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Calling Application for the Student Ambassador Programme

2024-09-30T02:41:00.000-07:00

About the Programme

The #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador programme is a leadership development and education policy initiative for international students studying in the UK. This programme, run by UKCISA, connects ambassadors to a network of emerging global leaders.

As part of the programme, international students use their unique experiences of studying in the UK to influence policies and help create a more inclusive and high-quality student community. Through first-hand insight, ambassadors contribute to shaping a world-class international student experience.

Ambassadors will gain essential policy knowledge and leadership skills, enabling them to advocate for positive change based on their experiences in the UK. By joining the #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador team, you will play an active role in ensuring the UK remains a top destination for international students.

Find out more about the current ambassadors, their achievements, and how the network operates here.

Ambassadors will participate in activities that focus on four key areas: Read more here.

How to Apply

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you must meet the following criteria. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted:

You must be 18 or older when applications close at 9:00 AM (UK time) on Monday, 28 October 2024.

You must be a current EU or international student at a UK education institution and will graduate in or after summer 2025.

Qualities and Experience

We are seeking driven and passionate individuals who want to make a significant impact on student representation and influence policy in the UK education sector. Ideal candidates should:

Clearly explain how they aim to enhance the international student experience in the UK through representation and policy advocacy.

Show a genuine interest in learning about education policy and how to influence change.

Be dedicated to building strong networks and contributing to the development of their institution, UKCISA, and the wider education sector.

Be willing to engage with UKCISA beyond the ambassador programme.

Likely be in the early or middle stages of study and have examples of leadership or student representation experience.

We especially encourage applications from students who:

Are studying in further education, foundation, or PhD courses.

Attend institutions in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

What are Student Representation and Policy Influence?

Student Representation: Ambassadors represent international students by actively participating in decision-making at their institution and within national policy discussions. They will gather feedback from peers, propose solutions, and collaborate with the education sector to drive improvements.

Influencing Policy: Ambassadors will engage in discussions, debates, and idea-sharing to advocate for changes in government and education policies.

For more insight, we recommend reviewing the #WeAreInternational Student Charter, which outlines how ambassadors can influence policy and represent student interests. The charter offers guidance on ensuring a world-class experience from pre-arrival to post-graduation.

The Application Process

There are four stages to becoming a #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador. Learn more here.

Important Update: Immigration Rule Changes for Students, Sept 2024

2024-09-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Home Office has issued a statement announcing changes to the UK Immigration Rules, published on 10 Sept 2024. These updates will be rolled out across late 2024 and early 2025, with specific effective dates detailed below.

We will be updating relevant sections of our website to reflect these changes shortly. Please note, that Home Office guidance related to these updates may not be available until the changes take effect or shortly thereafter. Therefore, our website may be temporarily out of date after the changes come into force. Where necessary, we have provided links to current information, so you can monitor for any updates.

Student Route

For applications submitted on or after 2 January 2025, the financial requirements for Students will change. For further details, please refer to our recent news update.

Part 9 (General Grounds for Refusal)

For applications made on or after 8 Oct 2024, medical reasons that currently require refusal to enter the UK will also apply to entry clearance applications. Additional changes affect applicants refused entry for reasons of deception or non-compliance with visa conditions. From 8 October 2024, applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of the breach for it to be considered a violation of immigration laws.

Visitors

New rules now require Jordanian nationals traveling to the UK as visitors to obtain a visa before arriving, effective immediately from 3pm (UK time) on 10 Sept 2024. Jordanian nationals who had already received an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), had confirmed bookings prior tobefore 3pm on 10 September, and plan to travel before 3pm on 8 Oct 2024, may still enter the UK without a visa.

Electronic Travel Authorizations

Jordanian nationals are no longer eligible to obtain an ETA and must now apply for a visa when traveling to the UK as either a Visitor or Creative Worker. This change took effect from 3pm (UK time) on 10 Sept 2024. However, if you were issued an ETA before this time and are traveling by 8 Oct 2024, you may still use your ETA to enter the UK.

From 8 October 2024, the list of nationalities requiring an ETA to enter the UK will be expanded, affecting applications submitted on or after this date. This new list will be published in a new Appendix ETA National list, and two groups of countries will be added—one from 8 Jan 2025, and the other from 2 April 2025.

Additionally, two new reasons for refusal have been added to the rules, as outlined in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Statement of Changes (para 5.11).

Appendix Children

For applications made on or after 8 Oct 2024, changes to the requirement for parental consent will apply to applicants under 18 who are not applying as dependent children. The new rules specify that parental or legal guardian consent must actively approve the applicant’s immigration application, travel, living arrangements, and reception in the UK.

Also, applicants aged 18 or older applying under this appendix can only do so if their last permission was as a dependent child of their parent(s), and that permission is either still valid or expired no more than 14 days before the new application. This does not apply to those over 18 applying as a dependent child under Appendix Bereaved Partner or Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse.

Miscellaneous Changes

As part of the caseworking process, the Home Office uses OANDA, a currency conversion website, to convert currencies into GBP. For Mongolian Tugrik, OANDA does not provide an exchange rate, so caseworkers will use the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office consular exchange rate (FCDO CER) for all applications from 8 October 2024 onward.

If you’d like to stay informed on immigration rule changes affecting students, you can subscribe to our student newsletter. This monthly email includes updates on immigration, fees, and advocacy efforts to improve the international student experience in the UK.

For personalized advice, contact our student advice line at +44 20 7788 9214, available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 13:00 to 16:00 (UK time). Be aware that your service provider may charge for the call, and the line is often very busy, so please redial if you encounter a busy signal, as there is no queuing system.

