This change was written into the UK government’s spending review and autumn statement released on Wednesday 25 November.

“Only research degrees are for duration longer than one year”

However, education agencies speaking with The PIE News have indicated the change is only of limited significance.

Ravi Singh, managing director of Global Reach, an overseas education consulting company in India, said that the new measure “will not be of much assistance”.

“Most of the postgraduate degrees offered by UK are of one year of less,” he said. “Only research degrees are for duration longer than one year.”

Meanwhile, Natasha Chopra, managing director of global education company, The Chopras, said this new measure would be a “welcome gesture” and “will have some impact on the student numbers”.

But, she added, “The UK also needs to break the psychological barrier where students do not feel welcomed or feel that they are not going to [realise the value] on the investment that they have made in their education.”

Singh underlined: “If the desire is for UK to be able to compete with US, Canada and Australia; then UK needs to re-introduce post-study work for graduating students generally.”

The autumn statement acknowledged that the UK is trying to remain competitive in international education.

“The government is committed to strong growth in students from outside the EU, supporting the £30 billion education exports ambition,” it said.

“To ensure universities can continue to compete with the US, Australia and Canada for top international students, dependants of postgraduates on courses lasting more than a year will be welcome to come and work,” said the statement, adding that current English language requirements will be maintained.

In other reforms impacting students, Osborne also announced that loans will be extended to postgraduate students and part-time students too, with 250,000 expected to benefit.

Although this will widen participation for UK and EU students, a previous report into student loan repayment did reveal alarming rates of repayment, with almost half of EU students who accessed a loan to study in the UK in arrears or with no earnings information.