Tougher rules in place

Updated on: Monday, February 22, 2010

Britain has always welcomed foreign students to its shores. Education also lies at the heart of the relationship between Britain and India. In 2007 the UK issued over 21,000 student visas to Indians and it certainly wants to see that number rise but as Home Secretary Alan Johnson said, “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.” India ranks second only to China in the list of countries with the most number of students in British institutions.

Now in a bid to control the number of students working illegally, the British government is putting in place a new points-based test where applicants (applying to become permanent residents as well) will have to also demonstrate that they can speak good English. Apart from this, foreign students from India and other countries outside the European region who want to study in the UK will have to sit for a stricter English-language test and will be banned from bringing over dependents if they are studying short courses. Johnson said the rules which will be in force with immediate effect, will also restrict the number of hours foreign students can work in Britain from the current 20 hours a week. The English language test will be upgraded from the current beginners’ English to the intermediate level, the equivalent of a British GCSE foreign language qualification.

The government has decided not to implement a proposal to have students furnish a fixed bond — a returnable deposit — saying it is unworkable. Johnson says the new rules are aimed at stopping ‘bogus students’ who have been abusing the student visa system.

In addition the government said that foreign students from outside Europe will be deported if they are found to be working illegally. “It will be even harder for bogus students, whose only aim is to work in the UK, to come into the country,” the Home Ministry said.

Tougher rules in place

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