Concerns as UK policy shift may hit South Asian student interest

The policy document, aimed at reshaping the UK’s immigration system to prioritise high-skilled international graduates and workers, projects to reduce immigration to the UK by approximately 100,000 people annually.

Amid a broad set of proposed reforms – including stricter qualification thresholds for skilled visas, curbs on social care visas, and tougher language requirements –the UK’s international education sector is also set to see significant changes. 

While the white paper does not specify a clear timeline for implementation, the potential shortening of the UK Graduate Route from two years to 18 months has already raised concerns among stakeholders in South Asia, one of the UK’s most vital international student markets.

“Reducing the post-study work visa duration to 18 months will likely lead students from India and South Asia to reconsider their options more carefully,” Aritra Ghosal, founder and director, OneStep Global, told The PIE News.

He pointed out that students may be deterred when faced with a shorter stay period, which could limit flexibility to find jobs and transition to longer-term work routes.

Reacting to the news, Sagar Bahadur, executive director – South and Southeast Asia, Acumen, commented: “International students should not be seen through the same lens as broader immigration.

“Even small changes like reducing the post-study work visa from 24 to 18 months can shift perception, especially in key markets like India. The UK remains a valued partner, but to stay competitive, it must align ambition with intention. We remain optimistic, but listening and clarity will be key as this next chapter unfolds.”

For others, like Ujjol Mia, CEO of Aspire Global Pathways, the potential reduction in the Graduate Route duration could further complicate efforts to convey the return on investment of studying in the UK to Bangladeshi students. 

“If the government is introducing restrictions on switching to skilled worker visas, raising salary thresholds, and extending the timeline for ILR to 10 years, then the two-year post-study work (PSW) visa was one of the few remaining incentives. If that too is reduced to 18 months, what benefits will students have left beyond our quality education and multicultural environment?,” Mia pondered. 

“When we meet students across different regions and universities in Bangladesh, they ask detailed questions, often calculating the return on investment and evaluating various other factors before deciding to study abroad.”

While the UK has been a top study destination for international students in recent years, its decision to close the post-study work visa in 2012 led to a significant decline in numbers. 

The move, which was later reversed with the reintroduction of the Graduate Route in 2021, prompted many prospective students to choose alternative destinations, which could repeat itself if the proposed cuts to the current provisions are implemented.

“A few years back, there was absolutely no PSW in the UK, and during that time, the UK market was down, with most students opting for other destinations like Australia or Canada due to the availability of PSW. I would suggest offering longer PSW to students choosing regional cities or higher-ranked universities, as many countries do,” stated Osamah Qureshi, director of student counselling services at Institute of Career Development in Pakistan.

While some view the announcements around the Graduate Route as “concerning,” the ambiguity over whether it will be eliminated or restricted to certain degrees has lessened. 

“There was ambiguity among students and others about whether this route would be completely abolished or retained. At least there is some comfort now that it has been reviewed and is being shortened rather than eliminated,” stated Sushil Sukhwani, founding director, Edwise International. 

“If these announcements apply to the September 2025 or immediate intake, they will impact the current intake. However, if they are set for January 2026 onwards, the market may not react as strongly.”

According to Manisha Zaveri, joint managing director of Career Mosaic, the proposed changes to the Graduate Route are still promising for international students, particularly from India, given that the data highlights strong post-graduation retention.

“It’s important to note that according to the Home Office’s data, over 50% of students who arrived in 2020 continued to hold valid leave after three years – the highest retention figure on record.” stated Zaveri. 

For Jasminder Khanna, co-founder, Gresham Global, the change in the duration of the visa route isn’t overly significant.

“In hindsight, students get into graduate jobs much sooner than before. I see this as a positive change for international students,” he told The PIE.

“The average time it takes for international students to secure a graduate job in the UK is much shorter than 24 months anyway.”

Despite the growing number of international students applying for the Graduate Route, a HEPI survey found that only 3% of employers had knowingly used it, and over 27% admitted they were unaware of the route altogether. 

