Scottish ministers pressing Westminster on student visa delays

The Scottish government is relaying its concerns about the negative impact of new immigration rules on universities to Westminster, as leaders emphasise the need to separate Scotland’s international brand from that of the UK.

Speaking in Glasgow on 5 February, Ben MacPherson, Scottish minister for further and higher education, said immigration measures implemented in recent years by the UK government meant it was becoming “more difficult for us to attract and, importantly, retain international students”. 

Changes include a ban on most students bringing dependants with them in 2024 and, more recently, the introduction of tighter visa compliance metrics. 

“We cannot underestimate the impact that the UK government’s immigration policies are having on our ability to remain competitive; it is difficult,” MacPherson told attendees of the Scottish Universities International Group conference, describing the situation as “frustrating”.

“We continue to constructively but firmly relay our concerns to the UK government whenever we have the chance.”

The Scottish National Party politician added that he was also expressing concerns about recent visa processing delays to the central government. 

“We’ll continue to press them for immigration policies that meet the needs of our people, our institutions and our economy, and if we do that collectively as institutions on behalf of team Scotland, we have a stronger chance of constructively persuading our UK government colleagues to take a different position,” he said. 

Speaking at the same event, Sally Mapstone, principal of the University of St Andrews, said Scotland’s unique selling points “are not always so visible through a UK wide lens”. 

“Many of the features that differentiate Scotland, from education policy to student support, are a challenge to articulate within a UK level narrative, so that reality places a responsibility on us as a Scottish sector to promote our own story in our own terms.”

The nation launched the Come to Study: Find Scotland marketing campaign in 2024, which sought to position the country separately from longstanding UK-wide campaigns. 

Mapstone said she welcomed the holistic approach taken in the UK government’s recently published International Education Strategy, which covered transnational education (TNE) and research, as well as student recruitment. 

In the strategy, Westminster appears to favour higher education providers’ growing their income via offshore ventures, while playing down conversations about recruiting more international students to the UK in light of Labour’s commitment to reducing net migration.

“The absence of a specific international student target in the UK strategy reflects…the current immigration climate,” Mapstone said. “At the same time, the ambition to reach £40 billion in education exports by 2030 will require growth in onshore international recruitment.”

Rachel Sandison, deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Glasgow, said Scottish institutions must take a “responsible” approach to TNE when considering expansion.

“The increasing enthusiasm for TNE and more caution around mobility does create a complex landscape for the sector,” she said. 

“It reinforces the importance of developing a diversified international portfolio. 

“It means that TNE partnerships and digital engagement will play an even more critical role in future growth and it also highlights the need for careful navigation to ensure that Scotland’s interests are recognised and protected within UK wide strategies.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com