International student migration research
update: What do international students do
after their studies?      Office for National Statistics (ONS)

The conclusions and development plans for data analysis in this ONS paper are based upon two prevous publications.

Long-Term International Migration: International student migration – what do the statistics tell us? https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/longterminternationalmigration/internationalstudentmigrationwhatdothestatisticstellus

Update on international student migration statistics: November 2016
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/updateoninternationalstudentmigrationstatistics/november2016

Latest ONS provisional figures show that in the year ending September 2016:

a. long-term immigration to the UK was 596,000 and long-term emigration was 323,000        b. net migration was therefore 273,000
c. long-term immigration for study was 126,000 (87,000 were non-EU nationals)
d. long-term emigration for former students was 62,000 (41,000 were non-EU nationals)

The ONS comments therefore ‘...if all international students emigrated from the UK after their studies and immigration for study was remaining at similar levels, then we’d expect the immigration and emigration figures to be similar‘. There is therfore pressure to examine the statistical differences revealed.

This progressive analysis has revealed that, in the government domain, there exists no single data resource that can answer the question ‘…what do students do after their studies if so few are emigrating?‘

Statistics on changes in migrants’ visa and leave status: 2015/ The Migrant Journey offers some analysis and distinct points of reference for those interested in how students, post study, change there immigrant status. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statistics-on-changes-in-migrants-visa-and-leave-status-2015/statistics-on-changes-in-migrants-visa-and-leave-status-2015

For illustrative puposes only ONS have provided the following table, highighting some of the outcomes for students and indicating where absent data collection process may inhibit fuller analysis.

Download the core data for this paper as an Excel Spreadsheet file here.