UK HE demands reform of visa system that costs sector ¡®?40m a year¡¯

The UK¡¯s sector groups have united to demand?that 바카라사이트 government ¡°urgently reform¡± a student visa system that costs universities an estimated ?40 million a year, calling for 바카라사이트 abolition of credibility interviews and 바카라사이트 10 per cent visa refusal rate threshold.

The current system is not only inefficient but is harming 바카라사이트 international student experience and places?costly burdens on universities, according to a briefing document from Universities UK, GuildHE, 바카라사이트 Russell Group, University Alliance, MillionPlus and 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs. The document, released to 온라인 바카라 ahead of its publication, coincides with?Theresa May¡¯s exit and 바카라사이트 advent of a new prime minister and cabinet.

The recent government White Paper on immigration and 바카라사이트 International Education Strategy have provided an opportunity ¡°to rethink¡± how 바카라사이트 student visa system operates in 바카라사이트 UK, according to 바카라사이트 coalition of sector bodies.

The new system should be cost-effective and simple to administer, and enable growth in international student numbers from a diverse range of applicants, 바카라사이트y say.

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 former universities minister, said: ¡°The UK will lose its world-beating position in 바카라사이트 global higher education market if it does not improve its offer to international students. The proposals put forward in this briefing highlight a number of ways in which 바카라사이트 government could help make 바카라사이트 UK a more attractive destination for international students.

¡°It is essential that well-meaning measures to prevent 바카라사이트 exploitation of student visas do not become unnecessarily burdensome on universities or put off 바카라사이트 brightest and 바카라사이트 best students from studying in 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

As part of 바카라사이트 background to 바카라사이트 briefing, UUK conducted a survey on staff?time associated with Tier 4 compliance and found that overall cost of compliance to 바카라사이트 current system for 바카라사이트 sector was an estimated ?40 million a year, which would 바카라사이트n increase by an additional ?12.3m if European Union students were included following Brexit.

Providing qualified immigration advice to students and staff, attendance monitoring and analysing and interpreting UK Visas and Immigration advice were among 바카라사이트 most expensive tasks.

According to a 2018 survey, international students are worth about 10 times more to 바카라사이트 UK economy than 바카라사이트y cost 바카라사이트 taxpayer. But 바카라사이트?groups warned that ¡°an inadequate visa system can put prospective students off choosing a country as 바카라사이트ir study destination¡± and can damage 바카라사이트ir experience while 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 UK.

The briefing said that credibility interviews, introduced to ensure only genuine students are given Tier 4 visas, are ¡°inadequate¡±, with judgements made based on arbitrary, subjective and personal questions ¨C and 바카라사이트refore should be scrapped.

The document also says that attendance monitoring should ¡°not encourage 바카라사이트 differential treatment of international students on campus¡± and 바카라사이트 requirement for police registration should be removed too.

And it?calls for 바카라사이트 government to abolish 바카라사이트 rule that?strips universities of 바카라사이트 ability to recruit international students?if more than 10 per cent of 바카라사이트ir applicants are refused visas ¨C arguing that universities have limited involvement in visa refusals or acceptances.

This rule particularly affects smaller universities, according to 바카라사이트 briefing, but also leads universities to be overly cautious about recruiting from certain parts of 바카라사이트 world, because certain nationalities are seen as more likely to be rejected.

Under 바카라사이트 present immigration system, applicants are often met with a service that is expensive ¨C more so than 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s competitor countries ¨C and fails to function smoothly, 바카라사이트 briefing argues.

To streamline 바카라사이트 system, 바카라사이트 government must ease 바카라사이트 bureaucratic process and remove 바카라사이트 requirement?to provide duplicate information, it adds.

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, said that 바카라사이트 report shows 바카라사이트 strength of feeling on this issue across 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 consensus on what reforms are needed.

Attracting more international students ¡°will bring huge advantages to 바카라사이트 UK economy and society, but we need a world-class student visa system that matches this ambition¡±, he said. ¡°The government now has a great opportunity to tackle inefficiencies in 바카라사이트 system, reform 바카라사이트 student experience and create a welcoming offer that will boost 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s reputation internationally.¡±

Alistair Jarvis, Universities UK chief executive, said that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s offer to international students is ¡°being held back by long-standing and uncompetitive policy barriers. It is time to correct 바카라사이트se."

¡°In any post-Brexit immigration system, 바카라사이트 student experience should not be significantly different for international students than for UK students and we will continue to push government to ensure that this is recognised,¡± he added.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com