KOLKATA – Britain’s restrictive new visa rules, a ban on dependants and the high costs of living are putting off foreign students considering studying at UK universities and creating a new migration problem.
The changes are causing a drop in international student numbers, which has plunged some UK universities into crisis and could mean fewer candidates for vital graduate jobs in fields such as medicine or teaching.
Pranav Brahmbhatt, a higher education specialist in London, says the changes have led to cuts in jobs and courses at universities dependent on higher-paying international students. “The international students pay around twice or thrice the fees than the locals here,” he told The i Paper.
Some UK institutions are exploring mergers, with the universities of Kent and Greenwich combining this year to create the country’s first “super-university”, in part to tackle the economic challenges.
The number of international students studying for master’s degrees in the UK fell by 10 per cent in 2024/5, according to figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January. The number of Indian students fell by 12 per cent.
In November, a survey of 69 universities by the British Universities International Liaison Association, a UK-based staff recruitment organisation, found that oalmost two-thirds reported a decrease in postgraduate enrolment from overseas students starting courses in September 2025.
‘I’m looking for a more budget-friendly country than the UK’
Ajay Sarkar, 25, who lives in Kolkata, had dreamed of pursuing an MBA in hospitality at a British university. However, he has been forced to shelve his plans over the rising costs of accommodation and tuition in the UK, which he says are too expensive for his father, an army veteran.
“I was thinking to enroll for the MBA course and then undertake a job to financially support my family, but the high cost of living coupled with the changes in visa rules has forced me to drop my plans,” he told The i Paper.
Ajay Sarkar has dropped his plans to study in the UK to look for a more affordable country (Photo: Ajay Sarkar)“I would rather look for a country that is budget-friendly rather than going to the UK.”
In recent years, Indian students replaced Chinese at the top of the list of those coming to study at UK universities, with 107,480 Indian students arriving to study in 2023-24. But many are now being put off by the increasing costs of coming to the UK, and some of those already here say it is becoming harder to make it work.
Clampdown on foreign students
Since 2024, international students are no longer able to bring dependants on their visas, unless they are studying on a full-time research postgraduate programme.
A government white paper released last May is now leading to a slew of changes for foreign students, including the graduate post-study work visa being reduced from 24 months to 18 months from the start of 2027.
Raj Wardhan Rana, 24, who is studying for a MA in public administration at the London School of Economics, said that his expenses for his two-year course, including tuition fees, came to around £83,000, despite him living frugally and having a scholarship.
Raj Wardhan Rana, 24, says his expenses for a two-year MA, including tuition fees, came to around £83,000, despite him living frugally and having a scholarship (Photo: Raj Wardhan Rana)“I am lucky to have received a scholarship for the course from the state government in India or else it could have been impossible for me to survive here as my father is a farmer with a limited income,” he said. “But my friends are having a tough time here due to high expenses.”
Arnav Joshi, 23, who is studying for a MA in International Relations from King’s College London, said he was spending an “exorbitant” £320 per week (£1,371 per month) to live in shared accommodation in London. “I have honestly lost track of my spending here in the UK,” he said. “I have been drained financially.”
He added that the reduction of the post-study visa duration, on top of the high cost of living, was a “deeply disappointing” decision.
Numbers are already falling
The new visa rules and reduction in post-study work opportunities have become a major deterrent for students planning to study in the UK.
“Undoubtedly, the living expenses are pretty high here and the students aim to recover them by staying for a longer duration,” said Amit Tiwari, the president of Indian National Students Union.
He told The i Paper that “their hopes have been dashed with the change in visa policy as hardly any companies are willing to sponsor them”.
For Indian students already in the UK, the high cost of living, on top of difficulties getting jobs, is making their studies increasingly unsustainable.
The fallout of these policies is clear, with fewer international students now choosing Britain for their education.
Prateek Mohanani, 27, who runs Uniflik, a consultancy in India that helps students interested in studying overseas, told The i Paper that many students were now looking at Ireland over the UK.
Ireland’s high-ranking universities and multinational companies were among its pull factors, along with its cost of living. “The overall living cost in Ireland is comparatively low with friendly visa rules for dependants that have been making the country a favourite destination for Indian students,” he said.
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