#UKImmigration #StudentVisaUpdate #ImmigrationRules2024 #UKVisaChanges #InternationalStudents #HomeOfficeUpdates #StudyInTheUK #VisaRequirements #TravelToUK #StudentRouteChanges #VisitorVisaUK #ETARules #UKVisa

UK Tightens Financial Rules for International Students Starting in 2025

2024-09-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

International students planning to study in UK will face higher financial requirements from January 2025, following new rules announced by UK Home Office.

The changes, revealed on Sept 10, 2024, will raise the savings students must demonstrate when applying for a visa. Under the updated guidelines, students aiming to study in London will need to show saving proof of £1,483 per month. Those studying outside London must prove they have £1,136 per month. These new amounts are an increase from the current requirement of £1,334 per month for London-based students and £1,023 for students outside London.

These changes are tied to the maintenance loans available for domestic students, though the amounts have not been adjusted since 2020. The UK Home Office has confirmed that the financial requirements will now be regularly reviewed to keep pace with inflation and adjustments to domestic maintenance loans.

For students on 9-month course, this will mean proving a total of £13,348 in savings if studying in London. However, if students have paid a deposit on their accommodation, they can deduct this amount from the required proof of funds. Additionally, students who have lived in the UK for at least 12 months on another visa route will be exempt from providing evidence of savings.

This increase in financial requirements comes alongside other rising costs for international students, such as the NHS surcharge, which will increase to £776 per year from Feb 2024. Combined with tuition fees and visa costs, the financial burden on international students continues to grow, although the UK remains a popular study destination. These changes will apply to students submitting visa applications on or after Jan 2, 2025.

Postgraduate Education in the UK - Analysis 2016 to 2022

2022-03-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

Looking at how the UK postgraduate landscape has changed since the previous report was published a decade ago, this new report uses previously unpublished data to reveal the state of UK postgraduate education in the years before the Covid-19 crisis struck.

The analysis considers how postgraduate education was affected by the great recession of 2008 as well as at the successful implementation of student loans for home and EU postgraduate students from 2016/17 onwards.

The top 20 key findings in the report are listed below.

There were 566,555 postgraduate students in 2017/18, of which 356,996 (63%) were in their first year – up by 16% since 2008/09 (p.22 and Table 2.1).
Two-thirds (65%) of new postgraduates are studying for Master’s degrees, 10% are taking doctorates or other research degrees, 7% are doing teacher training and the rest (18%) a range of diplomas, certificates, professional qualifications and modules (Figure 2.1).
The most popular discipline is Business & Administrative Studies (20%), followed by Education (14%) and Subjects Allied to Medicine (12%). Research postgraduates (64%) are more likely to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) but most taught postgraduates (68%) take non-STEM subjects (Table 2.2 and pp.26-27).
Just over half of new UK-domiciled postgraduates (53%) study full-time, reversing past trends favouring part-time study – back in 2008/09, most postgraduates (59%) were part-time students (Table 2.4 and pp.32-33).
More than half (60%) of new postgraduate students at UK institutions come from the UK, while one-third (32%) come from outside the EU and 8% come from EU countries. The majority of Master’s students (53%) come from outside the UK (Table 2.5 and Table 2.6).
Between 2008/09 and 2017/18, UK-domiciled postgraduate entrants increased by 10% but students from overseas grew faster: EU-domiciled student numbers increased by 11% and non-EU international students grew by 33% (Table 3.2).
Since the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, the number of new postgraduate students from EU countries has fallen(by 2% in 2017/18 and another 2% in 2018/19), but the reduction in the value of the pound contributed to a 10% increase in non-EU postgraduate starters in 2017/18 (Figure 3.14, p.81 and Figure 3.10).
Chinese students formed 38% of the non-EU postgraduate cohort by 2017/18. Such heavy reliance on a single country exposes universities to greater risk from geo-political events (p.84 and Table 3.3).
The introduction of £10,000 Master’s loans for home / EU students in 2016 had a big positive impact: UK-domiciled student numbers grew by 29% in one year and by 59% among those from the most disadvantaged areas. The loans have also encouraged above-inflation fee increases (Figure 2.22, Figure 3.11, p.80 and Table 5.3).
The number of people taking Taught Master’s courses grew by 30% from 2008/09 to 2017/18, but the total has been volatile, particularly among UK students. Among all new postgraduates, justover half (51%) were full-time Taught Master’s students in 2017/18 (Table 3.1 and p.23).
The great recession following the 2007/08 financial crash witnessed a marked rise in Master’s take-up, as employment opportunities were restricted and people brought forward their plans to study (Figure 3.12).
The female:male ratio among new postgraduates is 60:40, or 62:38 among UK-domiciled students alone. This reflects greater female participation over time – in 2008/09, the overall female:male ratio was 55:45 (p.40 and Figure 2.12).
The gender ratio varies considerably by discipline: women are in a big majority in Subjects Allied to Medicine (77%), Veterinary Sciences (72%) and Education (70%) and men are in a big majority in Engineering & Technology (78%), Computer Science (76%) and Mathematics (71%). Males outnumber females among PhD researchers (51%) (Table 2.7 and Figure 2.13).
The proportion of postgraduate students aged under 30 has grown from 52% to 57% since 2008/09, reflecting a broader decline in people accessing lifelong learning opportunities (Figure 2.18 and p.48).
White men, particularly disadvantaged White men, are less likely to undertake postgraduate study than others. Among UK-domiciled postgraduate entrants from the poorest areas, 64% are women and 36% are men (Table 2.9 and Figure 2.24).
Women have a bigger boost to their earnings from postgraduate study, earning 28% more than women with only undergraduate degrees – the comparable figure for men is 12%. But women with postgraduate qualifications still earn 14% less on average than men with the same level of qualifications (Table 5.4 and p.120).
In the last crash, employment among those with postgraduate qualifications was slower to fall and faster to recover than for those with only a first degree, which may signal how the labour market will respond to the current Covid-19 crisis (Figure 5.11).
The abolition of post-study work visas (announced in 2011 and implemented in 2012) had a negative impact on demand for postgraduate study, most notably within India. The announcement that this policy is to be reversed is welcome but needs communicating quickly and clearly (Figure 3.15).
Transnational education, where people take UK qualifications abroad, has seen substantial growth, more than doubling since 2007/08 to 127,825 postgraduates in 2017/18 and overtaking the number of overseas postgraduate students in the UK (p.58 and Table 2.11).
Demand for postgraduate education is likely to grow over the long term: there could be an additional 22,750 undergraduates moving directly to postgraduate study by 2030 in England alone. While Brexit could mean a drop of around 11,500 EU postgraduates, successful implementation of the UK Government’s International Education Strategycould see an increase of 53,000 in other overseas postgraduates by 2030, although this partly depends on how the world recovers from the current Covid-19 crisis (pp.131-133).

