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<p>International students are included in net migration statistics that are produced
by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). In line with the internationally
agreed UN definition, these statistics define a migrant as someone changing their
normal place of residence for more than a year. Students are therefore included in
the same way as other migrants. Other countries, such as the United States, Canada,
and Australia also include students in their net migration figures. Like other migrants,
students who stay for longer than 12 months have an impact on communities, infrastructure
and services while they are here, so it is right that they are included in the net
migration count. The ONS estimates that in the year ending March 2015 there was a
difference of 96,000 in the number of non-EU students coming to and leaving the UK.
Therefore student emigration, or the lack of it, is a key driver of overall net migration.</p><p>
</p><p>We have an excellent offer for international students, and as a result we remain
the second most popular destination in the world for international higher education
students. The latest figures show that visa applications sponsored by universities
were now 17% higher than they were in 2010, and the corresponding figure for Russell
Group universities was 33%.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Home Office publishes statistics
on entry clearance visa grants broken down by category in table vi_04 (Entry clearance
visas tables volume 4) within the ‘Immigration Statistics’ release, and in the Visas
topic. Data for numbers of entry clearance visas granted for study (Tier 4 & pre-PBS
equivalent) are separately identified. An example summary table from the Visas topic,
identifying data for students, is provided below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="6"><p><strong>Entry
clearance visas granted by reason (excluding visitor and transit visas)</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p>Year</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Total
issued </strong><strong>(1)</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Work</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Study</p></td><td
rowspan="2"><p>Student visitors (2)</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Family</p></td><td
rowspan="2"><p>Dependant joining or accompanying</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Other</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>YE June 2010</p></td><td><p>616,650</p></td><td><p>154,615</p></td><td><p>320,183</p></td><td><p>41,859</p></td><td><p>50,240</p></td><td><p>15,407</p></td><td><p>34,346</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>YE June 2011</p></td><td><p>616,413</p></td><td><p>158,261</p></td><td><p>304,568</p></td><td><p>55,082</p></td><td><p>49,263</p></td><td><p>15,001</p></td><td><p>34,238</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>YE June 2012</p></td><td><p>520,073</p></td><td><p>147,377</p></td><td><p>214,219</p></td><td><p>68,990</p></td><td><p>44,424</p></td><td><p>12,782</p></td><td><p>32,281</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>YE June 2013</p></td><td><p>501,608</p></td><td><p>144,503</p></td><td><p>204,410</p></td><td><p>72,473</p></td><td><p>33,710</p></td><td><p>11,649</p></td><td><p>34,863</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>YE June 2014</p></td><td><p>538,504</p></td><td><p>159,231</p></td><td><p>218,239</p></td><td><p>78,075</p></td><td><p>35,664</p></td><td><p>11,362</p></td><td><p>35,933</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>YE June 2015</p></td><td><p>538,663</p></td><td><p>168,544</p></td><td><p>216,769</p></td><td><p>64,181</p></td><td><p>35,245</p></td><td><p>10,930</p></td><td><p>42,994</p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>Change: latest year</p></td><td><p><strong>+159</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>+9,313</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-1,470</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-13,894</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-419</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-432</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>+7,061</strong></p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>Percentage change</p></td><td><p><strong>+0%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>+6%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-1%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-18%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-1%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>-4%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>+20%</strong></p></td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>[h4] </strong><strong>Table notes</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td
colspan="2"><p>(1) Excluding visitor and transit visas</p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="8" rowspan="3"><p>(2)
Student visitors are allowed to come to the UK for 6 months (or 11 months if they
will be studying an English Language course) and cannot extend their stay. For consistency
and comparability over time student visitor visas have been excluded from study-related
totals.</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p>A
copy of the latest release, “Immigration Statistics April to June 2015”, is available
from the Library of the House and the Home Office website: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release</a></p><p>
</p><p>Similarly the Office for National Statistics figures on international migration
to the UK (those changing their usual residence for 12 months or more) separately
identify those whose main reason for migration is to study. The ONS figures are published
as part of the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, and are available from the Library
of the House. The latest edition is available at <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/august-2015/stb-msqr-august-2015.html"
target="_blank">http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/august-2015/stb-msqr-august-2015.html</a></p><p>
</p><p> </p>
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