UK's
Strict new rules for foreign students:
* crackdown on bogus students and
colleges
* and allows to stay two year after graduation- good news
London, Aug 01, 2008
Col. Harbhajan Singh-UK
The UK Border Agency, under Home Office's new IGS
scheme announced the tighter rules to the universities and colleges
giving admission to foreign student under the new points based
system.
- The colleges will have to prove they are genuine education
institutions. The new licensing system will start next year.
- A Licence will be privided by by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
UKBA will also inspect and get valid accreditation from BAC
- the British Accreditation Council, Accreditation UK, ASIC
- the Accreditation Service for International Colleges and Ofsted
- the Office for Standards in Education.
- Applicants will be fingerprinted and will need a biometric
identity card.
- It will allow students of any discipline that earned a degree
from a recognized UK educational institution to stay in the
United Kingdom for two year after graduation.
- The applicants will have enough points before they can apply
for a student visa. The student must score 30 points out of
40 points to get a student visa. UK entry clearance officers
will hold 10 points to check that that applicants have sufficient
funds and that their all papers are ok
- The universities and colleges will be expected to report students
who fail to enrol or who stop attending.
Liam Byrne, the Home Office borders and immigration minister
said, " The international students brought many benefits
to the UK as £2.5bn in tuition fees "
Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said: "I will not
tolerate the minority of individuals who seek to damage the quality
of our education system through bogus colleges.
Diana Warwick, the chief executive of Universities UK, said:
"Universities agree with the principles of the new system
and welcome the plan to link visas to specific institutions.
The crackdown on bogus colleges was started in 2004. There are
around 24,000 international student in UK (non-EU). After inspection
of 250 institutions out of 2000, 125 were rejected.
The foreign students spends about £17,000 a year for uition
fee and living costs. Under present rule, the student can work
two years after graducation. It means 60-70% cost can be recovered.
NRI
UK Beer King, Cobra CEO Karan Bilimoria
said, " I am grateful to the UK Government for this action.
It will build close relationship between UK and India and attract
even more Indian students to Britain."
About other Countries:
Ireland started Third Level Graduate Scheme and this scheme allows
non-EU/EEA graduates of Irish third-level educational institutions
to remain in Ireland for six months after graduation.
Australia has General Skilled Migration program, has tuned its
options for keeping on foreign students. A new -the Skilled -
Graduate (subclass 485) visa, allows foreign students who are
in Australia on a valid student visa to apply if they have met
a "two-year study requirement" with qualification closely
related to their "nominated occupation".
New Zealand, the students greatly aids the chances of being able
to stay in the country indefinitely by offering up to 85 bonus
points towards its Skilled Migrant Category for those who obtain
qualifications there.
Germany has toughest law to immigrate to in the European Union.
It has recently ammended its immigration law to allow students
to stay in the country after graduation and work in their field
of study.
