07 December 2010

Tougher entrance criteria, limits on work and an end to students staying in the
UK to look for a job are just some of the changes proposed by Immigration Minist
er Damian Green today as part of a shake-up of the student visa system.
Launching a public consultation on the reform of Tier 4 of the points-based syst
em, the Home Office also revealed that 41 per cent of students coming through th
is route were studying courses below degree level.
Damian Green said:
'I believe attracting talented students from abroad is vital to the UK, but we m
ust be more selective about who can come here and how long they can stay.
'People imagine students to be those who come here for a few years to study at u
niversity and then go home - that is not always the case. Too many students comi
ng to study below degree level have been coming here to live and work, rather th
an studying. We need to stop this abuse.
'Today's proposals follow a major review of the system, and are aimed at a more
selective system and, crucially, reducing the numbers to meet our target of redu
cing net migration to sustainable levels.'
The consultation will run for 8 weeks, seeking views on a range of measures to r
educe the number of students that can come into the UK. Proposals include:
¦reducing the number of people coming to the UK to study below degree level;
¦introducing a tougher English language requirement;
¦ensuring that students wishing to extend their studies show evidence of academic
progression;
¦limiting students' entitlements to work and their ability to bring in dependants;
and
¦improving the accreditation process for education providers, alongside more rigor
ous inspections.
The government has committed to making changes across the immigration system to
achieve its overall aim of reducing net migration, in addition to the introducti
on of an annual limit on workers from outside Europe. The student route accounts
for two-thirds of migrants entering the UK each year, which is why it is a key
focus for reform.
Damian Green added:
'This government wants high-calibre students with the genuine desire to study to
come to our country to come for temporary periods, and then return home. We wan
t to hear views of our proposals from a wide range of people so that our reforms
meet this objective.'
The new proposals could see Tier 4 restricted to those studying largely degree-l
evel courses and to child students, unless the institution is a Highly Trusted s
ponsor. English language competence could become the key indicator of someone's
eligibility to complete a higher-level course, and all Tier 4 applicants will ha
ve to pass a secure English language test showing competence at intermediary lev
el B2 - a step up from the B1 currently required.
The drive to ensure that students return overseas after their course finishes wi
ll mean students will have to leave the UK and apply for a new visa to further t
heir studies, and show evidence of progression to a higher course. It will also
see the closure of the post-study route under Tier 1.
In addition, the government will look at ways to improve the inspection and accr
editation of the education sector, to ensure that the courses offered by private
institutions of further and higher education are of the highest quality.
You can download the consultation from the Consultations section of this website
. Please note that the original version fo the consultation paper contained an e
rror in the data quoted in paragraph 2.1, which has now been corrected.