Kathmandu, Jan 3; In a bid to curb the escalating number of immigrants, Britain has implemented stringent visa rules, emphasizing the prevention of the misuse of student visas as a means to enter the country. The British Home Office released a statement highlighting the primary objective of tightening visa rules is to address concerns related to student visas being exploited as a backdoor entry method. The new regulations are anticipated to result in a yearly decrease of approximately 140,000 individuals entering the UK.

Reports indicate that the visa rules, introduced by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman in May of the previous year, specifically prohibit students from bringing any dependents with them. According to official data, the number of people visiting the UK has surged by over 930 percent since 2019.

Under the new rules, taking dependents by students is deemed an unreasonable practice. Nepali students heading to British universities from this month onward will no longer be permitted to bring their family members with them, with exemptions granted to those pursuing post-graduate research courses and government-funded scholarships.

The British Home Office stated, “This government is committed to reducing immigration. Our increased border controls and immigration measures aim to rapidly decrease the number of immigrants. The new system will be fully implemented within a year.”

The visa rules represent a key component of this broader objective, putting an end to the practice of foreign students bringing their family members to the UK. The Home Office anticipates a substantial reduction in the number of people arriving in the country as a result.

According to the British Office for National Statistics, more than 1.5 million visas were issued to dependents of students from the beginning of 2023 to September, surpassing the total from the beginning of 2019 to September. In the corresponding period in 2019, only 14,000 visas were issued.

UK Legal Immigration Minister Tom Persglove commented, “We are committed to reducing the number of immigrants. By prohibiting foreign students from bringing dependents and allowing only students, we are also sustaining the economy. This approach enables us to further enhance public facilities.”