Student fundraises for help as visa rules tighten for new academic year 

A student has started a GoFundMe to help raise funds to afford the £3,000 she needs to apply for a graduate visa. 

The Home Office has recently announced the shortening of Graduate visas from 2 years to 18 months, and that students this academic year must meet new finance requirements. 

The requirements mean international students must show that they have a certain level of funds to support themselves. 

Alisson Ponce has recently graduated from Man Met and is struggling to find the money to afford her graduate visa. 

Student visas in the UK can be costly for international students, who have to pay almost double the fees of home students while also abiding by strict visa rules. 

‘Coming here to Manchester feels like home’

Alisson is a Honduran-born American who spent many years moving around until finally finding home in Manchester four years ago, when she started her degree in digital marketing and communications. 

She thinks the visa process in the UK could be improved and pointed out that each international student faces their own unique challenges when it comes to applying for visas through the current system.

Speaking to NQ, she told of the struggles of being an international student in 2025: “When you are an international student, you can feel kind of left in a back burner.

“It is really hard for students to be able to stay in the UK. I think the economy and workplace would benefit from giving people more of an opportunity to continue their work here.” 

Alisson paid almost £17,000 per year to the university during her undergraduate degree, and was restricted to only working 20 hours a week because of her visa – a major struggle, as most of her income was spent on her rent and living costs. 

“There should be a lot more grants available for students, as there is not enough help,” she said. 

“Having all these restrictions makes it really hard for you to be here on a visa.”

The Home Office declined to comment to NQ staff on the impact of their recent changes to student visas.

Government changes to student visas 

The new rules for visas come into effect on January 1 2027, shortening the length of the current Graduate visa by six months. 

In a statement from the Home Office, they said they made the decision after recent data showed many Graduate visa holders had not transferred into graduate-level employment. 

The decision was made alongside new rules for international students to prove they have adequate funds to support themselves.

The May 2025 immigration white paper proposes making it harder for universities to obtain licences to sponsor student visas by forcing tougher compliance rules, which have yet to be outlined. 

Hope for the future

Since graduating this summer with a first class honours degree, Alisson hopes to use her Graduate visa to get a job in the media and events industry, with a dream of starting her own events company.

However, entering the job market is only possible if she can build up enough funds to apply for the Graduate visa. 

“My dream goal is that I want to work in the creative industry in any way that I could, [to help] amplify more marginalised groups,” Alisson said.  

“I have built up a life here in Manchester. I have my support system here, and so the idea that if I do not get a visa and have to pack up my life and leave after so long is quite terrifying.”