Give foreign students more time in Britain, ministers urged

INTERNATIONAL students should be allowed to stay in the UK for longer after they finish their studies, despite concerns that many go on to low-paid jobs, according to a report commissioned by the Government.

The Migration Advisory Committee (Mac) said that PHD students should be given the right to stay in Britain for a year, and others should be allowed to remain for six months to help them find work and boost the UK’S economy.

But it warned against a post-study visa system because of concerns it could be abused by migrants who want an easy way to work in the UK.

The committee also called on ministers to look into why 25 per cent of post-graduate students go on to do lowpaid jobs instead of earning the large salaries expected of skilled students.

The Mac said students should not be included in the net migration target and the aim to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands should be looked at again or scrapped altogether. Theresa May has rejected the demands.

The report found there is no adverse impact of international students on the local community, and that they subsidise domestic student fees and generate income for local businesses. However, while international students pay a £150 NHS charge on arrival, most use services that cost more than this, on average around £600.

Prof Alan Manning, Mac chairman, said international students bring “clear benefits” to the UK. But his report noted that while many of the students who remain for work report similar pay levels to UK graduates, a “sizeable” group of non-eu students have “surprisingly low” earnings.