Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of home-fee eligibility rules on young people who entered the UK lawfully as dependants of work visa holders before the age of 18.

Generally, to qualify for automatic home fee status in England, a person must have settled status and three years ordinary residence in UK. The department recognises that some young people who entered the UK lawfully as dependants of work visa holders may have lived in the UK for a significant period before entering higher education but may not yet have acquired settled status.

The government, therefore, introduced a long-residence category to enable young people with a substantial connection to the UK to qualify for home fee status, despite not being settled, subject to meeting certain residency requirements.

Dependants of work visa holders may qualify for home fee status where they meet the relevant eligibility requirements.