The number of UK study visa applications so far this year has ¡°surged¡± by almost a third compared with 2024, new figures reveal.

51³Ô¹Ï Office figures show that 18,500 students applied for sponsored study visas in May ¨C 19 per cent more than in the same month last year.

This is the first time the data has been published since?the government introduced new restrictions on post-study work rights, suggesting the policy has not dampened demand yet.

Since the start of the year, 76,400 prospective students have applied for UK visas: an increase of 29 per cent on the first five months of 2024, and well above demand in both 2023 and 2022.

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In last month¡¯s long-awaited White Paper the Labour government announced that graduate visas will be reduced from two years to 18 months,?prompting concerns about?the UK¡¯s ability to attract international students and the subsequent impact on university finances.

Ruth Arnold, director of external affairs at Study Group and cofounder of the #WeAreInternational campaign, told 51³Ô¹Ï that the ¡°surge¡± in applications suggests that fears of the impact of the immigration White Paper may have been avoided, mainly thanks to the preserved post-study work offer.

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¡°51³Ô¹Ï politics are also shifting student choices. With stricter visa rules in Australia, Canada and the US and unease over recent US policies, more students are turning to the UK as a safer, more stable option.¡±

However, she warned that there is ¡°no time for complacency¡±, with many students ¡°casting a wide net¡± and applying to?several countries at once.

¡°As the UK prepares to refresh its international education strategy, study trends are changing and so we must face a clear reality ¨C international students have global options.¡±?

Rachel Hewitt, chief executive of the MillionPlus mission group, said it is possibly too early to determine the impact of the White Paper but noted that an unsettled picture in the US, coupled with a less combative attitude towards international students in Westminster could well have played a part.

¡°Whatever the cause, it is good news for the sector and UK PLC and hopefully a sign that a corner has been turned in terms of overseas recruitment,¡± she added. ¡°With much of the White Paper in need of fleshing out, it will be vital going forward that the UK remains welcoming to international students, who do so much to support the diversity of our sector as well as supporting the government¡¯s own growth mission.¡±

Existing?restrictions on dependant visas for family members of students ¨C imposed by the last government ¨C continue to have an impact on the 51³Ô¹Ï Office statistics.

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A total of 1,100 dependants applied for visas last month ¨C down from 1,400 in May 2024 and 7,800 in May 2023. In total, 6,300 family members have applied for visas so far this year, compared with 46,700 in the same period in 2023.

In the 12 months to May, main applicant visa applications were down nine per cent, which RSM, a leading audit, tax and consulting firm, blamed on the rule changes around dependants?that came into effect in January 2024.

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Louise Tweedie, partner and higher education specialist at RSM UK, said: ¡°Universities also continue to face financial pressures and structural changes, with several universities announcing cuts to programmes and departments in May, due to budget constraints.

¡°With rising employment and operational costs, economic uncertainty and a decline in international student numbers, the sector¡¯s financial challenges are unlikely to improve without government intervention.¡±

Separate data from UniQuest found firm acceptances from international applicants are up 10 per cent year-on-year.

But the survey, based on a sample of 10 UniQuest higher education partners in the UK, said it was too early to tell if this was?because of declining interest to study in the US.

¡°This is actually a good thing: those students who have carefully considered what is best for their future are much more likely to convert than those who have made a rash decision,¡±?said Jennifer Parsons, chief market and partnerships officer at UniQuest.

¡°Institutions are also taking a robust and responsible approach to what¡¯s happening in the markets right now and are not trying to increase recruitment en masse.¡±

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patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com