• CAS Certificate: An official document issued by a UK education institution as confirmation of enrollment for a course. This is important for a UK student visa application.
• Proof of Admission: University admission letter as proof of acceptance.
• Proof of Funds: It is a required proof of funds certificate demonstrating that the student has enough finances to sustain themselves in the country
• Academic Documents: Previous academic certificates such as 10th, inter, etc
• English Proficiency Test: A proof of English proficiency with some standard tests, such as IELTS, etc.
• Financial Documents: All the necessary financial documents, such as bank statements, Education loan documents, etc.

Conclusion

Recently, the UK has tightened the student VISA rules. These changes are a part of an effort by the UK government to reduce net migration and encourage local skilled talent. In this blog, we have discussed in detail about changes that are introduced by the UK government on student visas, along with the impacts on Indian students.

An education loan sanction is crucial for funding the education of many students. However, students often struggle to get their loans sanctioned without the right guidance. WeMakeScholars can help you in such situations. Our team is dedicated to assisting students in receiving education loan approvals on time. We provide complete education loan assistance to students applying through us. Request a callback today, and one of our experienced financial officers will contact you at your earliest.