Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Chalk Excerpts
Monday 6th February 2017

(7 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Johnson of Marylebone Portrait Joseph Johnson
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The UK has an excellent post-study work offer. Students can switch into a number of other visa routes to take up work after their studies. About 6,000 switched to a tier 2 skilled worker visa in 2015, and there is no cap on the number who may make that switch.

Alex Chalk Portrait Alex Chalk (Cheltenham) (Con)
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Higher education is one of the United Kingdom’s greatest exports, and the Government are promoting it brilliantly. Do the Government think that, as we move forward post-Brexit, we should look to take student numbers outside the immigration figures?

Lord Johnson of Marylebone Portrait Joseph Johnson
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The key thing is that, whether or not they are in those figures, there is no limit on the number of international students who can come here to study. The UK is the best place in the world to get a higher education, and we are delighted that, for the last six years, over 170,000 international students have come to study in the UK.