Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with (a) UK Visas and Immigration and (b) universities on the implementation of student visa compliance measures.

The department will crack down on abuse of our immigration system by strengthening requirements for universities. This will involve tighter enforcement by government on visa approvals and course enrolments and completions. The Immigration White Paper set out that we will retain the graduate visa but reduce its duration from 2 years to 18 months, whilst maintaining the 3-year duration for PhD students. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly.

The new International Education Strategy has confirmed this government's continued commitment to welcome legitimate international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. International students positively impact our HE sector and become global ambassadors for the UK.