Departures among those aged 20-29 reached 130,000-140,000 in June 2025, significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels of around 92,000-95,000 in 2018, indicating a clear shift towards earlier migration.
Sam, a 24-year-old from Odisha, sought to study abroad for better job prospects. After filling out forms, he received calls from education agents offering free services to help with university applications.
The UK Home Office said in a statement on Tuesday that an 'emergency brake' on visas has been imposed for the first time on nationals from four countries, following a surge in asylum claims by students on study visas. The Home Office said the number of asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had rocketed by more than 470 percent between 2021 and 2025.
More than 200 Sudanese postgraduates and undergraduates fear they will no longer be permitted to take up places at 46 universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, with some claiming that their lives have been torn apart by the home secretary's blunt intervention.
National Student Pride, a non-profit organisation created in 2005, said its income had reduced by about two-thirds in the last two years, "largely due to widespread cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) budgets" by sponsors. It said other sponsors had to be dropped after it introduced an "ethical sponsorship" policy last year, following some LGBTQ+ groups' protests against sponsors' links to Israel and the fossil fuel industry. In 2024, the event had 24 sponsors, this year there are only eight.
LGBTQ+ student event National Student Pride has announced this weekend's festival will be its final under its current form, due to corporates slashing their diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) budgets. Founded in 2005, National Student Pride is the UK's largest LGBTQ+ student event and during those two decades has welcomed thousands of students to its events, which were created to give LGBTQ+ students visibility, community, and access to inclusive employers.
Early in my career, I was going through a difficult chapter in work and life. Having moved down to London from Glasgow, I felt socially untethered, unsure of where I belonged. I yearned to feel part of a gang like I'd done back home, but I had no clue about how to find one. A bruising experience of redundancy hadn't helped matters.
The palace, rebuilt after a fire destroyed it in 1834, is falling apart. There have been 36 fire incidents since 2016. Water leaks, heating failures and sewerage problems plague the heart of this Unesco world heritage site. Fixing Westminster would save money in the long run. An upgrade is also a matter of safety and legacy.
As young people bear the brunt of a downturn in the jobs market, figures show a significant number are leaving the UK. Although statisticians caution against comparing annual figures after a recent change in methodology and stress younger people are traditionally more drawn to emigration, a net 111,000 people aged 16 to 34 emigrated from the UK in the year to March 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
One in three graduates who are out of work and claiming benefits say poor health is preventing them from finding employment, as new analysis highlights mounting concern over the value of some university degrees and the UK's approach to skills training. Research by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) shows that 707,000 graduates are now claiming benefits, a 46 per cent increase since 2019.
While everyone is subject to their individual situations, for many, the process begins with an F-1 student visa, which they hold as they complete a Ph.D. over five to six years. After graduation, they may choose to transition to Optional Practical Training (OPT), which provides a year of work authorization, with a two-year extension for STEM graduates. Some may then transition to a H-1B temporary work visa, which provides for three years of work authorization and is renewable for another three years.
