UK sees rise in international enrolments in research courses, warns of tougher student visa rules

The UK Home Office has said it will “won’t hesitate to go further still if there is clear evidence of abuse” after new data showed a sharp rise in international enrolments on Master of Research (MRes) courses, according to a report by Times Higher Education. As per the official figures, non-UK-domiciled students on these programmes rose from 2,485 in 2023-24 to 6,085 in 2024-25, a 135% increase, according to THE report. The rise followed a 2024 ban that stopped most international students from bringing family members, while exempting postgraduate research courses.