UK hints at deportation of Nigerian, other students with low grade

The UK Migration Advisory Committee, has said international students on two-year graduate visas who do not receive high enough grades may not be allowed to remain in the country

The Telegraph reports that James Cleverly, the UK Home Secretary, was requested to examine the graduate visa as part of a five-point plan aimed at bringing down net migration from its all-time high levels by 300,000.

It stated that after graduating in June 2023, over 98,000 students were given two-year visas to stay in the UK, representing a 74% increase in only one year of 42,000 student visas issued.

“There are fears that it is being used as a backdoor route to work in the UK, often in low-skilled jobs, or simply to stay for two years as there is no requirement to take up employment,” it said.

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The Chairman, MAC, Prof. Brian Bell, said, “There’s no requirement to get particular grades in your university course or anything like that.

“That’s the question we want to review in the graduate route to think about whether that’s sensible or whether you should have a rule that says you have to achieve a certain grade or a certain kind of achievement in your course.”

Bell said his committee would also investigate whether there should be further restrictions that would only allow foreign students to stay in the UK if they went to certain universities or completed specified courses. It could also be limited to certain types of jobs or activities.

“At the moment, there’s no restriction on what you can do. You can, if you’ve got the money, just sit around and do nothing in the UK for two years. You can also take a minimum wage job or you can take a very highly paid job.”

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