Bis research paper number 128 The wider benefits of international higher education in the uk

2.5.1 Immigration and employment 
International student mobility has become increasingly aligned with and dependent upon 
immigration and employment policies in host countries. At the launch of PMI 1 in 1999, 
policy was adjusted so that international students no longer required authorisation on an 
individual basis to take up work. However, the involvement of government in international 
HE activity has subsequently become far more direct, due to: 

growing awareness of international terrorism, heightened after 9/11 and 7/7, and 
resulting increased focus on domestic security; 

the recession from 2008 onwards, which led to concerns about the labour market and 
public expenditure; 

strongly expressed concerns over net migration by the public and reflected in the 
policies of the newly-elected coalition government in 2010.
These concerns have had effects on non-EU international students, who may be affected 
by a series of new legislation and Visa regulations.
The stated aim of recent policies has been to attract the brightest and the best students to 
the UK for study purposes, but at the same time to tackle immigration abuse in the student 
route. However, many in the international HE sector (in the UK and elsewhere) view these 
as new ‘restrictions’ on international study in the UK, including reduced rights to 
employment in the UK after study. In a modern inter-connected world where students, 
prospective students and their influencers are involved in many social networks, 
perceptions of tighter immigration controls may for some paint a picture of an unwelcoming 
student destination. Such perceptions have been linked with recent significant declines in 
student enrolments in the UK from certain source countries. 
Other countries have similarly been struggling to achieve balanced immigration policy 
which covers the recruitment of international students and their possible employment. 
Stricter visa controls introduced in Australia in 2008 led to declines in inward student 
numbers, before a review (Knight, 2011) resulted in subsequent reductions in some 
immigration restrictions and included the introduction of post-study work visas for 
graduates (Institute of International Education, 2011). In the UK the topic remains one of 
active and heated debate (British Council, 2011). 
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http://news.bis.gov.uk/Press-Releases/New-team-to-help-UK-exploit-international-opportunities-in-
education-exports-6864b.aspx
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The Wider Benefits of International Higher Education in the UK