UK Government confirms graduate route

 ‘International students will always be welcome in this country’

In a major speech delivered to the Embassy Education Conference in at King’s College London on 23 July 2024, Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson told the assembled dignitaries – which included representatives from more than 100 countries – that they should: “Be in no doubt: international students are welcome in the UK. This new government values their contribution – to our universities, to our communities, to our country.” Ms Phillipson went on to discuss the importance of partnership and collaboration between universities – and why the UK must continue to welcome international students. She told the conference:

“The more we work together, the more progress we will see in the world – partners in the push for better. Closed systems that only look inward quickly run out of ideas. Creativity crumbles, innovation dies, the same thoughts spin round and round and collapse in on themselves. But through our international partners, we can reach out across the world and bring back a freshness of thought that breathes new life into our society. “That includes our universities, and it includes international students. How could it not? These people are brave. They move to a new culture, far away from their homes and their families. They take a leap of faith, hoping to develop new skills and chase new horizons. And I am enormously proud that so many want to take that leap here in the UK. And we will do everything we can to help them succeed.
“That’s why we offer the opportunity to remain in the UK on a graduate visa for 2 years after their studies end – or 3 for PhDs – to work, to live, and to contribute. While this government is committed to managing migration carefully, international students will always be welcome in this country. The UK wouldn’t be the same without them.”

The news that the new government accepts the findings of the independent Migration Advisory Committee, which recommended that the Graduate route should be retained in its current form, will be welcomed by students that are considering the UK as a study destination.

To view the whole speech, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/bridget-phillipsons-speech-at-the-embassy-education-conference