HCI Comments on the article - Crackdown on foreign student visas
The number of foreign students given visas is to be slashed as part of a crackdown on abuses of the system, it has been revealed.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson is bringing in tougher rules, including demanding that applicants be able to speak passable English and banning those enrolling for short courses from bringing dependants.
Tens of thousands fewer visas are expected to be granted as a result of the measures - although the Home Office refused to give any estimate.
The "points-based" system was introduced around a year ago, requiring students to secure 40 points to come to the UK. Applicants are given 30 for holding a course offer from a college or university, and 10 for proving they can pay the fees and support themselves while in the country.
However, there has been criticism that the arrangements have allowed terrorist suspects and other would-be immigrants to gain entry into Britain, and simply stay on despite their visas being temporary.
Mr Johnson said: "We created our points-based system so that we could respond quickly to changing circumstances when necessary to raise the bar students have to meet to come to the UK.
"We remain open to those foreign students who want to come to the UK for legitimate study - they remain welcome. But those who are not seriously interested in coming here to study but come primarily to work - they should be in no doubt that we will come down hard on those that flout the rules. I make no apologies for strengthening an already robust system."
The new rules will not require legislation, and are due to come into force imminently.
Would-be students from outside the EU will have to speak English to a level just below GCSE standard (treating English as a foreign language), rather than beginner level as at present.
In a bid to protect jobs for British youngsters, students taking "below degree level" courses will only be permitted to work for 10 hours a week, instead of the current 20.
HCI’s Comments
No reference was made in this article that an average international student pays at least 3 times more in tuition fees than any EU student which is currently estimated to contribute about £4B to the UK economy according to Rachel Williams and Jessica Shepherd. guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 14 October 2009.
There are a number of other countries who are already willing to accept these overseas students including the United States, Canada and Australia so the United Kingdom would actually be losing out.
The argument that jobs will be protected for UK youngsters, I believe is unfounded. The question is “How many of the youngsters are actually interested in the jobs that these foreign students are doing – Care work, cleaning, factory workers, etc. when they can sit at home and get paid by the Government.
Should the Government not be looking within their social system for solutions rather than blaming the foreign students who have come to gain knowledge and skills required to develop their countries and at the same time contribute to the UK society.
At what time, even before the introduction of the points based system does the Immigration Rules allow anyone to come to study in the UK when they are unable to speak English. I would advise the writer to please read the provisions of paragraph 57 of the old Immigration Rules to see if that requirement was not there.
We all agree that UK borders should be strengthened but not to blame the foreign students for just anything