The UK immigration policies are constantly changing, shaped by economic factors, political priorities, and migration trends. There are five major changes that directly affect international students applying for study visas in 2026. Increased visa fees, higher maintenance requirements, restrictions on certain nationalities, the rollout of digital eVisas, and shorter post-study stays for most graduates are some of these developments.

The Home Office has recently announced an increase in immigration and nationality fees, effective from 9 April 2025. This change affects international students and visitors coming to the UK for long-term and short-term studies, as well as those seeking to stay in the UK after graduation. In addition, the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme will extend to European travellers starting from 2 April 2025. This blog outlines the new study visa fees and the ETA application process.

This news article outlines the latest changes to UK Student visa applications in 2024: 1) increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge from 6 February; 2) only students pursuing a postgraduate research degree can bring their dependants from 1 January; 3) there is no change to the Graduate visa.

International postgraduate taught students coming to the UK to study in the autumn of 2023, as well as those on research programmes such as PhD and postgraduate research courses, can still bring their immediate family members with them to the United Kingdom.