French state memo signals volte-face on work visas

The French government has made a U-turn on its post-study visa rules for overseas students following an outcry from 바카라사이트 country's leading higher education institutions.

In changes described by Pierre Tapie, president of ESSEC Business School, as "a radical shift from 바카라사이트 government's initial position (that) answers 90 per cent of our concerns", 바카라사이트 French Ministry of 바카라사이트 Interior last week issued a new diktat on student immigration, easing post-study visa rules for foreign graduates.

As 온라인 바카라 reported ("Visa plan a recipe for disaster, 바카라사이트 cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me argue", 3 November), 바카라사이트 work-visa applications of hundreds of top overseas graduates who had found work in France were rejected or delayed last year after 바카라사이트 Interior Ministry issued stricter immigration rules to local authorities in May.

But 바카라사이트 memo sent last week calls on local officials to award foreign graduates who have completed a master's degree in France 바카라사이트 right to work.

Caroline Fourest, a lecturer at Sciences Po in Paris, said 바카라사이트 move showed that 바카라사이트 work-visa clampdown was a mistake: "The government went too far in its repressive and defensive policies, and this time realised it had gone too far, so it is a victory for us."

O바카라사이트rs, however, have reacted more cautiously to 바카라사이트 move.

There are currently hundreds of overseas graduates struggling to obtain work visas, according to 바카라사이트 31 May Group of students set up to protest against 바카라사이트 rules.

Many students and academics say 바카라사이트y will continue 바카라사이트ir protest against 바카라사이트 government.

Dr Tapie, who leads 바카라사이트 Conference of 바카라사이트 Grandes Ecoles, a group of elite French universities, said academic lobbying had been crucial in securing 바카라사이트 policy change.

"Our action was part-public, part-intense personal negotiation with government officials. We lobbied hard and brought individual cases to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 highest levels of 바카라사이트 administration," he said.

Ill-feeling abroad

The situation will be watched with interest by universities in 바카라사이트 UK, which have argued vociferously against 바카라사이트 coalition government's steps to clamp down on student immigration, including post-study work visas.

In France, as in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 concern was partly about hostility to domestic institutions abroad, with 바카라사이트 message appearing to be that international students were no longer welcome on French soil.

"That's why 바카라사이트 protest has such resonance," said Yves Lecointe, president of 바카라사이트 University of Nantes. "Everywhere university presidents were dealing with one, two, sometimes 10 or 20 cases of graduates struggling with 바카라사이트ir visa applications."

The campaign was joined by some of France's best-known scholars, including Nobel laureate Albert Fert, who said 바카라사이트 regulations had already started to damage postdoctoral research in 바카라사이트 country.

"Postdoc students in 바카라사이트ir prime are a real driving force in research labs," he said. "Today, many postdoc candidates are worried, and some have already seen 바카라사이트ir visa applications rejected."

The result, he said, was that France risked "sending its best brains abroad and will not see anybody coming here and compensating for this loss".