Return of Two year Post-Study Work Visa - 2020

Post study work visa 2020

Last year the UK Government announced the return of two year post-study work visas. 

The new immigration route will allow eligible students at higher education providers, studying any subject, to work for two years after completing their course. From information published so far, we understand that there will be no cap on the number of students who will be able to apply under this route. 

The UK Home Office has confirmed that international students will remain eligible for post-study work rights upon graduation if they begin or continue their studies online in the 2020/21 academic year.

The Home Office has announced key features of the route:

• It will be open to international students who have successfully completed a course of study at undergraduate (RQF 6) level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, and who have a valid and extant student visa at the time of application;

• The application process will be simple. There will be an application fee and applicants will pay the Immigration Health Surcharge;

• Applicants will be subject to identity, criminality and security checks;

• The leave period granted will be two years and will be non-extendable. Settlement rights will not be accrued;

• Individuals will be able to work, or look for work in any sector, at any level;

• Individuals will be able to switch into the skilled work route if they meet the requirements.
   

Successful students will then (as of 2020) be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after they graduate. During this time, they can job-hunt and work in the UK. Once the two-year period has finished, they can switch to another visa category, such as a Tier 2 Work Visa, or a Spouse Visa.

Reference  - UK Home Office 

UK student Visa and Immigration updates in relation to EU & non EU International Students in UK - 2017

The Home Office released a statement of changes to the immigration rules on the 3 November 2016. The main changes affecting students will affect applications made on or after the 24 November 2016

Today, we will reflect on Trends and Observations for year 2017 – below we will try to outline UK student Visa and Immigration updates in relation to EU & non EU International Students in UK

Last Month, UKCISA voiced on International Student matters in relation to UK Immigration policy at Home Affairs committee's Immigration Inquiry

Below is a submission made by UKCISA to Home Office Committee’s Immigration Inquiry? - We shall outline few major observations from the submission

“Impact of current (Immigration) policy”

• The cumulative effect, however, of government rhetoric, policies to create a ‘hostile environment’, hugely complex and restrictive rules and a disproportionately harsh inspection and compliance regime - even for globally recognised and respected universities – together with the abolition of Post-Study Work - has been, for the majority of institutions, a significant downturn in international student numbers.
• Of particular concern have been the so-called ‘credibility interviews’ which undermine the objectivity and transparency of the decision making process and which have led some institutions – fearing the revocation of their licence if the visa refusal limit is breached – to restrict or end entirely making offers to any students in particular countries (such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria) – details available.
• Numbers going to private colleges have been decimated, those to publicly funded Further Education colleges reduced by over 50% and the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) returns show that overall numbers coming to UK universities are no longer increasing and that first year arrivals are now on the decrease.
• The HESA statistics also show that over the last 5 years the downturn and impact on certain local communities (which arguably might need investment and jobs most) has been particularly severe with non-EU student numbers decreasing in Bedfordshire by 66%, Teesside by 65%, Staffordshire 52%, Bradford 45%, Hull by 40%, Wolverhampton 37%.
• Whilst ministers say that applications to Russell Group universities have been on the rise (which is true) this is not the case for the vast majority of institutions and many believe that a change in policy on non-EU/Tier 4 students is now essential.
   
• This is now urgently required as a January 2017 report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) suggests that any further ‘crackdown’ by the Home Office – as suggested by the Secretary of State’s speech in October 2016 – could lead to additional lost income of £2bn per year.
• The final concern is that many believe that without access to loans and being subject to higher fees the number of EU students coming to the UK may significantly decrease in the future.

Amid this,The home secretary, Amber Rudd, pledged a crackdown on international student numbers at the Conservative party conference in October,last year, to include tougher visa rules for “lower quality” universities and courses. But senior university sources are warning that the cutbacks could be far more severe than expected. They say they have seen Home Office plans that model slashing overseas student numbers, with one option to cut the current 300,000 to 170,000 a year.

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)

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News Watch end of 2015 to 2016,February

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News watch on recent phenomenon in the UK Higher Education in respect to UK Visa matters for the prospect of International Students in UK

Towards the End of 2015 following following rules changed for international students specifically non EU students in UK - UK Student Visa- New Changes for International Students - 2015, November

The number of new entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from India fell by 63% between 2010/11 and 2013/14. At present it is estimated only around 2500 Indian students are perusing higher education in Scotland.. 

The placid hope for re introduction of Post study work (PSW) visa came to an end with the UK governments announcement of not to reintroducing the PSW visa for international students

Last Month, January, 2016,  Data published by London & Partners, the city’s official promotion organisation revealed that China remains the leading source of London’s international student population, with 13,460 students from the country residing in the UK’s capital and also showed Indians student numbers are rapidly falling down in London due to recent changes to UK student visa regulations.