The Report is by HEPI - The UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

The Graduate route is open Today - Post study work visa 2021

2021-07-01T14:58:00.006-07:00

The immigration rules were updated this morning to launch the long-awaited Graduate route, which opened for applications at 9am today.

The Graduate route is a new work route for those who have a degree or other relevant qualification from an approved UK Higher Education provider. Applications opened on 1 July 2021. Your application does not need sponsorship or any endorsement by an employer or by your university. It is similar to the old Tier 1 Post-Study Work visa route that ended in 2012.

Most successful applicants can stay for two years under the Graduate route. PhD graduates can stay for three years (The older Doctorate Extension Scheme is closed now and will be replaced by the new Graduate route.)

The new Skilled Worker visa will (Formerly Tier 2 work Visa) include some changes, mostly beneficial and helpful for students who wish to work after studies.

All immigration applications normally will include an immigration health surcharge at £624 per year.

Return of Two year Post-Study Work Visa - 2020

2020-06-17T07:15:00.001-07:00

Post study work visa 2020

Last year the UK Government announced the return of two year post-study work visas.

The new immigration route will allow eligible students at higher education providers, studying any subject, to work for two years after completing their course. From information published so far, we understand that there will be no cap on the number of students who will be able to apply under this route.

The UK Home Office has confirmed that international students will remain eligible for post-study work rights upon graduation if they begin or continue their studies online in the 2020/21 academic year.

The Home Office has announced key features of the route:

It will be open to international students who have successfully completed a course of study at undergraduate (RQF 6) level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, and who have a valid and extant student visa at the time of application;
The application process will be simple. There will be an application fee and applicants will pay the Immigration Health Surcharge;
Applicants will be subject to identity, criminality and security checks;
The leave period granted will be two years and will be non-extendable. Settlement rights will not be accrued;
Individuals will be able to work, or look for work in any sector, at any level;
Individuals will be able to switch into the skilled work route if they meet the requirements.

Successful students will then (as of 2020) be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after they graduate. During this time, they can job-hunt and work in the UK. Once the two-year period has finished, they can switch to another visa category, such as a Tier 2 Work Visa, or a Spouse Visa.

Reference - UK Home Office

Coronavirus (Covid-19): info for international students

2020-05-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

UK Education for All is here to support international students and those who work with them in whatever way we can. Over the next few months as we all adapt to new ways of living and working we hope to support you with news, information, guidance and blogs from students and members.

The UK Home Office has introduced some temporary measures around visa applications and immigration status in response to Covid-19. The most up to date guidance about everything that has changed in response to Covid-19 is available in a dedicated section here

The most up to date guidance about everything that has changed in response to Covid-19 is available here in this link

Coronavirus (Covid-19): info for international students

Student Loans Fraud Exposed by BBC Panorama

2017-11-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

Greenwich School of Management in London - also known as GSM London has come under scrutiny amid reports from BBC panorama programme today, The BBC says whistle blowers tipped it off about a "dodgy freelance agent" and malpractices in recruiting students for its degree programme with Plymouth University .

BBC Panorama's investigation comes at a time of massive change in Higher education landscape in England, The Higher Education and Research Act, passed earlier this year, would create a powerful new regulator for higher education in England called the Office for Students. The government is also looking at whether new businesses could offer degrees from day one on a probationary basis, which could attract interest from companies operating elsewhere in the world.

About £400m-a-year is received by 112 private colleges through the student loan system. The government is keen to expand the sector as part of reforms designed to make degree and diploma courses more accessible to people who might otherwise find it difficult to enter higher education.

This year total student loan debt, from universities and private colleges, amounted to £100bn.

In todays BBC's Panaorama programme Plymouth University and GSM London college have been heavily implicated in student loan fraud, both institutions have declined direct involvement in the matter. You can see more on this story on Panorama, Student Loan Scandal on BBC One at 7.30pm on Monday 13th November and afterwards on iPlayer.

