| 22 March 2011
Tougher entrance criteria, limits on work entitlements and the
closure of the post-study work route are among the changes to the
student visa system announced today by Home Secretary Theresa May.
The announcement follows a major public consultation on reforming
Tier 4 of the points-based system, after a Home Office review revealed
widespread abuse. A sample of Tier 4 students studying at private
institutions revealed that 26 per cent of them could not be accounted
for.
The main changes are as follows:
• From April 2012, any institution wanting to sponsor students will
need to be classed as a Highly Trusted sponsor, and will need to become
accredited by a statutory education inspection body by the end of
2012. The current system does not require this, and has allowed too
many poor-quality colleges to become sponsors.
• Students coming to study
at degree level will need to speak English at an 'upper intermediate'
(B2) level, rather than the current 'lower intermediate' (B1) requirement.
• UK Border Agency staff
will be able to refuse entry to students who cannot speak English
without an interpreter, and who therefore clearly do not meet the
minimum standard.
• Students at universities
and publicly funded further education colleges will retain their
current work rights, but all other students will have no right to
work. We will place restrictions on work placements in courses outside
universities.
• Only postgraduate students
at universities and government-sponsored students will be able to
bring their dependants. At the moment, all students on longer courses
can bring their dependants.
• We will limit the overall
time that can be spent on a student visa to 3 years at lower levels
(as it is now) and 5 years at higher levels. At present, there is
no time limit for study at or above degree level.
•We will close the Tier
1 (Post-study work) route, which allows students 2 years to seek
employment after their course ends. Only graduates who have an offer
of a skilled job from a sponsoring employer under Tier 2 of the
points-based system will be able to stay to work.
The government has also pledged to develop a new entrepreneur
route for bright and innovative students who have a business idea
and want to make it work in the UK. The Home Secretary said:
'International students not only make a vital contribution to the
UK economy but they also help make our education system one of the
best in the world.
'But it has become very apparent that the old student visa regime
failed to control immigration and failed to protect legitimate students
from poor-quality colleges.
'The changes I am announcing today re-focus the student route
as a temporary one, available to only the brightest and best. The
new system is designed to ensure students come for a limited period,
to study, not work, and make a positive contribution while they
are here. 'My aim is not to stop genuine students coming here -
it is to eliminate abuse within the system. Our stricter accreditation
process will see only first-class education providers given licences
to sponsor students.
'I am delighted to announce that, alongside our stricter rules,
we will ensure that innovative student entrepreneurs who are creating
wealth are able to stay in the UK to pursue their ideas.'
The government has committed to reforming all routes of entry
to the UK in order to bring immigration levels under control. The
student changes will work alongside the annual limit on economic
migration, and reforms to family and settlement routes planned for
later this year.
You can find a summary of the new student policy under 'Related
documents' on the right side of this page. A statement of changes
to the Immigration Rules will be published on this website on 31
March. We will publish an impact assessment on the same day.
Source: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2011/march/54-student-visas
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