A Lithuanian bill would halve bachelor students’ work hours to 20 weekly, limit family reunification for master’s students, and create a government-approved university list, adding language tests for permit renewals and prompting tighter university screening.

(LITHUANIA) Lithuania is moving to sharply tighten its migration policy for international students, with lawmakers advancing a bill that would cut on-campus and off-campus work rights, restrict family reunification, and create a government-controlled list of universities allowed to admit foreign students. The draft, introduced by conservative leader Laurynas Kas?i?nas, cleared an initial vote with support from 85 MPs and no opposition, signaling strong momentum for passage in the coming weeks.

At the heart of the bill are work hour limitations. Foreign bachelor’s students would be capped at 20 hours per week, down from the current 40 hours, a shift meant to discourage people from using study status mainly to access the labor market. Lawmakers argue the tighter cap would push a clearer line between genuine study and full-time work and reduce abuse of residence permits tied to education.