UK student Visa and Immigration updates in relation to EU & non EU International Students in UK - 2017

2017-02-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

The Home Office released a statement of changes to the immigration rules on the 3 November 2016. The main changes affecting students will affect applications made on or after the 24 November 2016

Today, we will reflect on Trends and Observations for year 2017 – below we will try to outline UK student Visa and Immigration updates in relation to EU & non EU International Students in UK

Last Month, UKCISA voiced on International Student matters in relation to UK Immigration policy at Home Affairs committee's Immigration Inquiry

Below is a submission made by UKCISA to Home Office Committee’s Immigration Inquiry? - We shall outline few major observations from the submission

“Impact of current (Immigration) policy”

The cumulative effect, however, of government rhetoric, policies to create a ‘hostile environment’, hugely complex and restrictive rules and a disproportionately harsh inspection and compliance regime - even for globally recognised and respected universities – together with the abolition of Post-Study Work - has been, for the majority of institutions, a significant downturn in international student numbers.
Of particular concern have been the so-called ‘credibility interviews’ which undermine the objectivity and transparency of the decision making process and which have led some institutions – fearing the revocation of their licence if the visa refusal limit is breached – to restrict or end entirely making offers to any students in particular countries (such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria) – details available.
Numbers going to private colleges have been decimated, those to publicly funded Further Education colleges reduced by over 50% and the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) returns show that overall numbers coming to UK universities are no longer increasing and that first year arrivals are now on the decrease.
The HESA statistics also show that over the last 5 years the downturn and impact on certain local communities (which arguably might need investment and jobs most) has been particularly severe with non-EU student numbers decreasing in Bedfordshire by 66%, Teesside by 65%, Staffordshire 52%, Bradford 45%, Hull by 40%, Wolverhampton 37%.
Whilst ministers say that applications to Russell Group universities have been on the rise (which is true) this is not the case for the vast majority of institutions and many believe that a change in policy on non-EU/Tier 4 students is now essential.
This is now urgently required as a January 2017 report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) suggests that any further ‘crackdown’ by the Home Office – as suggested by the Secretary of State’s speech in October 2016 – could lead to additional lost income of £2bn per year.
The final concern is that many believe that without access to loans and being subject to higher fees the number of EU students coming to the UK may significantly decrease in the future.

Amid this,The home secretary, Amber Rudd, pledged a crackdown on international student numbers at the Conservative party conference in October,last year, to include tougher visa rules for “lower quality” universities and courses. But senior university sources are warning that the cutbacks could be far more severe than expected. They say they have seen Home Office plans that model slashing overseas student numbers, with one option to cut the current 300,000 to 170,000 a year.

More than 99,000 non-EU students visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years

2016-07-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

More than 30,000 non-EU students a year have had their visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years, according to the figures obtained by BBC News show. Also it is revealed that 410 educational establishments had their licences to sponsor international students revoked in the same period.

The figures, released by the Home Office under Freedom of Information rules, show 99,635 students had their visas curtailed in the three years to the end of December 2015:

33,210 in 2013
34,210 in 2014
32,215 in 2015

Of the educational establishments that lost their licences, there were

199 in 2013
129 in 2014
72 in 2015

Some later had their licences reinstated - but, overall, the number of establishments holding them fell from 1,706 in 2013 to 1,405 by the end of last year.

According to official figures, 201,763 students applied for UK study visas last year.

These include:

166,366 at universities
15,982 in further education
2,930 in English language schools
13,675 in independent schools

According to an Office of National Statistics published in January, 192,000 international students arrived in the UK for long-term study in the year to June 2015 - down from a peak of 238,000 in 2010.

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2014, 2015, 2016 July onward
1. Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News Watch end of 2015 to 2016,February

2. An overview of the student immigration rules 2016 April onward (Download from UKCISA)

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News Watch end of 2015 to 2016,February

2016-02-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News watch on recent phenomenon in the UK Higher Education in respect to UK Visa matters for the prospect of International Students in UK

Towards the End of 2015 following following rules changed for international students specifically non EU students in UK - UK Student Visa- New Changes for International Students - 2015, November

The number of new entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from India fell by 63% between 2010/11 and 2013/14. At present it is estimated only around 2500 Indian students are perusing higher education in Scotland..

The placid hope for re introduction of Post study work (PSW) visa came to an end with the UK governments announcement of not to reintroducing the PSW visa for international students

Last Month, January, 2016, Data published by London & Partners, the city’s official promotion organisation revealed that China remains the leading source of London’s international student population, with 13,460 students from the country residing in the UK’s capital and also showed Indians student numbers are rapidly falling down in London due to recent changes to UK student visa regulations.

Last week, February 2016, A student visa scam involving at least half a million pounds has been unearthed in west London where an unscrupulous immigration consultant have made money from international students by promising them a Tier 2 visa work visa after completion of their studies.

The much controversial Institution, LSBF which is owned by Global University Systems lost its Tier 4 licence again curtailing hundreds of student visas, Some 350 international students have been told they must leave the UK by the end of next month (March, 2016) - Curtailment letters issued by the Home office stated that “It is not considered that the circumstances in your case are such that discretion should be exercised in your favour,” “The secretary of state has therefore decided to curtail your leave to enter or remain.” Continued with standard refusal statements According to the Institution/LSBF, most of the students were either in the final year of an undergraduate degree or on one-year master's programmes

Today, 11th February,2016, Times Higher Education(THE) reported on the forced departure from the UK of a US PhD graduate, The author, Martin McQuillan , pro vice-chancellor for research at Kingston University. argues that Non-EU students are now being sacrificed as political pawns in his article in THE.

Note / Public domain information: Paul is a US citizen who was awarded a PhD by the University of Birmingham. He was well known as a participant in Kingston University’s Shakespeare Seminar and was working on postdoctoral applications to the Wellcome and the Leverhulme trusts to continue his research at Kingston. This was until he was arrested at his home address in Stratford-upon-Avon and detained at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire for 10 days, before being released to leave the UK of his own volition.

