Changes to to UK visas from January 2024 will prevent dependants from accompanying international students. As a result, a small number of universities are offering early winter intake so students can avoid the new rules.
UK universities typically have second postgraduate intakes in January. This has proved to be valuable in growing international recruitment for students from the southern hemisphere, or those who didn’t manage to get a visa in time for autumn start. The new visa rules, however, are likely to impact such recruitment.
The UK government issued the change in May, banning international master’s course students from bringing dependents with them from January. Students on postgraduate courses designated as research programmes will be the only ones exempt.
The temporary change is intended to bridge a gap while the government finalises an ‘alternative approach’ to ensure ‘the best and brightest students can bring dependents to our world leading universities, while continuing to reduce net migration.’
