UKCISA responds to Home Office Immigration White Paper May 2025
13 May 2025
The proposed changes will have a significant impact on UK education providers and their current and prospective international students.
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Insights
Keep up to date with the changing landscape of the sector with our Annual policy review, including updates, statistics and reports relating to international students.
International students come to the UK to receive a world-class education. In return, they contribute their own experiences and knowledge to enhance the student experience as a whole. Their diversity enriches the communities they live, study and work in.
Over 750,000 international students studied, lived and worked in the UK in 2022/2023, forming lifelong connections and enriching our campuses and culture.
The UK’s education sector thrives on these global connections. International innovation and research collaboration is key to solving our shared global challenges.
International students, on average, make a £58 million net economic contribution per constituency, equivalent to approximately £560 per citizen.
- Cultural diversity: International students have a diverse range of cultural backgrounds and perspectives. This enhances the student and educational experience for both international and domestic students, preparing them to engage with diverse ways of thinking and a globalised world.
- Global alumni network: Both domestic and international students learn in a diverse environment where they can build a global network. This benefits both groups in their careers as well as their future employers. Many international students are also from key export markets, including China, India, Saudi Arabia, and the USA.
- Research and innovation: The UK is one of the most innovative countries in the world, ranked in the top 5 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2023. International students bring fresh ideas and diverse perspectives to academic research and projects. Collaboration between domestic and international students contributes to the advancement of knowledge and innovation across sectors, leading to long-term job creation and economic growth.
- Community engagement: International students contribute to their local community, helping to build and develop social connections and community projects. This involvement helps foster cross-cultural understanding, innovation, and diverse communities.
The economic benefits of hosting international students significantly outweigh the costs, with a total net benefit of £37.4bn to the UK economy.
In the 2021-22 academic year, the total net impact of international students on the UK economy was estimated at £37.4 billion across the duration of their studies. This is a 40% increase on the previous three years, and equivalent to around £560 per member of the resident population.
The financial contribution international students bring to the UK include:
- International fee income enables colleges and universities to invest in additional, enhanced or expanded facilities, and to offer specialist courses which would not be viable for the UK student market alone.
- International students help sustain the UK's research base – especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They account for over 40% of UK postgraduate students, with 50% of those doing full-time research degrees.
- The money they spend also sustains thousands of jobs across the UK economy, both in colleges and universities, and in local economies.
- 759k international students in the UK 2022-2023
- 37£bn net impact of international students on the UK economy
News
Latest analysis from UKCISA
Russell Group Students Unions International Student Report
A comprehensive new student-led report – representing the voices of almost 5,000 international students at Russell Group universities reveals significant visa, work and mental health challenges faced by international students, alongside the positive contributions they make to campus life and the UK economy.
This report underscores the importance of listening to the student voice, as it brings to light the real challenges faced by international students. By considering and implementing the recommendations outlined in this report, we can work collaboratively to create an inclusive and supportive environment that values and empowers international students.
UKCISA's Annual policy review 2023-2024
UKCISA’s Annual policy review brings together key updates, statistics and reports relating to international students, providing an accessible guide to keep up to date with the changing landscape of the sector. This third edition covers major sector themes that emerged from April 2023 to March 2024.
The review had been set out in nine sections:
- Data for international students in the UK
- International graduates
- Colleges
- Pathways
- Understanding prospective student choice
- Financial contributions and sustainability of the sector
- Academic experience
- Digital experiences
- Accommodation
Previous year's policy reviews:
Centring student experiences
It's important to us that our work is informed by all evidence on the student experience, from data and statistics to students' own stories.
UKCISA works with our ambassadors to share the stories, challenges and experiences of students in the #WeAreInternational campaign.
The ambassadors sit on our student advisory group and we run pulse surveys to hear directly from a wide range of students.
Get to know our student ambassadors Find our more about our governance
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