College fraud claim: Payments to a Cardiff campus and its students were suspended

2015-12-02T02:37:00.000-08:00

A recruiter for West London Vocational Training College in Cardiff said they could cheat their way to receiving thousands of pounds, Recruiter, Kazi Shajahan offered to sell coursework needed for qualifications.

It prompted Education Minister Huw Lewis to suspend payments to West London Vocational Training College and to its Cardiff students.

The college, based on the city's Greyfriars Road, has nearly 100 IT and business students. Those on Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) can receive up to £17,000 a year in loans and grants, which will only be repaid when they earn more than £21,000 annually.

One of the journalists faked a GCSE certificate and applied for funding which was approved. Another potential student, who does not want to be identified, says Mr Shajahan offered him the chance to take part. "He was offering £10,000 student finance plus the grant," he claimed.

Also College principal Dr Manoj Kumar is revealed to have faked his Cambridge University PhD and teaching certificates

Courtesy: BBC Wales presenter Tim Rogers and the Week In Week Out team uncovered the allegations Week In Week Out is on BBC One Wales at 22:40 GMT on Tuesday, 1 December

UK Student Visa - New Changes for International Students - 2015, November

2015-11-18T03:40:00.000-08:00

On 12th November 2015 the following rules changed for international students

1.. Tier 4 (General) students studying at colleges (private or public) can no longer extend their stay in Tier 4 or switch into any other points-based route (Such as Tier 2 or Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)), unless they are studying at a college which UKVI classes as an “embedded college”. There is no change for students attending a university.

2. The length of time that a Tier 4 (General) student may spend studying further education courses (i.e. courses at National Qualifications Framework levels 3-5 and equivalents) will be reduced from three years to two.

3. All Tier 4 students who are extending their visa or applying for a new visa will need to show they have maintenance funds for the duration of their course or 9 months whichever is shorter. Previously if a student had been in the UK for 6 months or more (i.e. already studying) a reduced rate applied, as they were deemed to have “established presence.”

4. The area in which Tier 4 students have to demonstrate a higher ‘London’ level of funds is being expanded to include the University of London or institutions wholly or partly within the area comprising the City of London and the Former Metropolitan Police District.

Note:
Study UK (An association for independent providers of higher education, further education and professional training) estimates that over the next 3 years each institution would loss £210 000 rising to average loss of £337 000 by 2017

*About the survey: Study UK’s 135 members, of which 56 responded, 34 colleges said they would suffer “significant financial losses” over the next three years because of the changes.

All part-time work rights for non-EU students studying at publicly funded colleges to be abolished

2015-07-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

It is expected that the scrapping of work rights for non EU students will be enforced from August and the other changes to be implemented in Autumn,

The summary of changes

Non-EU students at publicly funded colleges lose right to work for up to 10 hours a week, matching rule for those at privately funded colleges
The length of further education visas will be reduced from three years to two.
FE college students will not be able to stay and work in UK when they finish their course, unless they leave the country first (will be exempted if they are registered at an institution with a formal link to a university)

Reference: written statement made by the Minister of State for Immigration

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2015 / 2014

2015-06-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2015 / 2014

With the implementation of Immigration Act 2014, a New health surcharge is to be introduced from next month, further with the introduction of Immigration act 2014, the appeal rights in most cases will be replaced by a system of administrative review also landlords will be required to check the immigration status of prospective tenants (ie students)

Below is a summary of new student visa rules / changes (2014/ 2015), new changes to Immigration Act 2014 and other reviews

Introduction of the Immigration Health Charge –From 6th April, 2015
For all immigration applications made on or after the 6 April 2015.

The immigration health surcharge will cost:

£150 for students and their dependants
£200 for other applicants e.g. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur), Tier 2 and Tier 5 Youth Mobility

The sum is an annual amount and you will be charged the annual amount for each year of the maximum period of leave at the point you apply for your visa. For example, an undergraduate student will pay an extra £450 at the time of their student visa application to UK. This additional charge is mandatory failure to pay can lead to your visa being refused.

The following groups are exempt:

Entry clearance applications for 6 months or less;
Visitor visa applications (except the extended Student Visitor route)
Nationals of Australia and New Zealand, and British Overseas Territories Citizens who are resident in the Falkland Islands.

For futher details

No more Appeals - Appeals replaced with Administrative Review
For Tier 4 applications made on or after 20 October 2014, the Appeals process for refusals has been replaced by Administrative Review (AR). An AR is when the Home Office reviews the decision-making process made by the caseworker when considering the application. It is not a legal process handled by the Immigration Tribunal

Administrative review requires a payment of £80 for a single decision, or a decision on applications by a main applicant and dependants. It must be refunded if the outcome of the administrative review is that the decision is withdrawn.

More detail on administrative review could be found here

Increase in visa application fees from April 2015

The new fees will be as below:
Tier 4 (General) application outside the UK - £322
Tier 4 (General) standard application in Country (in UK) - £439
Tier 4 (General) premium application - £839
Student Visitor - £85
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) in the UK - £456
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) outside the UK - £335

New Visa Issue Procedure (Out of Country Applications)
The UK Government is changing the way that it issues permission for people to come to the UK (UK Student Visa) from abroad for more than six months.

When you apply for your Tier 4 visa, you will be granted with an endorsement in your passport (vignette or sticker inside your passport) which is your visa to enter the UK. If your visa is granted for a period of 6 months or more, you will only be given a 30-day visa in your passport as a leave to enter the UK. You must arrange to enter the UK within that 30 day period. Along with your visa and passport, you will also receive a written notification (or decision letter) informing you to collect a longer term visa from a designated Post Office branch once you have arrived in the UK. Your long term visa is called a biometric residence permit (BRP) and is in the form of a credit card sized card with a chip which will contain your biometric information.

