Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Government proposals to restrict the ability for international students to bring family members via a student visa on the universities sector; and whether she has had discussions with university stakeholders on the proposals.

The UK is home to some of the world’s top universities, who benefit from strong international ties, so much so that 55 current and recent world leaders have received their education from the UK. Four out of the top ten universities globally are in the UK.

The government recognises the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to the UK’s higher education (HE) sector and their positive impact on our society as a whole.

The government has been successful in delivering the International Education Strategy ambition of hosting at least 600,000 students per year by 2030 for the last two years.

The changes to student visas announced on 23 May 2023 strike the right balance between acting decisively on migration while protecting the UK’s position as a world-leader in HE. The offer to international students remains very competitive and the department is committed to ensuring the UK remains a destination of choice for international students from across the globe.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with the HE sector on a range of issues, including on international students.