Anupriya Rakshit, who is set to pursue her masters in Insurance and Risk Management from Bayes Business School this year, told The PIE News that while the reduced Graduate Route duration may increase job hunting and competition, it would still benefit her and others with job experience and clear career goals.

“People with special skills, certifications, and a clear objective will certainly benefit from this,” stated Rakshit. 

“However, those who might want to take things slow and understand their own space of mind may feel rushed.”

Support for AQF mandate, with calls for further refinement

Elsewhere, the UK government’s white paper sets out that use of the Agent Quality Framework (AQF) should become mandatory for any institution using recruitment agents to attract international students

Some stakeholders believe that this push to ensuring ethical standards and accurate information from recruitment agents could be a major turning point in South Asia. 

“Universities holding Agent Quality Framework with absolute seriousness and focusing on compliance (hopefully they’ll let technology lead it) is great news, and at least in India we saw the British Council driving this significantly for a while now, so did BUILA and others,” stated Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO, Leverage Edu. 

While AQF has been welcomed in the South Asian sector, many have also called for UK authorities and universities to implement certain measures to ensure transparency.  

“A key issue is that the British Council test is not proctored – anyone can take it without verification. This raises concerns about whether the person who completes the training is actually the one taking the test. Proctoring is essential to maintain credibility,” stated Sukhwani. 

“Additionally, while the AQF allows agencies to work with sub-agents, it doesn’t specifically mandate that sub-agents also have certified counsellors. This should be addressed to strengthen the framework.”

“More stringent steps are required, such as: universities being bound to publish accredited agents on their websites; checking agents’ social media pages and websites for misleading advertisements; and encouraging agents to be trained and listed by universities by assigning a quality mark to good-performing agents,” added Qureshi. 

If this levy is enacted without a clear reinvestment strategy, institutions may be forced to scale back operations or reduce incentives for students and partners.
_{Disha Gupta, Birmingham City University}

What a levy would mean for UK universities’ South Asian operations

While the 6% levy on international student income announced in the white paper is expected to be reinvested into the UK higher education system, it could impact universities’ operations in South Asia, especially at a time when recruitment and transnational education activities are at an all-time high. 

“South Asia is a price-conscious market, and any additional costs to universities may ultimately affect what we can offer, be it scholarships, outreach, or support services,” stated Disha Gupta, head of operations and recruitment, India, UAE, Nepal and Sri Lanka, Birmingham City University. 

“If this levy is enacted without a clear reinvestment strategy, institutions may be forced to scale back operations or reduce incentives for students and partners. That would be counterproductive at a time when global competition for students is intensifying.”

Alternatively, Ghosal believes that, in light of the levy, UK institutions may scale back their recruitment efforts in key South Asian markets, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

“International student enrolments significantly contribute to the UK’s education export sector, and the proposed levy may indirectly impact how actively institutions engage in recruitment across key South Asian markets,” she said.

“If 6% of that goes away, they may pull back from fairs, agent partnerships, or market development campaigns — especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities which need more sustained advocacy and on-ground engagement.”

India-UK free trade agreement

The recent changes are also significant in light of India and the UK signing a free trade agreement this month, which aims to simplify visa processes for skilled workers, potentially offering easier pathways for professionals like engineers, IT experts, doctors, and academics to work in the UK.

“From an India lens, with the UK-India FTA in the backdrop that has opened new avenues for collaboration, we are further likely to see prioritisation of talent aka programs where economic value is visible, think healthcare, technology, environment, culinary arts, retail and many such areas,” stated Chaturvedi. 

According to Bahadur, while the India–UK FTA offers significant economic and professional mobility benefits, it may not fully counterbalance the concerns raised by the White Paper’s proposed changes to student immigration policies.

“If the UK is to maintain its global reputation for higher education, it’s crucial to offer not just academic excellence but also viable career pathways post-graduation,” stated Bahadur. 

“Without this, the perception of limited opportunities could undermine the broader benefits of the FTA in attracting top talent.”