Last week, February 2016, A student visa scam involving at least half a million pounds has been unearthed in west London where an unscrupulous immigration consultant have made money from international students by promising them a Tier 2 visa work visa after completion of their studies.

The much controversial Institution, LSBF which is owned by Global University Systems lost its Tier 4 licence again curtailing hundreds of student visas, Some 350 international students have been told they must leave the UK by the end of next month (March, 2016) - Curtailment letters issued by the Home office stated that “It is not considered that the circumstances in your case are such that discretion should be exercised in your favour,” “The secretary of state has therefore decided to curtail your leave to enter or remain.” Continued with standard refusal statements According to the Institution/LSBF, most of the students were either in the final year of an undergraduate degree or on one-year master's programmes

Today, 11th February,2016, Times Higher Education(THE) reported on the forced departure from the UK of a US PhD graduate, The author, Martin McQuillan , pro vice-chancellor for research at Kingston University. argues that Non-EU students are now being sacrificed as political pawns in his article in THE.

Note / Public domain information: Paul is a US citizen who was awarded a PhD by the University of Birmingham. He was well known as a participant in Kingston University’s Shakespeare Seminar and was working on postdoctoral applications to the Wellcome and the Leverhulme trusts to continue his research at Kingston. This was until he was arrested at his home address in Stratford-upon-Avon and detained at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire for 10 days, before being released to leave the UK of his own volition.

UK Student Visa - New Changes for International Students - 2015, November

On 12th November 2015 the following rules changed for international students


1.. Tier 4 (General) students studying at colleges (private or public) can no longer extend their stay in Tier 4 or switch into any other points-based route (Such as Tier 2 or Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)), unless they are studying at a college which UKVI classes as an “embedded college”. There is no change for students attending a university.

2. The length of time that a Tier 4 (General) student may spend studying further education courses (i.e. courses at National Qualifications Framework levels 3-5 and equivalents) will be reduced from three years to two.

3. All Tier 4 students who are extending their visa or applying for a new visa will need to show they have maintenance funds for the duration of their course or 9 months whichever is shorter. Previously if a student had been in the UK for 6 months or more (i.e. already studying) a reduced rate applied, as they were deemed to have “established presence.”

4. The area in which Tier 4 students have to demonstrate a higher ‘London’ level of funds is being expanded to include the University of London or institutions wholly or partly within the area comprising the City of London and the Former Metropolitan Police District.



Note:
Study UK (An association for independent providers of higher education, further education and professional training) estimates that over the next 3 years each institution would loss £210 000 rising to average loss of £337 000 by 2017

*About the survey: Study UK’s 135 members, of which 56 responded, 34 colleges said they would suffer “significant financial losses” over the next three years because of the changes.

All part-time work rights for non-EU students studying at publicly funded colleges to be abolished

It is expected that the scrapping of work rights for non EU students will be enforced from August and the other changes to be implemented in Autumn,

The summary of changes

• Non-EU students at publicly funded colleges lose right to work for up to 10 hours a week, matching rule for those at privately funded colleges
• The length of further education visas will be reduced from three years to two.
• FE college students will not be able to stay and work in UK when they finish their course, unless they leave the country first (will be exempted if they are registered at an institution with a formal link to a university)

• Reference: written statement made by the Minister of State for Immigration

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2015 / 2014

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2015 / 2014

With the implementation of Immigration Act 2014, a New health surcharge is to be introduced from next month, further with the introduction of Immigration act 2014, the appeal rights in most cases will be replaced by a system of administrative review also landlords will be required to check the immigration status of prospective tenants (ie students)

Below is a summary of new student visa rules / changes (2014/ 2015), new changes to Immigration Act 2014 and other reviews

Introduction of the Immigration Health Charge –From 6th April, 2015 
For all immigration applications made on or after the 6 April 2015.

The immigration health surcharge will cost:

• £150 for students and their dependants 
• £200 for other applicants e.g. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur), Tier 2 and Tier 5 Youth Mobility 

The sum is an annual amount and you will be charged the annual amount for each year of the maximum period of leave at the point you apply for your visa. For example, an undergraduate student will pay an extra £450 at the time of their student visa application to UK. This additional charge is mandatory failure to pay can lead to your visa being refused.

The following groups are exempt:

• Entry clearance applications for 6 months or less; 
• Visitor visa applications (except the extended Student Visitor route) 
• Nationals of Australia and New Zealand, and British Overseas Territories Citizens who are resident in the Falkland Islands.

