International Students Petition UK Government Over Years Required For Indefinite Leave To Remain

International Students Petition UK Government Over Years Required For Indefinite Leave To Remain

Ghazali Ibrahim 

A group of international students in the United Kingdom has launched a petition, urging the UK government to reduce the number of years required for them to be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

The petition, which has garnered widespread attention with many residents and UK citizens signing, argues that the current policy, which mandates that students must live and work in the UK for a minimum of five years before applying for ILR, is unfair and burdensome for many international students.

The petition reads, “We believe people who have studied on at least a year long programme in the UK in the past 5 years and graduated, and have then worked for at least three years in the UK should be allowed to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) with their dependents.”

The petition highlights concerns that the long wait for permanent residency discourages talented individuals from staying in the UK after completing their studies.

Many students have expressed frustration over the lengthy process, claiming it undermines their contributions to the UK economy and society.

However, a suggestion of five years was made as against the already existing ten years service to the UK government, with the hope that the UK government approved it if the petition signing reach 100,000 signs.

“This is envisioned to retain highly skilled immigrants in the country, a valuable workforce, without burdening them with a 5-year sponsored visa route to obtain ILR. Completing a rigorous 1-year minimum course of study in the UK, paying the required fees and successfully completing the rigour of world-renowned British universities’ academic curriculum; and then working diligently as skilled workers for 3 years is in our view sufficient”, the petition concluded.

International students are vital to the UK’s education sector and contribute significantly to the economy through tuition fees, living expenses, and other financial inputs.