UK Universities Face Financial Strain Over Visa Ban On Dependents

By Caroline Ameh

The United Kingdom’s higher education institutions are grappling with a looming financial crisis following a significant drop in international student enrollments, cautioned Vivienne Stern, the Chief Executive of Universities UK, the sector’s primary advocacy group.

The financial strain is attributed to the recent decision by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who, on January 1, 2024, implemented a ban preventing foreign students from bringing their dependents into the country.

Stern expressed concern about the potential for a “serious overcorrection” within the sector, emphasizing that the immigration policies, coupled with discouraging rhetoric, have dissuaded prospective international students from choosing the UK as their study destination.

In a statement to the Financial Times, Stern remarked, “If they want to cool things down, that’s one thing, but it seems to me that through a combination of rhetoric, which is off-putting and policy changes…[they have] really turned a whole bunch of people off that would otherwise have come to the UK.”

You may recall that UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on January 1, 2024, announced that foreign students have been banned from bringing relatives into the nation.