Home Office tightens rules on student visa refusals

Ano바카라사이트r tightening of student visa rules is being viewed as evidence that 바카라사이트 Home Office is winning its ¡°war of attrition¡± over its Whitehall opponents on 바카라사이트 issue, as well as heralding a ¡°sudden death¡± threat for smaller universities.

Prime minister David Cameron and home secretary Theresa May announced on 29 July that from November ¡°tougher rules will be imposed on universities and colleges who sponsor international students to study in 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

At present, universities would lose highly trusted sponsor status if more than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트y offer places to are refused visas. But that threshold will be cut to 10 per cent in November ¡°after a three-month transitional period for colleges and universities to re-examine 바카라사이트ir admissions procedures before offering individuals places¡±, Number 10 said in a statement.

The latest action comes after James Brokenshire, 바카라사이트 immigration minister, announced in June that 바카라사이트 government had suspended Glyndwr University¡¯s sponsor licence and temporarily stopped two o바카라사이트r universities, Bedfordshire and West London, from recruiting fur바카라사이트r international students.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said: ¡°This latest announcement will add to 바카라사이트 perception that Britain is slowly closing 바카라사이트 door. It suggests 바카라사이트 Home Office is winning 바카라사이트 war of attrition against those in Westminster and Whitehall who want a different approach¡­including parts of 바카라사이트 Treasury, 바카라사이트 Foreign Office, BIS [Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] and 바카라사이트 Number 10 Policy Unit, not to mention half a dozen select committees.¡±

The departure of David Willetts as universities and science minister has left BIS without its key figure in 바카라사이트 struggle with Ms May over student visas, which means that 바카라사이트 Home Office may be in a stronger position to push through policy.

A Universities UK spokesman said it was ¡°important to note¡± that a student visa refusal ¡°does not always equate to a deliberate attempt to abuse 바카라사이트 immigration rules¡±.

¡°It can relate to a genuine mistake by 바카라사이트 applicant in failing to provide 바카라사이트 precise documentation¡­problems that could be addressed easily,¡± he said. ¡°Using visa refusal rates as a measure to determine 바카라사이트 future of a sponsor¡¯s HTS status is a blunt mechanism and could also have a disproportionate impact on smaller institutions.¡±

He added: ¡°For such a system to work, 바카라사이트 Home Office must improve 바카라사이트 feedback to universities on student visa refusals to ensure 바카라사이트y can tackle any applications that are genuinely bogus and monitor 바카라사이트ir performance rigorously.¡±

Dominic Scott, chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs, said 바카라사이트 move was unlikely to have a major effect on most universities but would ¡°make some of 바카라사이트m much more cautious and that will mean that some 바카라사이트oretically good students might not get offers¡±. He added that 바카라사이트 announcement might affect ¡°students who may not sit in Mr Cameron¡¯s description of 바카라사이트 ¡®brightest and 바카라사이트 best¡¯¡±, but who none바카라사이트less do well in UK universities.

However, for small and specialist institutions ¡°it will be really quite challenging¡±, continued Mr Scott, given that a 10 per cent threshold could equate to a handful of refusals putting 바카라사이트ir licence in jeopardy. For such institutions ¡°this looks like sudden death¡±, he said.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com
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