The UK immigration framework governing the education sector underwent significant change in 2025. Through Statements of Changes to the Immigration Rules, revised Home Office guidance, and the publication of the Government’s Immigration White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System (May 2025), the intention behind the reforms is clear: tighter controls, higher eligibility thresholds, reduction in net migration, and enhanced compliance expectations for education sponsors. Although not all proposals laid out in the White Paper have yet been implemented, it establishes the direction in which future reforms are moving towards.
This article provides a legal overview of immigration law and policy changes in 2025 that directly or indirectly affect the education sector, including students, graduates, and sponsoring institutions.
Student and Child Student Visa Changes
Increased Maintenance Requirements for Students
From November 11, 2025, the Home Office increased the financial maintenance requirements for Student visa applicants. Applicants must now demonstrate higher levels of funds to cover living costs in line with annual increases to student finance loans:
- £1,529 per month for study in London (up to a maximum of 9 months)
- £1,171 per month for study outside London (up to a maximum of 9 months)
The funds must be held for a minimum of 28 consecutive days prior to application. These changes apply to both entry clearance and in-country applications.
The increased threshold raises admissibility barriers for prospective students and may disproportionately affect applicants from lower-income jurisdictions. Education providers may see decreased enrolment numbers and a lack of diversity in the socioeconomic backgrounds of their students.
Stricter Care Arrangements for Child Students
The government’s White Paper introduced a series of major amendments surrounding the care arrangements for Child Students. There was some ambiguity in the interpretation of the rules during the transitional period that the Statement of Changes aimed to resolve. Key updates include:
- Boarding arrangements (flexi, weekly, full) were grouped under a single category. All boarding arrangements require guardianship arrangements for outside of term-time.
- Students aged over 12 years may live with a parent holding a Parent of a Child Student permission if they are caring for a younger sibling. The parent can also be the official out-of-term-time guardian for their other children in boarding.
- Students may also, outside of term-time, stay with a parent who holds permission under another route, provided the core care arrangement complies with the permitted arrangements under the rules.
- A nominated guardian has been defined as a person who may care for the student for fewer than 28 consecutive days, including term time.
- Guardians must be British nationals, or hold settled status in the UK.
- New disclosure requirements for guardianship arrangements were introduced. Guardians are now required to provide the details of other adults in the household, to enable UKVI to carry efficient checks.
- Criminality is now being checked for individual guardians and other adults regularly living at their address. UKVI will refuse applications where the guardian or any regularly resident adult has a record of certain criminal offences.
- If no guardian is appointed at the time of application, guardianship organizations must nominate a suitable staff member and confirm compliance with the safeguarding and DBS requirements in a letter of undertaking. The appointed staff member should meet the criteria set for guardians.
These measures strengthen the safeguarding of minors but simultaneously create additional compliance responsibilities for sponsors. The Autumn 2025 Student Policy document confirms that the purpose of this reform is to ensure stability for the duration of a student’s course, aligning with the criteria for close relatives and private foster carers.
Dependants on Student Visas
Although introduced in January 2024, the dependant restrictions continued to have full effect throughout 2025. Under the current rules, most undergraduate and taught postgraduate students cannot be accompanied by dependants. Exceptions apply only to:
- Doctoral or research-based postgraduate courses
- Students on government-sponsored programs or scholarships
Education Sponsor Compliance and Oversight
Transition to eVisas
Following the decommissioning of BRPs last year, UKVI has now also replaced vignettes and fully transitioned to eVisas for students. All student visa holders can now evidence their immigration status online by generating a share code. As part of their Right to Study checks, sponsors should continue checking and recording their students’ entry date to the UK to confirm that they arrived within the validity of their visa. This can be determined by obtaining proof of their entry, such as a boarding pass, luggage tag, or other travel documentation.
Proposed Strengthening of Sponsor Metrics
The May 2025 Immigration White Paper proposes enhanced compliance standards for Student sponsor licence holders, including:
- Enrolment rate threshold increased to 95%
- Course completion rate threshold increased to 90%
- Tighter visa refusal tolerances and interventions for sponsors who are close to failing their metrics
- Introduction of a Red-Amber-Green rating system for increased transparency regarding the sponsors’ BCA performance
- Requirement for all sponsors that use agents for overseas student recruitment to sign up to the Agent Quality Framework
At the time of writing, these measures are proposals rather than binding Immigration Rules, but they signal an increased regulatory burden on education providers. Institutions should anticipate stricter audits, data monitoring, and potential licence enforcement action as these proposals are incorporated into formal guidance or rule changes.
Proposed Student Levy
The government is introducing a new levy on higher education providers’ income from international students, of £925 per student per year of study, taking effect from August 1, 2028. All providers will be given an allowance of 220 international students per year, for whom they will not be required to pay the charge. The income raised by the levy is intended to be fully reinvested into higher education and skills, including to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged students studying priority courses. This was initially introduced in the White Paper, but further clarifications were set out in the Budget 2025. It was announced in the budget that the rate will be kept under review, with future decisions on deployment of the proceeds set out at the next spending review.
Reform of Post Study Pathways
Reduction of Graduate Route Duration
One of the most significant reforms announced in 2025 is the reduction of the Graduate Route duration:
- Non-PhD graduates: Reduced from 2 years to 18 months
- PhD graduates: Retain a 3-year Graduate Route period
The amended duration applies to applications made on or after 1 January 2027 although rule changes were introduced in October 2025.
While not immediately applicable to 2025 graduates, the change materially affects student recruitment, long-term migration, and retention of global talent in the labor market. The government anticipates leveraging competitiveness in the labor market by expanding the High Potential Individual route, granting unsponsored permission for a 2-year period to graduates from the world’s top 100 universities.
Raised English Language Requirements
Statements of Changes published in October 2025 introduced higher English language requirements across several immigration routes that students commonly transition into, including Skilled Worker and High Potential Individual routes.
- Minimum English language level raised to B2 (upper-intermediate)
- Effective from January 2026
Education providers must consider alignment between course outcomes and immigration language thresholds to support student progression into work routes.
Student to Innovator Founder Route
From late November 2025, students completing UK courses can switch into the Innovator Founder visa, following the suspension of the Start-up route. This pathway allows eligible graduates to establish businesses in the UK, subject to endorsement and other requirements. While narrower than the former Start up route, this provides an entrepreneurial option for graduates who are not interested in traditional sponsored employment.
Summary
The 2025 immigration changes affecting the education sector have tightened the UK’s migration framework. While the Student route remains open, higher financial thresholds, reduced post-study work opportunities, and increasing sponsor compliance obligations significantly reshape the risk and planning landscape for education providers and students alike. Institutions should proactively review recruitment strategies, sponsor compliance systems, and student advisory frameworks in light of these developments.
Please note that this is general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. For advice tailored to your institution or personal circumstances, please contact our dedicated Education Immigration Team who will be pleased to assist: [email protected].
Sources:
- Home Office, Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 1333 (14 October 2025)
- Home Office, Explanatory Memorandum to HC 1333 (October 2025)
- UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), Student Immigration Rule Updates (2025)
- Home Office, Restoring Control over the Immigration System – Immigration White Paper (May 2025)
- UK Parliament House of Commons Library, Immigration Policy Briefings (2025)
- HM Treasury – Policy Paper Budget 2025