For futher details

No more Appeals - Appeals replaced with Administrative Review
For Tier 4 applications made on or after 20 October 2014, the Appeals process for refusals has been replaced by Administrative Review (AR). An AR is when the Home Office reviews the decision-making process made by the caseworker when considering the application. It is not a legal process handled by the Immigration Tribunal

Administrative review requires a payment of £80 for a single decision, or a decision on applications by a main applicant and dependants. It must be refunded if the outcome of the administrative review is that the decision is withdrawn.

More detail on administrative review could be found here

Increase in visa application fees from April 2015 

• The new fees will be as below: 
• Tier 4 (General) application outside the UK - £322 
• Tier 4 (General) standard application in Country (in UK) - £439 
• Tier 4 (General) premium application - £839 
• Student Visitor - £85 
• Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) in the UK - £456 
• Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) outside the UK - £335

New Visa Issue Procedure (Out of Country Applications)
The UK Government is changing the way that it issues permission for people to come to the UK (UK Student Visa) from abroad for more than six months.

When you apply for your Tier 4 visa, you will be granted with an endorsement in your passport (vignette or sticker inside your passport) which is your visa to enter the UK. If your visa is granted for a period of 6 months or more, you will only be given a 30-day visa in your passport as a leave to enter the UK. You must arrange to enter the UK within that 30 day period. Along with your visa and passport, you will also receive a written notification (or decision letter) informing you to collect a longer term visa from a designated Post Office branch once you have arrived in the UK. Your long term visa is called a biometric residence permit (BRP) and is in the form of a credit card sized card with a chip which will contain your biometric information.

Timetable for BRP roll-out

As this is a new procedure for UK visa applications made outside the UK, it is currently not compulsory for everyone to have a BRP. This new procedure will be introduced in stages and the estimated roll-out will affect UK visa applications made in the following countries as follows:

Phase 1 – 18 March 2015 - Pakistan

Phase 2 - Mid April 2015 (estimated, subject to the exact date legislation comes into force)

Armenia	Cambodia	Estonia	Iceland	Laos	Nepal
Bangladesh	China	Finland	India	Libya	Netherlands
Bhutan	Cyprus	Germany	Indonesia	Maldives
Burma	Denmark	Gibraltar	Italy	Malta

Phase 3 - 31 May 2015

Afghanistan	Bermuda	Falkland Islands	Malaysia	Philippines	Taiwan
Ascension Island	Brunei	Fiji	Mongolia	Qatar	Trinidad & Tobago
Australia	Canada	Guyana	New Zealand	St Helena	United Arab Emirates
Bahamas	Cayman Islands	Iran	Nigeria	St Lucia	USA
Bahrain	Dominican Republic	Jamaica	Oman	Singapore	Yemen
Barbados	Egypt	Japan	Papua New Guinea	South Korea

Phase 4 - 31 July 2015 - Rest of the world

Finally, a brief guide on how to apply for UK Student Visa
(The Requirements for Tier 4 General Student Entry Clearance: How to make your application)
Before making any type of application for immigration permission, you should read the appropriate current Tier 4 General policy guidance thoroughly.

• Obtain your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your University
• Check if you need an ATAS clearance certificate,  (ATAS clearance is required for some taught postgraduate and many science and technology related research subjects.)
• Obtain appropriate evidence to meet the maintenance/ funding requirements.
• Complete the relevant visa application form Online (Unless you are a national of Cuba or North Korea)
• If you wish to bring your family member(s) or partner with you as a Dependant, please remember to include them in your application. Please read the PBS Dependent Guidance on the additional maintenance requirements for Dependants.
• As a part of your Tier 4 visa application (UK Student Visa Application), you may be required to attend an interview with the UK Home Office /UK Embassy or High Commission

65 Colleges Licences Revoked, 600 Plus Students Removed or Detained

Last yearThe UK government revoked the licences of 54 plus private colleges, since then, according to Home Office sources more than 1,600 enforcement visits have been made and over 600 individuals have been served removal notices or detained in relation to curtailment of student visa matters

Amid upcoming elections the number one issue has become Immigration according to the recent opinion polls and pressure has flown down from political hierarchy to authorities such as UKVI to exercise more grip on Immigration, also additional measures has been introduced to crack down on bogus students which included recent measures such as mandatory landlord checks on tenants’ immigration status, which are currently being trialled in the West Midlands.

One of the trigger in this ongoing crack down is with fraud in English language testing system detected last year - now more than 33,725 invalid TOEIC test results have been reported by ETS Global to the Home Office, along with 22,694 questionable results – up from 19,000 and 29,000 respectively at the time of the original announcement and investigation.

