The UK government has announced a reduction in the Graduate Route visa duration from two years to 18 months, aiming to clamp down on what it calls “systemic abuse and mission drift” in international education and immigration systems.
This move is part of a comprehensive Immigration White Paper unveiled on Monday, which also introduces stricter university compliance rules, tougher asylum and deportation measures, and enhanced powers to combat visa fraud.
The Home Office emphasized, “Migration must be controlled and compliant. Our reforms will close the backdoors and shut down abuse across the system.” The Graduate Route, which previously allowed graduates two years of post-study work rights, now offers only 18 months, with tighter pathways to work visas and reduced rights for dependants.
The White Paper criticized the Graduate Route for failing to meet its original goals, describing it as “a loophole for unsponsored work and a magnet for abuse.” Only universities that meet “enhanced compliance standards” will retain international recruitment licenses, with sanctions looming for those with poor progression-to-work rates or misleading recruitment practices.
The asylum system will also see reforms, including automatic refusals for applicants from unchanged home countries or those who fail to claim asylum upon arrival. Deportation powers will expand to cover all foreign offenders, not just those jailed over 12 months, with a focus on crimes against women and girls.
The government plans to impose financial penalties and license revocations on sponsors facilitating visa abuse, stressing that “Sponsorship is a privilege, not a right.” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated, “We’re making it clear that the UK welcomes global talent – but not at the cost of public confidence or border control.”
