The post-study work visa may not be attracting “global talent” and many international students who enter the UK through it end up in low-wage jobs, according to a report from a key government body.
An impending ban on dependants may also bring “potentially harmful consequences” for some of the best overseas students, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) warned.
Its annual report said the two year graduate route introduced in 2018 has been a “resounding success” in increasing the number of international students, but not in terms of attracting talented students who will work in high-skilled graduate jobs.
The committee, an independent non-departmental public body that advises the government on migration issues, has recently been commissioned by the Westminster government to conduct a review of the visa to “prevent abuse and to protect the integrity and quality of the sector”.
