New restrictions to Student Visa applicants from January 2024.
The UK government will no longer allow students to bring family members to the UK except for post-graduate research students.
This is in part to maintain the commitment to reduce immigration numbers in the UK. Between June 2021 and June 2022, net migration was over 500,000.
Although immigration numbers were inflated by the Ukraine conflict and the Hong Kong BNO schemes, the Home Office is still keen to reduce the numbers of immigrants coming to the UK. A significant number come to the UK on student visas and switch over to work visas as soon as they find work, with little or no intention to study.
To limit this abuse, those on Student Visas will no longer be able to switch until their courses have been completed.