Bradford supports Graduate Visa route recommendations
The University of Bradford has welcomed a recommendation to retain the Graduate Visa route for international students.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)’s ‘Rapid Review of the Graduate Route, published today (Tuesday 14 May) recommended that the Graduate visa route should be retained in its current form.
The Graduate Visa, introduced in 2021, gives international students permission to stay and work in the UK for two years, or three if they are a PhD student, on successful completion of their course.
The committee’s review, commissioned by Home Secretary, the Rt. Hon James Cleverly MP on March 11, recommends universities should be required to publish data on what they spend on international recruitment agents and the number of students who are recruited through agents each year.
The review also recommended the government sets up a mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents and subagents.
Professor Shirley Congdon, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bradford, said: “We welcome the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that the Graduate Visa route should remain in its current form.
“The University of Bradford, like a number of other higher education institutions across the country, is facing challenges regarding the recruitment of international students, who we believe bring significant benefits to the university and the city. These challenges include changes to the graduate visa, which were introduced earlier this year.
“We fully support the Committee’s recommendation for enhanced measures to ensure that any education agents who do not comply are no longer able to recruit students.”