Numbers drop in overseas student applications

The University of Lincoln is joining other universities across the country calling for the government to reconsider its decision to impose visa restrictions on international students.

The restrictions, introduced at the start of 2024, prevents some students from bringing their families with them to the UK. The government said the new rules were part of measures to curb immigration.

The university said it had seen a 51% drop in allocations from international students since the changes were applied.

Student Raha Fazlollahei, from Iran, said it was "really heartbreaking" to be so far away from her family, but said it was also an opportunity to be independent.

She said: "It helps me to grow to be independent and I really like this. I'm 22 right now and at this age I can be on my own."

It is costing her more than £30,000 per year to study creative writing here, but said it was worth it to build her dream life.

The university, like most, said it relied on international student fee income to compensate for the freeze on home tuition fees.

It said international student applications fell from 2,995 in 2023-24 to 1,460 in 2024-25. Nationally, Home Office figures showed the 393,125 visas that were granted in 2024 represented a 14% drop on the figures from 2023, but that it was still 46% higher than in 2019.

"Removal of the dependents visa has made the UK a less attractive study destination overall in a competitive global marketplace for student recruitment, particularly for international masters students," the university said.

"We support sector calls for a more evidence-based approach to international students in national immigration policy, which recognises the need to manage true migration without jeopardising the economic and societal benefits of the UK's standing as a global study destination."

Godswill James, from Nigeria, is studying IT and said although the changes "had impacted", there were other contributing factors, such as initial course fee deposits and the cost.

It is costing him between £25,000 and £30,000.

Fellow student Sibghatullah Karimi, from Afghanistan, believed those figures represented a "big challenge" to some countries.

He said: "The students from Asian and African countries, their currency difference is too high, so if we convert that currency, it would be in the millions."

Tsuy Tuong, from Hanoi, Vietnam, said she had dreamt of studying in England since she was 15 and had fallen in love with the British culture.

She felt being on her own without family was both a good and bad thing.

As well as bolstering the university's income, international students are also important to the local economy, according to Michael Stacey, who is the general manager of Craft bar, which attracts a lot of students.

He said: "They're a massive economic benefit and a massive social benefit. They improve everything.

"I think immigration is what makes our country fantastic. Multiculturalism brings something different and I think if we bunker down and single into our one-lane we're never going to broaden our horizons, we're never going to learn anything new."

It is estimated one in seven at the university are international students.

The government has been contacted for comment, but has previously said international students "will always be welcome but the net migration levels seen in recent years have been completely unacceptable, and we have committed to reducing those numbers substantially".