Crack down on student visa scams is not unique to UK it is a common trend in many countries, in Australia the number of student visas cancelled by the Australian government has more than tripled in the last two years (according to The Australian that student visa cancellations more than doubled from 1,978 in 2012 to 4,940 in 2013, rising again to 7,061 in the last financial year) as instances of falsified test results and/or financial documents have soared, we reckon this trend is not only purely on irregularities on student front and private tier institutions but also stems largely from the popular dis comfort of Immigrants in the wider society thus has become a political issue

We at UKEducationForAll.com kindly urge that all Sponsors who take students from institutions whose licences have been revoked will need to undertake their normal compliance checks and there is no reason in principle why they should not accept such students who have not, individually, been found to be at fault

List of suspended or revoked colleges 2015 ( Updated Frequently)

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

Net migration to UK drops to 163,000

Fall of 84,000 from previous year has been caused mainly by decline in overseas students coming to Britain
The detailed ONS figures show that the fall has been concentrated in a decline in overseas students coming to Britain, down from 239,000 in the year to June 2011 to 197,000 in the year to June 2012.
The detailed Home Office figures show the biggest drops were in overseas study visas for places at English language schools which were down 69%, at further education colleges, which were down 62%, and at public schools – down 14%. Study visas for university places rose by 3%.

Read more here

Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II

Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II

Consultant Editor - Fahmida Khan 

The new rules that were enforced on the 6th of April 2012 has led to the closure of the PSW route to all new applicants. In the light of this new change this article focuses on the options and alternatives available for new and qualified graduates.

The current immigration rules has outlined the below as potential routes to extend the current leave to remain:

• Tier 4 student 
• Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur 
• Tier 1 Entrepreneur 
• Tier 1 Investor 
• Tier 2 

A graduate who has either just graduated or is under the PSW route could opt to extend their stay as a Tier 4 student provided a valid CAS and sufficient maintenance funds are available to satisfy the points requirements. However careful consideration and attention has to be given to the changes in the new policy guidance that place limitations on the type of course, length of study, continuity of studies, work restrictions, type of the education provider, and bringing dependents - if opting for this route.

The other more favorable route for fresh graduates would be to switch to the Tier 1 route of Graduate Entrepreneur. This is a new category that is intended to retain graduates identified by UK higher education institutions as having developed world class innovative ideas or entrepreneurial skills, to extend their stay in the UK after graduation to establish or more businesses in the UK. This is not applicable for PSW holders or other graduates outside the UK. There is a limit of 1000 places per annum for this category.

The main conditions that need to be fulfilled for this category is to obtain 95 points based on: 

• Letter of endorsement from a higher education institution that has been approved by the UK Border Agency for the purposes of endorsing the application under this route. The endorsement letter should confirm that the candidate has been assessed and the business idea and that the business they pursue is genuine, credible and innovative, and are willing to spend the majority of the working time on developing business ventures. The letter could be used as part of the application within 3 months of the date of issue. 75 points will be awarded for this.
  
• 10 points each will be awarded for English language and satisfactory maintenance funds – please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information. 

Tier 1 Entrepreneur 

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) is for non-European migrants who want to invest in the UK by setting up or taking over, and being actively involved in the running of, a business or businesses here.

You must score a total of 95 points and meet all the other requirements below:

• Access to investment funds : 25 points 
• not less than £200,000 OR 
• not less than £50,000 if it is from a UK venture capital firm or entrepreneurial seed firm OR 
• not less than £50,000 if applying for leave to remain and have, or were last granted, leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate entrepreneur) migrant. 
• not less than £50,000 if are applying for leave to remain and have, or were last granted, leave as a Tier 1 (Post-study work) migrant; and were registered with HM revenue and Customs as self-employed, or a registered director of a new or existing business no more than 3 months before your application; and are engaged in business activity, other than the work necessary to administer your business. 

• These funds are held in 1 or more regulated financial institutions - 25 points
• These funds are disposable (free to spend) in the UK - 25 points
• You can speak English to the required standard – 10 points 
• You have enough money to support yourself while you are in the UK -10 points 

Please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.

Tier 1 Investor 

The Tier 1 (Investor) category is for high-net-worth individuals who want to make a substantial financial investment in the UK.

To be able to apply, you must score 75 points by either

• having £1,000,000 or more of your own money for investment in the UK; OR 
• having £2,000,000 or more in personal assets, plus a loan of £1,000,000 or more for investment in the UK. 

Please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.


