Bangladeshis are among the largest group of international students who prefer to stay on to work in the UK after their studies, a new report commissioned by the UK government says.
Along with Russian, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani students, Bangladeshis were more likely to “extend their leave to remain” in Britain at the end of their course, notes the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which had been tasked by the UK Home Office to study the impact of international students in the UK and recommend any changes to the country’s visa regime that might be required.
“The Office of National Statistics (ONS) found that Russian, Bangladeshi, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani students were more likely to extend their leave to remain, while Thai, Chinese, American and Indian students were more likely to leave the UK before their visa expired,” said the report launched on Tuesday.
The findings recommend an overall easier transition from student to work visas for talented applicants, including extending the limited post-study leave period from the current three to six months for Master’s students. But they dismiss the need for an exclusive post-study visa route, seen as central to attracting students from countries like Bangladesh.
University chiefs have been campaigning for a dedicated post-study visa route, most recently with representative body Universities UK proposing a new “Global Graduate Talent Visa” to allow qualified international students to work in a skilled job in the UK for a period of two years after graduation.
Prof. Dame Janet Beer, President of Universities UK, said the organisation, which represents the country's 136 leading universities, was “disappointed” with the report’s main recommendations.
“The ability to work in a skilled job for a limited period after graduation is, for many prospective international students, an important part of the overall package when deciding where to study… improved post-study visa would put us on a par with what is offered by countries such as the US, Canada and Australia,” she said, warning that growth in student numbers will only be possible if the UK adopts a more encouraging immigration system.
In another controversial move, the MAC report also concluded there was no case for international students to be removed from the government’s annual migration targets.
"If there is a problem with students in the target, it is with the target itself rather than the inclusion of students in the target," said MAC Chairman Professor Alan Manning in his Foreword to the report.
Campaigners warn that while the UK continues to count international students as long-term migrants in its net migration target, there is continued pressure to reduce their numbers and adds to the perception that overseas students are not really welcome in the UK.
“Business communities around the UK will be bitterly disappointed not to see support for the removal of overseas students from the immigration statistics,” said a spokesperson for the British Chambers of Commerce.
The MAC recommendations will now be taken into account by the UK government in any future changes to the immigration policy.
Campaigners have urged for a more liberal approach, warning that countries such as the US, Australia, France and Germany all continue to grow at a faster rate in terms of attracting overseas students than the UK, which was lagging behind at a growth rate of just 0.5 per cent in 2014-15.