UK to ‘lose next generation of academics’ after settlement changes

Time spent as a student or on a graduate visa ought to count towards the years needed to secure permanent residency, according to experts, after “grave concerns” were raised over planned UK immigration changes.

Under plans revealed by the home secretary Shabana Mahmood earlier this month, the government intends to prevent the visas schemes used by international students from being included in residency requirements.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) said the proposals will have a “significant and detrimental” effect on those who have poured time and money into their education in the country, while more than 1,300 people have signed a letter to home secretary condemning the changes.

The letter, written on behalf of “international doctoral researchers and doctoral graduates, university staff, supervisors and members of the public who support them”, argues that some who have already begun doctorates had “planned their lives on the long residence route”.

The anger follows the government’s publication of its response to a consultation called “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement”.

Released on 2 November, the proposals outline an end to the “long residence” principle, which allows people originally from abroad to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the country if they’ve already been in the UK legally for 10 continuous years.

Historically, students and graduates have been allowed to count their time working towards degrees or on the post-study work visa as part of their applications for the route.

But the government has decided to replace the current framework with a tiered system of pathways, in which people making an “exceptional economic contribution to the UK” – and who have earned £125,141 for three years – can apply after three years.

People making a “strong contribution to the UK”, including “higher earners, public service workers, [and] people with a British connection”, will be able to apply after five, while 10 years will become the “starting point” for those “playing by the rules” and making a “contribution” to public life.

This new system, which the government calls “earned settlement”, will not consider time spent studying or working in the immediate years after graduating as time building towards settlement – marking them instead as only “temporary” routes.

The government is to start implementing the changes from next month and over the course of the next year.

UKCISA said the rules create a hostile environment for students from overseas. “The proposed earned settlement changes risk sending a deeply discouraging message to individuals who have invested in the UK, that despite their commitment and contribution, they are not welcome,” the organisation, founded in 1968 to protect international students’ interests, said.

It also criticised the government’s position that settlement is currently achieved by students simply through the passage of time.

“Those who reach the 10-year threshold do so by maintaining lawful immigration status over a prolonged period, meeting strict eligibility requirements, complying with visa conditions, and paying significant immigration application and health surcharge fees,” UKCISA said.

“Describing this journey as merely accumulating time on different routes does not reflect the reality of the dedication, resilience and investment required to achieve long residence.”

The body has demanded that the government “at a minimum” provide support and “transitional protections” to those already in the process of securing settlement.

Meanwhile, the open letter backed by researchers has accused the Home Office of keeping them and their families in limbo, with “serious effects” for their financial security and well-being.

“It will lead the UK to lose researchers it has trained, with consequences for British universities, the economy and wider society,” the letter alleges.

It predicts a brain drain for the sector, noting universities’ dependence on international academics.

It also warns that the new system’s high-talent route could make certain fellowships, like those awarded by the British Academy or Leverhulme Trust, even more competitive.

“If these awards become the main route to an earlier settlement, more researchers will need to apply for the most competitive fellowships that lead to endorsement, rather than for the funding best suited to their research,” it suggests.

The government has defended its proposed changes as a justified tightening of the immigration system.

On publishing the proposals, Mahmood said: “Settlement – the right to live permanently in the United Kingdom and share fully in the security and opportunities our country provides – is one of the most significant rights we can grant.

“Today, it is granted near automatically, largely on the basis of time served. It is this government’s view that this is insufficient. The right to settle should instead reflect a lasting commitment to this country, demonstrated through contribution, integration and respect for our laws and values.”

georgia.luckhurst@timeshighereducation.com