August 4 2008 - UK Student Visa system to change from next year

Source: BBC
Under new Home Office proposals, from next year, students coming to the UK from overseas will have to be sponsored by a college licensed by UK border agency.

Proposed changes are part of a general shake-up to the immigration system in the UK. Applicants will be required to have enough points before the can apply for a student visa. They will acquire 30 out of the 40 points required from being sponsored by a recognized college, the remaining points will come from having the correct documentation and proof of funds on application. Applicants will be fingerprinted and will need a biometric identity card.

Further proposed changes include extending the post-study working visa, that allows students to remain in the UK after graduating and seek employment, from one year to two.

The changes come as a result of the current system, introduced in 2004 being ineffective at reducing the number of ‘bogus colleges’. In January it emerged that 256 of the 2,000 institutions on the current education register had been inspected since 2005 and 124 of them, almost half, had been struck off.

Under the new system, all colleges and universities that want to recruit foreign students will need a license. To get a license, all education providers will need to show they are inspected or audited or hold valid accreditation with one of the bodies approved by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), including the BAC - the British Accreditation Council.

If you have further enquiries on immigration to the UK, NZ, Australia or the USA , please contact Ambler Collins and we will undertake a complimentary assessment of your eligibility. Email us at; info@amblercollins.com

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