More than 99,000 non-EU students visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years

More than 30,000 non-EU students a year have had their visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years, according to the figures obtained by BBC News show. Also it is revealed that 410 educational establishments had their licences to sponsor international students revoked in the same period.

The figures, released by the Home Office under Freedom of Information rules, show 99,635 students had their visas curtailed in the three years to the end of December 2015:

• 33,210 in 2013
• 34,210 in 2014
• 32,215 in 2015

Of the educational establishments that lost their licences, there were

• 199 in 2013
• 129 in 2014
• 72 in 2015

Some later had their licences reinstated - but, overall, the number of establishments holding them fell from 1,706 in 2013 to 1,405 by the end of last year.

According to official figures, 201,763 students applied for UK study visas last year.

These include:

• 166,366 at universities
• 15,982 in further education
• 2,930 in English language schools
• 13,675 in independent schools

According to an Office of National Statistics published in January, 192,000 international students arrived in the UK for long-term study in the year to June 2015 - down from a peak of 238,000 in 2010.

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2014, 2015, 2016 July onward
1. Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News Watch end of 2015 to 2016,February

2. An overview of the student immigration rules 2016 April onward (Download from UKCISA)

College fraud claim: Payments to a Cardiff campus and its students were suspended

A recruiter for West London Vocational Training College in Cardiff said they could cheat their way to receiving thousands of pounds, Recruiter, Kazi Shajahan offered to sell coursework needed for qualifications.

It prompted Education Minister Huw Lewis to suspend payments to West London Vocational Training College and to its Cardiff students.

The college, based on the city's Greyfriars Road, has nearly 100 IT and business students. Those on Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) can receive up to £17,000 a year in loans and grants, which will only be repaid when they earn more than £21,000 annually.

One of the journalists faked a GCSE certificate and applied for funding which was approved. Another potential student, who does not want to be identified, says Mr Shajahan offered him the chance to take part. "He was offering £10,000 student finance plus the grant," he claimed.

Also College principal Dr Manoj Kumar is revealed to have faked his Cambridge University PhD and teaching certificates

Courtesy: BBC Wales presenter Tim Rogers and the Week In Week Out team uncovered the allegations Week In Week Out is on BBC One Wales at 22:40 GMT on Tuesday, 1 December

Home office crack down on Visa fraud

An estimated 48,000 immigrants may have fraudulently obtained English language certificates despite being unable to speak English, the government has said, Of the 48,000 certificates, 29,000 were invalidand 19,000 were "questionable". said Immigration Minister James Brokenshire.

Glyndwr University has lost its ‘highly trusted’ sponsor status after the test scores of more than 230 students it sponsored were identified as being invalid, while the University of West London (UWL) and the University of Bedfordshire have been barred from sponsoring new international students pending further investigations to decide whether they will also be suspended.

Nearly 300 overseas students at the private London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) worked and paid tax last year, with one student working 60 hours a week for six months.

In an investigation, HMRC found that some of the students were earning £ 20 000 per year despite rules preventing them from working 20 hours per week during term time.

“London campuses are home to a high proportion of international students, and QAA has been in discussions with the Home Office over the best way to protect their interests.”

In a latest development, The QAA, The Higher education watch dog has written to 14 universities about their London operations

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is conducting an independent inquiry into higher education delivered via London branch campuses

Full list of universities included in the QAA inquiry:

Anglia Ruskin University
Bangor University
Coventry University
University of Cumbria
University of East Anglia
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glyndwr University
University of Liverpool
Loughborough University
Northumbria University
University of Sunderland
University of Ulster
University of Wales Trinity St David
University of South Wales


Full list of suspended colleges in 2014

Playing by rules, Work entitlement for private tier students

Home Office ‘looking into’ partnership between Glyndwr University and London School of Business and Finance
It is understood that the Home Office has been looking into the partnership between Glyndwr University and the London School of Business and Finance, although there is no suggestion that any rules have been broken.

The breakdown of the arrangement follows the end of a similar partnership that the LSBF had last year with London Metropolitan University.

Read more here

Money is driving force of rise in foreign students seeking UK degree

The number of international students coming to study in Britain has risen significantly in recent years. Holly Watt analyzes the trend
 

In autumn 2010, 298,110 students from outside the EU were in higher education courses. The number rose 6.2 per cent in one year, up from 280,760 in autumn 2009. That increase was largely driven by an influx from China and India.

In two years, the number of Chinese students rose by 43 per cent, with 67,325 in British higher education in 2010-11. The number of Indians rose by 14.7 per cent to 39,090.

The number from Saudi Arabia almost doubled to 10,270. The reason for the increase is alleged to be largely commercial.

At present, tuition fees for British students are capped at £9,000 a year. But UCL in London, for example, charges international students £14,000,... Read more here

Courtesy: The Telegraph

Applying to study in the UK

Applying to study in the UK is relatively easy and straightforward. Depending on your study level, there are different ways to apply - Through UCAS or directly to a UK institution. Entry requirements vary, but with the UK’s wide range of study options, you’re sure to find a course to suit your level.


The Important UCAS dates ahead

• 30 June – closing date for international students outside of the EEA.
• 20 July – if you sent your application by 30 June, UK institutions will send their decision to UCAS by this date.
• 27 July - if UCAS receive decisions from your UK institutions by 20 July, you need to reply to any offers by this date. If you don’t, UCAS will decline offers on your behalf.

Choosing a College

When checking on a college to undertake your studies you should check that they are genuine and fully accredited. It is important to check that they are not offering bogus qualifications. Some tips to help check these colleges out are shown below.

These are some of the warning signs which may indicate a diploma mill:

• It lacks accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, especially if it is accredited by an accreditation mill.
• Words denoting a legal status such as "licensed", "state authorized" or "state-approved" are misused to suggest an equivalence to accreditation.
• The address is a postal box or mail forwarding service.
• Promotional literature contains grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language, and sample diplomas.
• Degrees can be obtained within a few weeks or months from the time of enrollment, back-dating is possible.
• Faculty members hold advanced degrees from the institution itself or similar organizations.
• Academic credit is offered for life experience, and this features heavily in the selling points of the institution.
• Tuition and fees are paid on a degree basis rather than on a per-semester, per-quarter or per-course basis.
• Prospective students are encouraged to "enroll now" before tuition or fees are increased, or they qualify for a "fellowship", "scholarship" or "grant".
• It has no library.
• Doctoral theses and dissertations are not lodged with the Library of Congress or other national repository.
• The college’s website looks amateurish or unprofessionally made.

I found that the above info is very informative(Reference). Specifically when you choosing a course the following three points needs to be carefully analysed

When choosing a college/Institution a student must check the following

1. Has the institution offers accredited courses such as edexcel, BCS,......etc  or if it is a
    Foundation/Bridging Programme then whther it is validated by a reputed university for top up

2. Has the Institution is a Accredited College by BAC or ASIC provided the level is above level 3

    To Access the List of Accredited and Premier College Status of ASIC Click Here, For BAC list Click
    here

3. Most Importantly is it a Licensed provider/Sponsor - This information is updated by UKBA

Good Luck with your Studies - Analyzer