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The majority of international students are less likely to want to study in the UK after the government announced plans to restrict the graduate route, a new survey suggests.

Universities have warned that reducing the post-study work visa from two years to 18 months would harm the sector¡¯s ability to attract overseas students and further hurt finances.

A survey of more than 400 prospective international master¡¯s students from Keystone Education Group finds that just under half were already aware of the proposed changes.

When made aware of the proposals, 58 per cent of respondents say it would make them slightly (37 per cent) or much (21 per cent) less likely to want to study in the UK.

But Keystone said this response was less dramatic than in previous surveys. When similar questions were asked last year, in the midst of the the Migration Advisory Committee review of the visa, 43 per cent of respondents said they would be much less likely to study in the UK if the visa were cut to six months, and 30 per cent if it were cut to 12 months.

Mark Bennett, Keystone¡¯s vice-president of research and insight, said the overall picture was positive and that relative interest in the UK is substantially up on 2024.

¡°Student perception of policy can be as important as the policy itself. It isn¡¯t the case that international students in the UK will face stricter language requirements, pay higher fees or lose access to post-study work.

¡°But a misdirected reader might assume all these things, or worse, from a misunderstanding of these proposals.¡±

Separate data released by Studyportals could bring good news to UK universities worried about the impact of any restrictions to the graduate visa.

The platform found that the number of page views for degrees in the US has fallen by 50 per cent in just four months ¨C dropping to its lowest level since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between the start of January and the end of April, the US has lost 30 per cent of its market share ¨C with the UK and Australia set to benefit most from the drop-off.?

Commenting on the findings, Fanta Aw, executive director and chief executive of?Nafsa: Association of International Educators, said: ¡°International students and their families seek predictability and security when choosing which country to trust with their future.

¡°The US government¡¯s recent actions have naturally shaken their confidence in the United States. Government actions and policies have consequences.¡±

The data also shows that interest from US students in studying in Ireland spiked 63 per cent in the first quarter of the year.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com