Timetable for BRP roll-out

As this is a new procedure for UK visa applications made outside the UK, it is currently not compulsory for everyone to have a BRP. This new procedure will be introduced in stages and the estimated roll-out will affect UK visa applications made in the following countries as follows:

Phase 1 – 18 March 2015 - Pakistan

Phase 2 - Mid April 2015 (estimated, subject to the exact date legislation comes into force)

Armenia	Cambodia	Estonia	Iceland	Laos	Nepal
Bangladesh	China	Finland	India	Libya	Netherlands
Bhutan	Cyprus	Germany	Indonesia	Maldives
Burma	Denmark	Gibraltar	Italy	Malta

Phase 3 - 31 May 2015

Afghanistan	Bermuda	Falkland Islands	Malaysia	Philippines	Taiwan
Ascension Island	Brunei	Fiji	Mongolia	Qatar	Trinidad & Tobago
Australia	Canada	Guyana	New Zealand	St Helena	United Arab Emirates
Bahamas	Cayman Islands	Iran	Nigeria	St Lucia	USA
Bahrain	Dominican Republic	Jamaica	Oman	Singapore	Yemen
Barbados	Egypt	Japan	Papua New Guinea	South Korea

Phase 4 - 31 July 2015 - Rest of the world

Finally, a brief guide on how to apply for UK Student Visa
(The Requirements for Tier 4 General Student Entry Clearance: How to make your application)
Before making any type of application for immigration permission, you should read the appropriate current Tier 4 General policy guidance thoroughly.

Obtain your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your University
Check if you need an ATAS clearance certificate, (ATAS clearance is required for some taught postgraduate and many science and technology related research subjects.)
Obtain appropriate evidence to meet the maintenance/ funding requirements.
Complete the relevant visa application form Online (Unless you are a national of Cuba or North Korea)
If you wish to bring your family member(s) or partner with you as a Dependant, please remember to include them in your application. Please read the PBS Dependent Guidance on the additional maintenance requirements for Dependants.
As a part of your Tier 4 visa application (UK Student Visa Application), you may be required to attend an interview with the UK Home Office /UK Embassy or High Commission

65 Colleges Licences Revoked, 600 Plus Students Removed or Detained

2015-01-30T03:11:00.001-08:00

Last yearThe UK government revoked the licences of 54 plus private colleges, since then, according to Home Office sources more than 1,600 enforcement visits have been made and over 600 individuals have been served removal notices or detained in relation to curtailment of student visa matters

Amid upcoming elections the number one issue has become Immigration according to the recent opinion polls and pressure has flown down from political hierarchy to authorities such as UKVI to exercise more grip on Immigration, also additional measures has been introduced to crack down on bogus students which included recent measures such as mandatory landlord checks on tenants’ immigration status, which are currently being trialled in the West Midlands.

One of the trigger in this ongoing crack down is with fraud in English language testing system detected last year - now more than 33,725 invalid TOEIC test results have been reported by ETS Global to the Home Office, along with 22,694 questionable results – up from 19,000 and 29,000 respectively at the time of the original announcement and investigation.

Crack down on student visa scams is not unique to UK it is a common trend in many countries, in Australia the number of student visas cancelled by the Australian government has more than tripled in the last two years (according to The Australian that student visa cancellations more than doubled from 1,978 in 2012 to 4,940 in 2013, rising again to 7,061 in the last financial year) as instances of falsified test results and/or financial documents have soared, we reckon this trend is not only purely on irregularities on student front and private tier institutions but also stems largely from the popular dis comfort of Immigrants in the wider society thus has become a political issue

We at UKEducationForAll.com kindly urge that all Sponsors who take students from institutions whose licences have been revoked will need to undertake their normal compliance checks and there is no reason in principle why they should not accept such students who have not, individually, been found to be at fault

List of suspended or revoked colleges 2015 ( Updated Frequently)

List of suspended or revoked colleges as of 24th October, 2014

2014-10-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

The UK government has revoked the licences of 54 private colleges as of 23rd October, 2014, in its investigation into immigration fraud launched in June. The institutions were among 57 centres to have their licences suspended by the Home Office (Refer our earlier post)

Simon Walker, director-general of the Institute of Directors, said he was "appalled" by how overseas students had been caught up in targets for reducing immigration into the UK. “Universities were victims of political point-scoring”, said Mr Walker.

We at UKEducationForAll.com kindly urge that all Sponsors who take students from institutions whose licences have been revoked will need to undertake their normal compliance checks and there is no reason in principle why they should not accept such students who have not, individually, been found to be at fault.

We like to emphasise that Institutions who have their licences revoked still have a duty of care in ensuring that their students complete their studies and we firmly expect that they will honour this and assist in making appropriate arrangements.

Students, who are still unclear or concerned about their immigration status should contact Home Office on 0114 207 1688 (UK) or 0044 114 207 1688 (outside UK) between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday.

