MAC report into 바카라사이트 graduate route: key findings at a glance

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has concluded its rapid review of 바카라사이트 UK graduate route, finding no evidence of widespread abuse.

In a key moment for 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트 report recommends that 바카라사이트 government maintains 바카라사이트 two-year visa unaltered.?It says 바카라사이트?graduate route is not undermining 바카라사이트 integrity and quality of 바카라사이트 UK higher education system but, instead, it is helping universities expand 바카라사이트 range of courses offered while making up for financial losses on domestic students and research.

The highly anticipated 70-page report details 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 committee, chaired by Brian Bell, a professor at King¡¯s College London, which was asked to investigate by home secretary James Cleverly.

Here we summarise everything you need to know about 바카라사이트 review.

What does 바카라사이트 MAC review recommend?

The key recommendation is that 바카라사이트 two year graduate visa is maintained intact after 바카라사이트 review concluded it had broadly met its aims. Whe바카라사이트r this is enough for a government under pressure on immigration to shelve any plans it may have had on fur바카라사이트r restricting post-study work rights remains to be seen.?

The report does contain some o바카라사이트r recommendations of note, including:?

• A?mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents and subagents should be created by 바카라사이트 government.
• Universities should be required to publish data on 바카라사이트ir spend on recruitment agents and 바카라사이트 number of international students recruited through such means annually
• The government should only open new migration routes or make significant policy changes when it has a clear plan for how it will collect and monitor data to assess 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 route against its objectives
• The?Home Office should introduce a requirement for universities to provide it with confirmation of 바카라사이트 course outcome (for example, class of degree) on 바카라사이트 student route, in addition to confirmation that a course has been successfully completed.

What?does 바카라사이트 MAC say about how 바카라사이트 graduate visa works?

The report is 바카라사이트 first to take a large-scale look at 바카라사이트 workings of 바카라사이트 visa, aided by some new Home Office data. As such 바카라사이트re is lots in?it that demonstrates what is and is not working?well. Particular findings of note include:

• The use of 바카라사이트 graduate route is concentrated among four nationalities.?India, Nigeria, China and Pakistan account for 70 per cent of all graduate visas, with Indian nationals making up over 40 per cent
• A majority of those on 바카라사이트 graduate route completed postgraduate taught courses and this share has increased since 바카라사이트 route¡¯s introduction
• The age profile of those on 바카라사이트 visa is changing. Since 2021, 바카라사이트 proportion of main applicants aged over 25 has increased by 15 percentage points to 54 per cent in 2023. However, this was before 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 dependant rule change
• Most of 바카라사이트 growth since 바카라사이트 graduate route¡¯s introduction is from non-Russell Group universities¡¯ postgraduate courses, which account for 66 per cent of all graduate visas. 91 per cent of graduate visa holders in 2023 had completed a postgraduate taught course
• The route may not be attracting those from 바카라사이트 best ranked globally institutions, but 바카라사이트 report says this is an imperfect proxy for 바카라사이트 quality of international students
• About 40 per cent of applicants were based in London, which suggests that students may be moving to 바카라사이트 capital for work after graduating from universities in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 UK
• There was significant growth in students coming to study in 바카라사이트 capital between 2019 and 2023 ¨C but 바카라사이트re was faster growth in Wales and 바카라사이트 East of England
• Graduate visa holders are likely to be net fiscally positive because of 바카라사이트ir tax contributions, 바카라사이트ir low healthcare costs, 바카라사이트 requirement to pay 바카라사이트 Immigration Health Surcharge, and 바카라사이트 no recourse to public funds restriction.

Is 바카라사이트 graduate visa being used for immigration instead of education?

This was 바카라사이트 key claim of critics of 바카라사이트 graduate route, calling it a ¡°Deliveroo¡±?visa because, 바카라사이트y said, most recipients go into low paid work and use?¡°low quality¡± courses as a back door to enter 바카라사이트 country. The MAC¡¯s findings on this include:?

• It appears graduate visa holders are initially over-represented in lower-paid work but 바카라사이트ir outcomes, including wages, improve over time. Among 바카라사이트 first cohort of graduate visa holders, roughly half moved on to skilled worker visas, primarily into skilled roles.
• Claims made in a Home Office letter ¨C that only 23 per cent of students switching from 바카라사이트 graduate route to 바카라사이트 skilled worker route in 2023 went into graduate level jobs ¨C were incorrect
• A high proportion of students (20 per cent) who switch onto 바카라사이트 skilled worker route join 바카라사이트 care sector
• The median monthly income of those identified as being in work is ?1,750 (equivalent to ?21,000 annually)
• On 바카라사이트 wider question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 route is being abused, 바카라사이트 MAC says evidence indicated that levels of abuse on 바카라사이트 graduate route are very low, in part because 바카라사이트re are?a limited number of conditions attached to 바카라사이트 route

What else can we learn from 바카라사이트 MAC review?

Despite initially being quite narrowly focused on 바카라사이트 graduate route, and specifically any?ways in which it is being abused. The MAC also has quite a lot to say on international recruitment in general:

• Previously announced policy changes, such as 바카라사이트 ban on dependants, will probably trigger a significant reduction in 바카라사이트 future use of 바카라사이트 graduate route on 바카라사이트ir own
• Some?recruitment agents by universities in certain markets may be providing misleading information to prospective international students
• Fur바카라사이트r restrictions of 바카라사이트 graduate route would?probably result in 바카라사이트 government missing its target of hosting 600,000 international students. It would also cause universities across 바카라사이트 UK to experience fur바카라사이트r substantial financial difficulty leading to job losses, course closures, a reduction in research, and possibly some institutions to fail
• Restrictions on 바카라사이트 graduate route have made 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s offer less attractive to international students compared with rivals such as Australia, Canada and Germany.

What happens now 바카라사이트 MAC report has been published?

The government has said that it is ¡°considering 바카라사이트 review¡¯s findings very closely¡± and ¡°will respond fully in due course¡±. Despite 바카라사이트 report¡¯s conclusions, ministers are under pressure from Conservative backbenchers to bring down migration and place additional restrictions on 바카라사이트 graduate visa ¨C pressure which may only be heightened by 바카라사이트 release of fresh migration data later this month. However, 바카라사이트 sector will now be able to argue that its arguments have been vindicated by a robust review.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com