Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

(asked on 29th August 2014) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish her Department's assessment of the effect of the Tier-1 Post Study Work route on domestic graduate unemployment levels; and what steps she took to ascertain the effect on employment amongst that group before her decision to close that scheme.


Answered by
James Brokenshire Portrait
James Brokenshire
This question was answered on 8th September 2014

The Government’s assessment of the impact of closing the Tier 1 Post Study Work route was published in 2011 and is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-of-the-points-based-student-immigration-system.

The Government’s policy objectives were to reduce net migration, increase the selectivity of the immigration system and clamp down on abuse. Accordingly, the impact assessment did not consider the likely effect on domestic graduate unemployment. While the Government does not believe it appropriate to offer non-EEA nationals unrestricted access to the labour market at a time of high graduate unemployment, Tier 4 (Student) Visa holders who obtain a graduate level job may remain in the UK on a Tier 2 Skilled Work) visa.

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