The following Colleges can no longer recruit or teach international students (Licenses Revoked or Surrendered)

1. Alpha Meridian College – Revoked

2. APS Computer Solutions Ltd Trading As Pitman Training Centre Peterborough – Revoked

3. Birmingham Institute of Education Training and Technology – Revoked

4. Blake Hall College – Revoked

5. Bradford College of Management – Surrendered

6. Bradford Metropolitan College – Revoked

7. Bradford Regional College – Revoked

8. Bristol College of Accountancy – Revoked

9. Britain College – Surrendered

10.CAHRO Academy Ltd – Revoked

11.Central College London (a division of Huawen Institute) – Revoked

12.Central Cranbrook College – Revoked

13.Citizen 2000 Education Institute – Revoked

14.City of London Academy – Revoked

15.College of Advanced Studies – Revoked

16.College of East London – Revoked

17.College of Excellence Limited – Revoked

18.Essex College Ltd – Revoked

19.Eynsford College – Revoked

20.Forbes Graduate School – Revoked

21.Hammersmith Management College – Revoked

22.Helios International College – Revoked

23.Interlink College of Technology and Business Studies – Revoked

24.Katherine and King's College of London – Revoked

25.Kinnaird College – Revoked

26.LIT LON Ltd – Revoked

27.London Academy of Management and Business (LAMB) – Surrendered

28.London Churchill College – Surrendered

29.London College of Finance and Accounting – Revoked

30.London College of Business Management and Computing Studies –Surrendered

31.London Corporate College – Revoked

32.London Metropolitan College – Revoked

33.London Premier College Limited – Revoked

34.London Regal College – Revoked

35.London School of Marketing Trading As LS Business School – Revoked

36.London School of Technology – Revoked

37.London St. Andrew's College – Revoked

38.Manchester College of Management Sciences Limited – Revoked

39.Manchester International College – Revoked

40.Manchester Trinity College Limited – Revoked

41.Midlands Academy of Business and Technology – Revoked

42.North West College Reading – Revoked

43.Pharez UK Ltd Trading As Pharez College – Revoked

44.Queensbury College – Revoked

45.Radcliffe College – Revoked

46.Sanjari International College – Revoked

47.Shakespeare College – Revoked

48.Stanfords College UK Limited – Revoked

49.Superior College London – Revoked

50.UK Business Academy – Revoked

51.UK Vocational Training College Trading As UK College of Arts and

Technology – Revoked

52.Vernon Community College – Revoked

53.West George College – Revoked

54.West London Business College Ltd – Revoked

As at 23 October 15:00

Reference

List of suspended colleges in UK 2014

list of revoked colleges in UK 2014

List of suspended or revoked colleges as of 24th October, 2014 ( Updated Frequently)

Home office crack down on Visa fraud

2014-06-25T16:54:00.001-07:00

An estimated 48,000 immigrants may have fraudulently obtained English language certificates despite being unable to speak English, the government has said, Of the 48,000 certificates, 29,000 were invalidand 19,000 were "questionable". said Immigration Minister James Brokenshire.

Glyndwr University has lost its ‘highly trusted’ sponsor status after the test scores of more than 230 students it sponsored were identified as being invalid, while the University of West London (UWL) and the University of Bedfordshire have been barred from sponsoring new international students pending further investigations to decide whether they will also be suspended.

Nearly 300 overseas students at the private London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) worked and paid tax last year, with one student working 60 hours a week for six months.

In an investigation, HMRC found that some of the students were earning £ 20 000 per year despite rules preventing them from working 20 hours per week during term time.

“London campuses are home to a high proportion of international students, and QAA has been in discussions with the Home Office over the best way to protect their interests.”

In a latest development, The QAA, The Higher education watch dog has written to 14 universities about their London operations

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is conducting an independent inquiry into higher education delivered via London branch campuses

Full list of universities included in the QAA inquiry:

Anglia Ruskin University
Bangor University
Coventry University
University of Cumbria
University of East Anglia
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glyndwr University
University of Liverpool
Loughborough University
Northumbria University
University of Sunderland
University of Ulster
University of Wales Trinity St David
University of South Wales

Full list of suspended colleges in 2014

The Student Visa Scandal - Fraud in Student Visa System Exposed

2014-02-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

The Student Visa Scandal
Will broadcast in BBC One, Monday 10 February at 20:30 BST, by Richard Watson

"What Panorama has uncovered is extremely important, it's very shocking and I want to do something about it”

Home Secretary Theresa May

The Home Office has suspended English language tests run by a major firm after BBC Panorama uncovered systematic fraud in the student visa system
The Home Secretary said the government had suspended the two colleges (immigration consultancy called Studentway Education in Southall, West London and Eden College International in East London)
All further English language tests done through ETS in the UK had also been suspended
(ETS - One of the biggest English language testing companies in the world)
Fake Bank documents: Undercover researchers were also sold fake bank details to show they had enough funds to stay in the UK

Courtesy: BBC, Video Link to the undercover footage

Post Study Work Opportunities – An Australian Perspective

2013-12-01T11:28:00.001-08:00

Post Study Work Opportunities – An Australian Perspective

The determination of the Home Office to reduce UK immigration, curtailing Post study work options may be hindering aspirations to attract more international students, but Australia’s newly elected government has no such hang-ups. Being the sixth biggest country in the world, Australia is the third most popular international student destination in the world according to OECD. It has become a rival country in terms of the market share of international students; more students are now opting to study in Australia than UK as post study work benefits are favourable in Australia

The Australian government has speeded issuing visas and extended “after study programes” such as post study work opportunities. Graduating Australians with bachelors' degrees can now stay for up to two years, those with a master's degree can stay for two or three years and those with doctorates can stay for upto four years

The Australian Coalition government plans to develop a national strategy for international education drawing on a report led by National Australia Bank chairman Michael Chaney and commissioned by the previous Labor government. It had predicted that international education could rebound to be worth over A$19 billion to Australia by the end of the decade. In UK, International students contribute approximately £10 billion a year to the economy according to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Due to the increase of tuition fees, many UK degrees now cost around £ 9000. From 6 April 2012, Tier 1 (Post-study work) was closed to all International students – please refer our article ‘Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II for more details. The sense of feeling unwelcome will probably drive away international students to Universities in the US, Australia and the rest of Europe.

