Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Further and Higher Education

Monday 22 June 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Stuart McDonald questioned the Minister about the reintroduced graduate work visa to attract international students and aid recovery from covid-19.
  • The Minister responded that the Home Office updated its visa guidance on 20 April to provide certainty for international students impacted by coronavirus.
  • Carol Monaghan inquired about extending the graduate work visa from two to four years to enhance the UK's appeal to international students.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stuart McDonald SNP Cowdenbeath
Immigration
Context

The reintroduced graduate work visa aims to attract international students and help the education sector recover from COVID-19.

Question

The reintroduced graduate work visa could indeed help universities and colleges to attract international students and to recover from covid-19: it is just an appalling reflection on Tory Governments that we have been without such a visa for such a long time. Can the Minister say what discussions she has had about extending the graduate visa offered to students who are already here on tier 4 visas, so that both the education sector and the wider economy can use their skills in our recovery?

Answer from Gillian Keegan (The Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills)

There is a lot of work going on to ensure that we support the university sector through this crisis. On 20 April, the Home Office updated its visa guidance to provide greater certainty for international higher education students in the UK impacted by coronavirus. On 22 May, the Home Office announced that visas due to expire before 31 May would be extended to 31 July 2020 for those unable to return home. More work will be done in this area.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Carol Monaghan SNP Glasgow Kelvin
Immigration Education
Context

Scottish universities received information about the measures a month later than their English counterparts, raising concerns about consultation processes. There is potential for higher education to contribute to post-COVID economic recovery.

Question

Monaghan inquired about discussions between the Minister and Home Office regarding extending the graduate work visa from two years to four years to improve the UK's attractiveness for international students after recognizing reputational damage done by hostile bureaucracy. She noted that a former Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, highlighted the need to address this issue.

Answer from The Minister for Universities (Gillian Keegan)

Keegan responded that the UK does indeed offer a globally attractive education opportunity, evidenced by its appeal to numerous international students. She stated that the government remains proud of the sector and will continue to collaborate with it during challenging times, working alongside the Department for International Trade and the Home Office to ensure clear pathways for those wishing to study in the UK.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)