MAC Review of Graduate Route

14 May 2024

Commenting on the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)’s report on the operation of the Graduate Route, Chief Executive of the Russell Group Dr Tim Bradshaw said:

“The MAC’s thoughtful review is crystal clear: the Graduate Route should be retained in full, finding no evidence of widespread abuse.

“International students bring huge value to our university communities, offering global perspectives and important skills, and creating diverse learning environments. As the MAC recognises, they are also critical to the financial sustainability of our world-leading universities. Moreover, the Graduate route plays a crucial role in ensuring the UK is an attractive destination for global talent.

“We recognise concerns around the behaviour of some agents and we would support targeted measures to address this. However, the overall message from the MAC is that the Graduate Route is achieving its objectives as set out by the Government. We would therefore urge Ministers to end the uncertainty and confirm as soon as possible that the route will continue in its entirety.”

Find out more about the value of the Graduate Route for the UK in our briefing.

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