London Higher, the voice of the higher education sector in London, and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have written to government ministers urging them to maintain the Graduate Visa Route in the forthcoming immigration white paper, due to be published later this month.
In an open letter to the Secretaries of State for Education and the Home Department, Dr. Diana Beech (CEO, London Higher) and Karim Fatehi OBE (CEO, LCCI) emphasise that preserving the graduate route is not only essential to the UK’s global competitiveness, but also crucial to realising the ambitions of the newly-published London Growth Plan.
Research by London Higher demonstrated that the net economic impact of the 2021-2022 cohort of international students in London on the UK economy was £9.59 billion, equating to an average net impact in London of £131 million per constituency, equivalent to £1,040 per resident. However, international student visa applications fell by 16% between 2023 and 2024 due to measures introduced by the last government which banned overseas students on one-year master’s courses from bringing dependents and raised the visa fee and health surcharge, damaging the UK’s appeal as an international study destination. Undermining the graduate route would further reduce the UK’s attraction as a destination for international students, threaten university finances, and reduce business access to global talent.
Diana Beech and Karim Fatehi wrote:
In an age of ‘going for growth’, universities and higher education institutions are instrumental in attracting talent and incentivising graduates to stay and contribute to UK public services and businesses. The graduate route visa is a key mechanism for achieving these aims, allowing talented individuals to establish themselves in the UK and contribute to its economic and social fabric.
By reaffirming its commitment to the graduate route visa, the government can send a strong message that international students are welcome and can both benefit from, and contribute to, the exciting growth opportunities in London and across the UK. A failure to do so risks undermining not only our world-leading higher education system but also the future of innovation, global talent attraction, and the economic vitality of London and the UK.
