Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from Professor Brian Bell, Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, to the Home Secretary on 12 March, why the timescales of the rapid review of the Graduate Route, which they have asked the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake, are much shorter than a normal commission.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
It is important we provide certainty on this issue in a timely manner, which is why we asked the MAC to carry out a rapid review. We will consider the evidence put forward by the MAC very closely.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on academic institutions in the UK of increasing the annual immigration health surcharge for overseas researchers from £624 to £1,035 for main applicants and to £776 for child dependants from this autumn in combination with an increase of 15 per cent in visa fees.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Government is preparing full economic impact assessments for the increases to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and the immigration and nationality fees. Regulations will be laid in Autumn to increase immigration and nationality fees and the IHS.
The IHS rates have not increased since 2020, and the cost of providing public services has increased in that time. It is right that we keep the IHS level under review to ensure that it reflects the genuine cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to those who pay it.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the backlog of student visa applications for Northern Ireland universities from applicants from China and India.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Our Visa Application Centres in China began to open on 2nd June 2020 and to date have provided sufficient capacity to accommodate Tier 4 demand for students wishing to study at all locations within the United Kingdom.
Our Visa Application Centres in India reopened from 6th July. We are opening further locations globally to allow the further submission of student applications.
We are continuing to work with the Education Sector and our Commercial Partners to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system, to allow for all applications to be made for the Autumn enrolment.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many international students left the UK without (1) accessing work experience, or (2) gaining a qualification, in the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The information you have requested is not included in statistics published by the Home Office.