The United Kingdom government suddenly scrapped the freedom of switch of visas given to foreign students from July 17, 2023.
The decision was taken by the government because the number of migrants arriving in the UK in 2022 and 2023 was very high.
It is fair on the side of the government. But from the perspective of foreign students, it appears to be very unfair. The reason for that is when we consider the reasons why the government allowed foreign students to switch their visa.
In November 2022 the government suddenly decided to give permission to switch student visa to skilled worker visa and sub category include care worker visa in order to reduce the shortage of job market. It is necessary to cover the severe labour shortage in the social care sector.
According to the previous system, an international student was able to switch his visa after obtaining his degree. But after the government changed this rule students were able to change their visa at any time while any point of their study. Many students took advantage of this law.
This was not illegal at all. The government opened the back door to them. It is not the government’s mistake. They did know what they are doing. They wanted to somehow reduce the labour shortage in the country.
But it also benefited the students. Many students joined the job market through this. Also, during this period, many students who applied for student visa to came to study with this goal keeping in mind.
That is on the permission of the British government. No doubt. Government gave them permission, come to study and if you want job, find it and switch your visa. Then most students came in this year for the study, because of this extra benefit government offer them. Otherwise they may have to choose deferent country for their study. But suddenly the government stopped to apply this rule effecting from 17july 2023 without giving them any additional time or any transitional period.
Again the old immigration rule updated into use.
Thousands of foreign students who came to the country during this time were prejudiced by this. It is a very unfair act.
The government has the right to make decisions and change, but they have ability to provide some relief to the students who came under this particular law.
If the government had not given this permission, so many students would not have come with this purpose in mind. This is like revealing the path and then placing a barrier at an invisible distance.
It was reported in some media that a group of students who came during this period changed their visas as soon as they entered the country. This harmed the universities that sponsored those students.
It happened that the students entered the university by paying only half of their course fee and then changed their visa and entered the job market.
This put the universities in serious trouble. First of all, they did not receive the income they should have received.
The second is to lose an opportunity to another student etc.
But the main reason for these things to happen is the lack of proper legislation.
What the government should have done is to make the law so that at the end of each year of the student’s university life, he can switch his visa instead middle of the year. That means every student need to study one full year before switch their visa and they should inform to the university before year end.
If so, no one will be prejudiced.
But in the end, what happened was that the government’s desired goal was not fulfilled and the students fell into trouble.
Also missing an opportunity to fill the 165,000 care worker workforce that still cannot be filled.
The government still has a chance to fix this.
If this can be rectified to compensate for the labour shortage in the country without harming any party, the future objectives of the government, will well achieved.
