A FRESH crackdown to slash migration numbers has sparked a Government row over reducing graduate visas.
The Home Office is gearing up to overhaul the graduate visa route, making it harder for foreign grads to stay without landing high-skilled jobs.
This comes after net migration hit 728,000 in the 12 months to June – and ministers are aiming to slash that figure to pre-pandemic levels of 200,000–300,000.
But it is understood education officials have been pushing back – warning the move could cripple the university sector.
International students bring in billions through higher tuition fees, and many universities rely on them to stay afloat.
A Home Office source told The Sun: “We are prepared to ensure the priority of reducing net migration comes first.”
Overseas grads currently stay in the UK for up to two years, even without a job, but ministers now plan to raise the bar.
The upcoming immigration white paper will require graduates to find high-skilled work, and sources suggest they may need to earn between £36,000 and £40,000, though the final figure isn’t set.
Ministers are focusing on sectors where salaries don’t rise much over time and plan to limit the number of grads staying without a real career prospect.
The graduate visa route currently accounts for 10 per cent of total net migration, with 150,000 using it last year.
A Government spokesperson said: “We do not recognise this characterisation.
“The Home Office and Department for Education are working closely to take an evidence-based approach, linking migration policy to education and skills, so immigration is no longer used at the expense of home-grown talent. We will always welcome international students as a key part of our world-class higher education system.
“This will be set out in our upcoming Immigration White Paper as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.”
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