If there is a lesson that international education stakeholders in the Big Four have learned in the past couple of years, it is that poor recruitment decisions made by a small segment of institutions or agents can profoundly affect the operations and stability of the entire sector.<\/p>\n
A case in point is Canada, where the recruitment activities of a small number of colleges and universities<\/a> led to blanket policies<\/a> that have negatively impacted hundreds of reputable institutions.<\/p>\n Fast forward to 2025, and the UK\u2019s higher education sector is finding itself vulnerable because of a small number of universities leveraging an exemption in a policy known informally as the Dependants Ban.<\/p>\n The ban and its exceptions<\/p>\n The Dependants Ban was introduced in January 2024, and it prevents most international students from bringing their family with them to the UK. The intent of the policy is to reduce non-skilled migration and asylum claimants.<\/p>\n The exceptions to the ban are students on scholarships, those enrolled in Master of Research programmes (MRes), and doctoral-level students. Those students\u2019 family members are permitted to come as accompanying dependants. The rationale is that students enrolling in these programmes tend to be especially focused on academics, research, and skills needed by the UK economy.<\/p>\n In contrast with MRes, most master\u2019s programmes are \u201ctaught,\u201d and along with undergraduate courses, they are affected by the Dependants Ban. Since the ban was enacted, taught master\u2019s programmes have experienced the most severe drop of all levels in terms of new international student enrolments. Meanwhile, MRes are the only level to have experienced growth. <\/p>\n BUILA, the organisation supporting the work of international higher education staff in the UK, reports<\/a> that of all international student searches on Keystone\u2019s findamasters.com and findaphd.com sites in January\u2013February 2025, nearly half (49%) were for MRes courses, up from 23% the previous year. Demand for MRes is now higher than for any other postgraduate category including taught MBAs and MScs.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJoin 37,000 subscribers\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tand stay up to date on International Recruitment\n\t\t<\/p>\n A surge in demand for MRes<\/p>\n Until recently, Master of Research programmes composed a very small portion of all postgraduate degrees offered in the UK. However, as the Dependants Ban has so adversely affected postgraduate taught programmes, some universities have developed more MRes capacity as a way of boosting international student revenues and retaining research funding and capabilities.<\/p>\n In 2023\/24 \u2013\u00a0the first academic year where data would have reflected the effect of the Dependants Ban on international student demand \u2013\u00a0 HESA data show that postgraduate taught courses enrolled -9.9% fewer new international students than the previous year, while MRes saw a +5.7% increase. The contrasting trends have since accelerated. UK institutions participating in the Office for Students (OfS) Higher Education Students Early Statistics (Heses)\u00a0survey in mid-2024 reported -17% fewer new international enrolments for the 2024\/25 academic year<\/a> at the postgraduate taught level compared to a +22% increase in new MRes enrolments. <\/p>\n The government investigates<\/p>\n The government is aware of the activity around MRes. Times Higher Education<\/a> reports that \u201cthe Home Office is considering changing this rule to crack down on apparent abuse\u00a0by some universities\u201d and that \u201cthere are fears within the sector\u201d that those universities\u2019 actions may drive the government to include MRes students in the overall Dependants Ban. <\/p>\n The main focus is on roughly two dozen universities \u2013 and\/or agents recruiting for them \u2013 that are allegedly promoting MRes abroad as a route through which students can bring their families with them to the UK, obtain free education for their children, and gain access to three years in the post-study Graduate Route work programme rather than two years or taught master\u2019s. (Editor\u2019s Note: the Graduate Route will be shortened to 18 months for undergraduate and taught master\u2019s students in 2027.)<\/p>\n In December 2024, Enroly<\/a> application and deposits data showed a\u00a045% year-over-year increase\u00a0in international students choosing MRes. <\/p>\n Sectoral leaders sound the alarm<\/p>\n Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor and principal of the\u00a0University of Birmingham,\u00a0spoke at the annual Universities UK International Higher Education Forum<\/a> and said: <\/p>\n \u201cThere are universities in this country where you do one year effectively unsupervised which are branded as MRes degrees but the reason they exist is they give you access to dependant visas. There is no way that is anything other than an intent to grow a market within the intent of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n The peak body for the sector, Universities UK, has cautioned its members to avoid increasing MRes enrolments any further. Its president, Malcolm Press, warned that the issue has\u00a0\u201cthe potential to undermine the sector\u2019s position as a trusted and responsible partner in the UK\u2019s immigration system.\u201d <\/p>\n The UK\u2019s international education champion, Sir Steve Smith, called for the sector to act collectively if it wants to avoid a policy crackdown. Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, concurred: \u201cIt’s in the interests of universities, students and the public to tackle any fraud and abuse of the visa system.\u201d <\/p>\n Highlighting the extent of worry in the sector, at least one major UK university is said to have closed all Master of Research (MRes) courses for September 2025 intake<\/a>, asking \u201cagent partners to immediately scale back and cap MRes enrolments to just 25% of their total CAS usage.\u201d In such an event, agents have to pivot immediately and often with negative impacts on their business and the students for whom they have obtained university offers.<\/p>\n Protecting research talent<\/p>\n Mr Bradshaw also noted what is at stake not only for the sector, but also for the country:
\u201cMRes are long-standing programmes critical to the long-term [research and development]\u00a0workforce pipeline. We want to see the government maintain a supportive visa system that continues to welcome global talent.\u201d<\/p>\n