The Home Office has warned that it will not “hesitate to go further” on international student visa restrictions if there is evidence of abuse, as further details emerged showing surging enrolments for master’s by research (MRes) courses at some UK universities.

The number of international students enrolled on MRes courses at British universities almost tripled over two years after some institutions launched these programmes for the first time, coinciding with them being omitted from a government crackdown on dependant visas.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) data obtained by ̽����Ƶ show that there were 6,085 non-UK-domiciled students enrolled on MRes courses in the 2024-25 academic year – up from 2,485 in 2023-24, an increase of 135 per cent. 

The timing coincides with the 2024 introduction of a ban on international students bringing their family members with them to the UK, with only students on postgraduate research courses exempt. 

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In the years prior to the ban, the number of international students enrolled on these courses had been relatively steady. 

The surge was led by a small number of institutions that rapidly increased their international MRes figures.

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Universities with most non-UK-domiciled students enrolled on research-based master’s degrees

(Source: Hesa)

A spokesperson from the Home Office, which tightened restrictions on international student visas last year, said it “won’t hesitate to go further still if there is clear evidence of abuse”. 

According to the Hesa data, at the University of Gloucestershire there were five non-UK-domiciled MRes students in 2023-24 and 730 in 2024-25. 

The University of Greater Manchester, previously known as the University of Bolton, grew its intake from 50 to 915. 

The University of Wolverhampton grew from five to 770 in the same time, while the University of Lancashire grew from 140 to 850. 

Andrew Bird, pro vice-chancellor for recruitment, marketing and admissions at Wolverhampton, said: “All overseas enrolments have been carefully managed to ensure strict immigration compliance alongside academic integrity.

"The university saw a planned increase in international recruitment as part of its ambitious global strategy.”

A spokesperson for the University of Lancashire said its MRes students “work on research projects tackling contemporary health, business, and societal challenges, supported by expert supervisors and specialist facilities”.

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They added that the institution had never advertised the programmes on the basis of visa benefits “nor expanded them in response to immigration policy”. They also said that overall international student numbers at the institution had declined. 

Although Hesa records only go up to 2024-25, separate data obtained by ̽����Ƶ via freedom of information requests has previously that suggested some universities are continuing to expand these courses. 

The University of Hertfordshire launched a suite of Master of Research programmes in 2025-26, enrolling 581 international students in the first year.

These two-year courses include an MRes in digital management and an MRes in artificial intelligence in business. 

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The total cost of the digital management course for international students is £23,000, with 70 per cent payable in the first year. 

A Hertfordshire spokesperson said the university’s MRes courses are “academically rigorous, closely supervised and designed to prepare graduates for careers in commercial research and consultancy”.

They said these students represented 3 per cent of the university’s international student population. “We remain committed to responsible recruitment, high academic standards and the integrity of our programmes.”

Similarly, York St John University saw significant growth, rising from one MRes student in 2023-24 to 387 in 2025-26.

The minimum entry requirement for the institution’s business MRes course is a 2:2 honours degree in a related subject and the cost for international students is £11,800. 

Some sources questioned the rigour of the qualifications some universities are accepting for these courses.

In one case, an education agency in Nepal was seen to be advertising UK MRes courses, alleging that low academic qualifications would be accepted and that English language test scores would not be required.

It is unclear if the agency is formally associated with any university, but the structure of subagent networks means it may still be able to recruit students to UK universities without a formal partnership. 

In some cases, international students are exempt from English language test requirements if they already hold an undergraduate qualification from a UK institution. 

Institutions have previously said that international demand for these master’s courses has surged since the government imposed restrictions on dependents for students on other postgraduate courses.

Jenna Mittelmeier, senior lecturer in international education at the University of Manchester, warned against “framing international students as attempting to bypass rules” but instead said the higher education sector should “evaluate how our existing structures are increasingly designed to exploit [students’] money and desire to be with the people they love”. 

“The newest UK Visas and Immigration policy changes regarding dependants marks the UK as one of the only countries in the world to actively recruit international students while simultaneously expecting them to leave their families and those who depend on their care behind,” she continued.

“At the same time, the abysmal funding structure of English higher education places many institutions in a financially precarious condition, whereby quick wins are often unethically sought through international students’ uncapped tuition fees. 

“The large-scale MRes recruitment by a very small number of institutions speaks more to how the government is letting higher education down than how international students are finding loopholes.”

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helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com