Please Note: 

• From the 20th of July 2012, all the regulations laid out in the policy guidance documents have been passed as a parliamentary act and therefore forms an integral part of the Immigration rules. Hence failure to satisfy all the specific requirements would lead to an automatic refusal of your visa application.
  
• Ensure that you are thorough with the policy guidance for the particular the points based route that you opt for. It is a daunting task and would be advisable to seek professional guidance if you are unable to come to terms with the policies and procedures.

All the Best!!

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London Metropolitan University Suspended

The UK Border Agency has revoked (withdrawn) London Metropolitan University's license to sponsor students from outside the European Union.

Well, What this means to you as an non EU student/ existing London Metropolitan University student or a new student who is planning to travel to the UK

If you are an existing London Metropolitan University student with a current, valid visa and on holiday outside the UK, then you can return to the UK. London Metropolitan University students who are already in the UK with a current, valid UK visa do not need to do anything immediately. More significant matter is if you are a new student who is planning to travel to the UK to start studying with London Metropolitan University then you should not travel.

London Metropolitan University's HTS status was suspended last month while the UK Border Agency (UKBA) examined alleged failings consequently it was revoked (withdrawn) yesterday, meaning thousands of its non EU students may face deportation and the university is stripped of its right to admit non EU students.


More on This Story

Why has London Metropolitan University been banned from accepting foreign students from outside of the European Union? An interesting analysis by BBC Home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani: London Met's foreign students

Students from London Metropolitan University launched a sit-in protest: video;

A blog entry at Guardian written by a lecturer at London Metropolitan University on University's license revocation and students English standards

Q&A on London Metropolitan University's visa licence suspension/revokation

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

Post Study Work Visa......What Next?

Post Study Work Visa....What Next ? There are only very few options left for the PSW Visa holders. Fahmida Khan, Consultant Editor, http://www.ukeducationforall.com/ writes



PSW Overview
The Tier 1 – Post Study Work route was intended to allow recent international or Non EU graduates from most established universities / listed bodies to stay and work in UK for maximum for two years. PSW visa allows them to work without any restrictions but it cannot be extended beyond two years. A post-study worker is expected to switch into any of the below points-based system:

• Tier 1 General
• Tier 2 General or
• Tier 4

Current Situation
As of April 2011 the Tier 1 General category has been closed for all applicants.
Click here to read the full article

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New Policy Update - Student Visa Process, Next set of changes from 4th July 2011.

The next set of changes to the Immigration Rules affecting Tier 4 - the student tier - of the points-based system has been laid in Parliament today. The changes will come into effect on 4 July 2011.

The aim of the revised Immigration Rules is to deliver a strong migration system which tackles immigration abuse, while allowing genuine students to study at genuine colleges.


From 4 July UKBA will:

• Restrict work entitlements to migrants studying at higher educational institutions (HEIs) and publicly funded further education colleges only;
• Restrict the sponsorship of dependants to those studying at postgraduate level at HEIs on courses lasting at least 12 months, and government-sponsored students on courses lasting at least 6 months;
• Require education providers to vouch that a new course represents genuine academic progression;
• Ensure that maintenance funds are genuinely available to the applicant, by introducing a declaration on the visa application form;
• Commit to publish a list of financial institutions, on the basis of experience, which do not verify financial statements in more than 50 per cent of a sample of cases;
• Introduce a streamlined application process for low-risk nationals applying to attend courses with Highly Trusted Sponsors;
• Extend the list of courses for which students must receive ATAS clearance;
• Restrict the ability to deliver accountancy courses accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to those sponsors accorded platinum or gold status by ACCA; and
• Clarify the position of overseas universities with campuses in the UK.

Click here for more...

New Policy Update - Student Visa Process

New Policy Update in Summery 

1. Raising the level of courses students can study, with only Highly Trusted Sponsors able to offer courses to adult students below degree level.
2. introducing a tougher English language requirement;(competence at intermediary level B2)
3. ensuring students wishing to extend their studies show evidence of academic progression;
4. limiting students' entitlements to work and their ability to bring in dependants; and
5. improving the accreditation process for education providers, alongside more rigorous inspections.

Further today's new policy drive is to ensure students return overseas after their course finishes will mean students will have to leave the UK and apply for a new visa to further their studies, and show evidence of progression to a higher course. It will also see the closure of the post-study route under Tier 1.

The consultation will run for 8 weeks until 31st January. This is shorter than a standard 12 week consultation so that the policy can be announced in advance of the next academic year.

Rushdy Razak,
Extract from UKBA, 7th Dec, 2010, 3.30PM(GMT)