It is evident that the Australian opening of new opportunities for Post Study work options will entice new international students whilst the draconian UK visa rules would indeed dissuade potential international students.

New video aims to dispel ‘myths’ on visas

2013-11-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

UK universities, the Home Office and the British Council are today launching a new film following Indian students on their journey to study in Britain in an attempt to dispel “myths” about the process.

The coalition has tightened up the student visa process since it came to office in 2010, introducing tougher English language checks and ending international students’ automatic right to work for two years after graduation.
In 2011-12 there was a 24 per cent drop in the number of Indian studentsat UK universities, although this was offset by a large rise in the number from China.

Courtesy: THE

Just 119 Graduate Entrepreneur visas granted in 12 months

2013-10-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

A visa scheme set up to mitigate the loss of the post-study work route for international students granted just 119 work permits in its first year.

The graduate entrepreneur visa for international students with “world-class and innovative” business ideas was launched in April 2012. It was brought in as the popular Tier 1 post-study work visa, which allowed non-European Union students to work for two years after graduation, was axed – a change that has been credited with causing a huge drop in demand for UK courses from students in some countries, especially India.

Playing by rules, Work entitlement for private tier students

2013-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Home Office ‘looking into’ partnership between Glyndwr University and London School of Business and Finance
It is understood that the Home Office has been looking into the partnership between Glyndwr University and the London School of Business and Finance, although there is no suggestion that any rules have been broken.

The breakdown of the arrangement follows the end of a similar partnership that the LSBF had last year with London Metropolitan University.

Net migration to UK drops to 163,000

2013-02-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

Fall of 84,000 from previous year has been caused mainly by decline in overseas students coming to Britain
The detailed ONS figures show that the fall has been concentrated in a decline in overseas students coming to Britain, down from 239,000 in the year to June 2011 to 197,000 in the year to June 2012.
The detailed Home Office figures show the biggest drops were in overseas study visas for places at English language schools which were down 69%, at further education colleges, which were down 62%, and at public schools – down 14%. Study visas for university places rose by 3%.

Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II

2012-12-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II

Consultant Editor - Fahmida Khan

The new rules that were enforced on the 6th of April 2012 has led to the closure of the PSW route to all new applicants. In the light of this new change this article focuses on the options and alternatives available for new and qualified graduates.

The current immigration rules has outlined the below as potential routes to extend the current leave to remain:

Tier 4 student
Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur
Tier 1 Entrepreneur
Tier 1 Investor
Tier 2

A graduate who has either just graduated or is under the PSW route could opt to extend their stay as a Tier 4 student provided a valid CAS and sufficient maintenance funds are available to satisfy the points requirements. However careful consideration and attention has to be given to the changes in the new policy guidance that place limitations on the type of course, length of study, continuity of studies, work restrictions, type of the education provider, and bringing dependents - if opting for this route.

The other more favorable route for fresh graduates would be to switch to the Tier 1 route of Graduate Entrepreneur. This is a new category that is intended to retain graduates identified by UK higher education institutions as having developed world class innovative ideas or entrepreneurial skills, to extend their stay in the UK after graduation to establish or more businesses in the UK. This is not applicable for PSW holders or other graduates outside the UK. There is a limit of 1000 places per annum for this category.

The main conditions that need to be fulfilled for this category is to obtain 95 points based on:

Letter of endorsement from a higher education institution that has been approved by the UK Border Agency for the purposes of endorsing the application under this route. The endorsement letter should confirm that the candidate has been assessed and the business idea and that the business they pursue is genuine, credible and innovative, and are willing to spend the majority of the working time on developing business ventures. The letter could be used as part of the application within 3 months of the date of issue. 75 points will be awarded for this.
10 points each will be awarded for English language and satisfactory maintenance funds – please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) is for non-European migrants who want to invest in the UK by setting up or taking over, and being actively involved in the running of, a business or businesses here.

You must score a total of 95 points and meet all the other requirements below:

Access to investment funds : 25 points

not less than £200,000 OR
not less than £50,000 if it is from a UK venture capital firm or entrepreneurial seed firm OR
not less than £50,000 if applying for leave to remain and have, or were last granted, leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate entrepreneur) migrant.
not less than £50,000 if are applying for leave to remain and have, or were last granted, leave as a Tier 1 (Post-study work) migrant; and were registered with HM revenue and Customs as self-employed, or a registered director of a new or existing business no more than 3 months before your application; and are engaged in business activity, other than the work necessary to administer your business.

These funds are held in 1 or more regulated financial institutions - 25 points
These funds are disposable (free to spend) in the UK - 25 points
You can speak English to the required standard – 10 points
You have enough money to support yourself while you are in the UK -10 points

Please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.

Tier 1 Investor

The Tier 1 (Investor) category is for high-net-worth individuals who want to make a substantial financial investment in the UK.

To be able to apply, you must score 75 points by either

having £1,000,000 or more of your own money for investment in the UK; OR
having £2,000,000 or more in personal assets, plus a loan of £1,000,000 or more for investment in the UK.

Please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.

Please Note:

From the 20th of July 2012, all the regulations laid out in the policy guidance documents have been passed as a parliamentary act and therefore forms an integral part of the Immigration rules. Hence failure to satisfy all the specific requirements would lead to an automatic refusal of your visa application.
Ensure that you are thorough with the policy guidance for the particular the points based route that you opt for. It is a daunting task and would be advisable to seek professional guidance if you are unable to come to terms with the policies and procedures.

All the Best!!

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