New rules for international student visas announced

The Home Secretary announced this week that international students from outside the EU who want to come to the UK to study will be faced with stricter entry criteria.

UK Visa application centre in Kuwait. Photo credit: Mink/Flickr

The new rules mean that students who are studying below degree level can only work a maximum of ten hours a week in the UK while their dependants cannot work at all.

The Home Office is implementing the new rule to crack down on suspected misuse of student visas. The government claims that an increasing number of people use the student visa system as a way to come to work rather than study in the UK.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said in a statement: “We want foreign students to come here to study, not to work illegally, and today we have set out necessary steps which will maintain the robustness of the system we introduced last year. I make no apologies for that.”

The new rules:

• A good level of English will be needed to come to the UK and study to improve English.
• A good standard of English will need to be shown in order to study any other course below degree level.
• Restricting the lowest-level courses (A levels and equivalent) to only the most trusted institutions.
• Halving the amount of time a student studying below first degree level or on a foundation degree course will be able to work, to just 10 hours during term time.
• A ban on bringing in dependants for anyone studying a course for less than six months.
• A ban on dependants of anyone studying a course lower than foundation or undergraduate degree level from working.
• A ban on foreign students studying below degree level if the course includes a work placement – unless that course is being provided by a university, college or training provider which has the status of ‘highly trusted sponsor’.
• The introduction of tougher criteria for defining which courses count as ‘highly trusted sponsors’ of foreign students.
• The group of ‘highly trusted sponsors’ will more than likely contain all publicly funded universities and colleges.

The Home Office has not confirmed reports that the changes include cutting down the number of visas that are issued. In 2008 to 2009 roughly 240,000 student visas were given out by the UK.

Are you be affected by these rule changes? How will work restrictions affect your ability to study here? Do you know anyone who has used a student visa to come here intending to work? Let us know, comment below.