The NUS announced support for the Universities UK call to revive the post-study visa on Monday 3rdSeptember, signifying a worry that students from other countries will see the UK as an unappealing place to study.
Until 2012, international students in the UK were able to extend their study visa in order to remain and work in the UK. This was known as the post-study visa, and gave international students the chance to contribute to the country that had been their home for years.
Under current legislation, international students must apply for a regular work visa if they want to remain in the UK after their degree. This can be a daunting and time consuming task while completing dissertations and final year exams.
It is made more difficult for international students who have not yet secured a job, because without proof of salary, employer details and many more documents, students cannot obtain a work visa.
The number of international undergraduates students is now falling for the first time in three years.
NUS International Students’ Officer Yinbo Yu suggests this will only get worse after Brexit is finalised, arguing that there needs to be a conscious effort to make students feel like the UK can be a second home for them.
With 13,505 international students (undergraduates and postgraduates combined), the University of Manchester has the second highest number in the UK, beaten only by University College London. This makes the question of how to attract, support, and meet the needs of international students a crucial one for our University.
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