The United Kingdom government says persons coming to the country to study will no longer be able to bring their family as dependents with them.
London says the move is aimed at stemming the influx of people who piggyback on their family members study visa to enter UK.
According to Sky News, a new law, which will take effect from January, has been promulgated to give the clampdown on immigrants the much-needed legal backing.
The law will see to stoppage of Nigerian students and others studying in the UK from bringing dependents except “under specific circumstances” as 10 Downing Street aims to bring immigration into the country that stands at around one million down.
Under the new rule, the UK will remove the permission for international students to switch out of the student route and into work routes before their studies have been completed to prevent misuse of the visa system.
Sky News also added that “there will also be a review of the maintenance requirement for students and dependents and a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents “who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education”.
This change takes effect in January 2024 to allow students starting courses in the UK time to plan to adapt to the new
In a written ministerial statement published on Tuesday and obtained by Sky News, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said recent immigration figures had shown an “unexpected rise” in the number of dependants coming to the UK alongside international students.