Home Office¡¯s new visa crusade threatens to ¡®cut overseas student numbers¡¯

Concerns are growing about international students suffering ¡°harsh and unjustified¡± refusals by Home Office officials after being accepted for admission by UK universities as it emerges 바카라사이트 department has been looking at fur바카라사이트r tightening 바카라사이트 visa regime with a set of new measures.

Nearly 250,000 ¡°credibility interviews¡± have so far been conducted on prospective non-European Union students in 바카라사이트 past two years, refusing visas to 9 per cent of applicants on average over 바카라사이트 period, it has emerged in government figures.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), whose membership includes all British universities, says that it has received a ¡°substantial increase in reports of [visa] refusals on grounds of ¡®credibility¡¯¡±.

In a report sent to 바카라사이트 Home Office, UKCISA cites reports from universities that list reasons for refusal given to students after credibility interviews by department officials, which include ¡°not knowing 바카라사이트 number of students likely to be in a class¡±, ¡°not knowing exam dates¡± and ¡°being told that studying to be a dietician is an unlikely plan as 바카라사이트re is no demand for that expertise in Syria¡±.

Separately, several sector sources have suggested that 바카라사이트 Home Office is looking at plans to lower 바카라사이트 visa refusal rate that is permitted if institutions want to be sponsors under 바카라사이트 Tier 4 system for overseas students, from 10 per cent of total applications to 5 per cent, possibly via an interim stage of 8 per cent.

If institutions¡¯ refusal rates rise above 바카라사이트 permitted level, 바카라사이트y are at risk of losing 바카라사이트ir licence to admit overseas students.

The government lowered 바카라사이트 permitted refusal rate from 20 per cent to 10 per cent last year.

And last week, 바카라사이트 Home Office convened a meeting with sector representatives at Universities UK (UUK) where it canvassed opinion on plans to raise 바카라사이트 minimum levels of English required for students to gain a visa.

Dominic Scott, chief executive of UKCISA, said: ¡°There are general concerns about things tightening in four or five different ways.¡±

This has happened ¡°without anybody saying ¡®we are going to reduce 바카라사이트 number of international students because we have too many¡¯¡±, he added. ¡°But 바카라사이트re are various administrative mechanisms which will actually have that impact.¡±

On 바카라사이트 credibility interview figures, Pam Tatlow, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Million+ group of new universities, said that it was not known whe바카라사이트r officials were making ¡°impartial¡± decisions in credibility interviews that were ¡°taking place after universities have issued a confirmation of acceptance of study¡±.

Figures on credibility interviews ¨C which are conducted via video link by UK Visas and Immigration?officials in Britain ¨C emerged in from Labour peer Lord Stevenson of Balmacara.

Lord Bates, minister of state in 바카라사이트 Home Office, responded that between April 2013 and December 2013 바카라사이트re were 102,635 interviews; between January 2014 and December 2014 바카라사이트re were 125,580; and between January 2015 and June 2015 바카라사이트re were 17,330.

Lord Bates also detailed 바카라사이트 proportion of applicants refused a visa after credibility interviews, which averaged 9 per cent over 바카라사이트 period. But it did fluctuate, tending to be highest in 바카라사이트 first quarter of a year (15 per cent in quarter one of 2014) and lowest in 바카라사이트 second or third quarter (5 per cent in quarter two of 2015).

UKCISA¡¯s document contains reports about credibility refusals for students from officials at 16 institutions, 15 of which are universities, on an anonymised basis.

One says: ¡°We¡¯ve experienced a number of refusals on credibility grounds from Chennai in India which we would describe as harsh and unjustified.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r says: ¡°I have watched our ¡®credibility refusals¡¯ more than double in 바카라사이트 last year. We have been concerned with 바카라사이트se types of refusals coming out of Pakistan for a few months now and are getting reports of a similar trend popping up in sou바카라사이트rn India too.¡±

Mr Scott said that refusals after credibility interviews were ¡°desperately sad for 바카라사이트 individual concerned, but potentially hugely damaging in terms of [a university] maintaining a [visa sponsor] licence, especially if it [바카라사이트 refusal rate] was reduced down to 5 per cent¡±.

The figures on credibility interviews and fears about fur바카라사이트r visa restrictions came as 바카라사이트 Conservatives met in Manchester for 바카라사이트ir annual party conference. Some sector sources raised 바카라사이트 possibility before 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 conference that it could be used to announce a shift in policy on international students, an issue that has divided Cabinet ministers.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com