International Students Union News & Events

Exploring Graduate Entry to Medicine

2013-02-18T07:21:00.001-08:00

DateTuesday 12 March 2013, 9.30 am - 5 pm

Description

Medical careers are now open to a wider range of people than ever before. Accelerated medical courses are designed specifically to train graduates with a non-medical degree as doctors.

This course will help you to find out about:

The major differences between the courses offered
Useful work experience and effective personal statements
What funding is available to support you through a medical degree
Career options after qualification

Speakers last year included:

University of Cambridge
King's College London
Barts and the London
University of Nottingham
Oxford University

The day will consist of:

Presentations - from representatives of key medical schools
Panel discussion - with medical students currently on GEM degrees

Join us on Facebook, where you'll receive updates, can take part in discussions, ask us your questions and share the event with your friends and anyone who you think will be interested in applying to this course.

Venue
This event will be held in Beveridge Hall, South Block, Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU.
If you require any special assistance (including induction loops or large print materials) please let us know in advance and we will do our utmost to facilitate your access to this event. Contact us at cs@careers.lon.ac.uk or on 020 7863 6042 to discuss arrangements.

How To ApplySTEP 1: Pay online

Current students from colleges within The Careers Group, University of London and GradClub members - please click here.
Other participants - please click here.

STEP 2: When you have paid please email cs@careers.lon.ac.uk (put Medicine in the subject line), with the following information:

Name
College
Subject
Graduation year
Do we have permission to pass your details on to universities participating in the event? Yes / No
Include the completed equal opportunities form (download here)

PLEASE NOTE: There is an administration charge of 10% of the total booking on all cancellations and refunds cannot be given after 5pm on 5 March 2013.
Please ensure you are available for the whole day on 12 March 2013 before registering for this event.

If you have any questions, please email cs@careers.lon.ac.uk

http://www.gradsintocareers.co.uk/events/meet-employers/medicine.aspx

The London Education Fair 6th Oct 2012

2012-09-21T06:09:00.001-07:00

The London Education Fair is the largest University Fair in the UK for International Students. Last year more than 800 international students received offer letters as a result of attending the fair.

It will take place from 12:30 to 4:30 on Saturday the 6th of October. The venue is Kensington Town Hall.

Hornton Street, London W8 7NX

Nearest Tube Station High Street Kensington , District & Circle Line

Exhibiting universities include:

LSE, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Warwick WMG, York, Bristol, Sussex, Nottingham, Leicester, Southampton, Birmingham, East Anglia, Royal Holloway, Surrey, Liverpool, Manchester, Reading, Strathclyde, Cardiff University Business School, Essex, Stirling, Goldsmiths, Roehampton, Bangor, Lincoln, Glasgow Caledonian, Bournemouth, Robert Gordon, Sheffield Hallam, Northumbria, De Montfort, Westminster and many more.

Why you should attend:
International Students can be first to make an application to the top universities for January/September 2013.
Students can meet universities face to face; building direct relationships with university decision makers so they know them personally.
Find out information about Universities, Subjects, Job Opportunities and IELTS English Entry Requirements.
University of Oxford exhibiting. 5 students were chosen from the 2011 Fair by the Professor and are now studying at Oxford. Unique opportunity.
LSE and Imperial College London are exhibiting – this is the only independent recruitment event in the UK for international students that they are participating in.
On-The-Spot Admissions from some key exhibiting universities. – No waiting. If students bring all required application documents.
Free lecture from Oxford University on British & European Studies.
Free Lectures from Imperial College London and University of Warwick.

Organised by OSSC

Get Connected confidential helpline service for young people under 25

2012-09-11T03:18:00.001-07:00

Just to tell you a little bit about us, we are the UK’s free, confidential helpline service for young people under 25 who need help but don’t know where to turn. We cover any problem through five different channels; by phone, email, text, webchat and WebHelp 24/7 with the aim to connect the young person to relevant services.

In the past year we have been contacted by 68,787 young people with 18,723 of those being connected to further vital help. The most prevalent issues we are contacted about include Housing Issues, Emotional Problems, Self Harm, Relationships, Mental Health, Suicide, Bullying and Eating Disorders to name but a few.

If you would like to have a peek at our website http://www.getconnected.org.uk/ it will give you a good idea of what we do.

Reduced Airfares for international students

2012-02-29T07:23:00.001-08:00

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission in the UK is currently running a programme that offers reduced airfares and more generous luggage allowance to international students returning permanently to their countries of origin once they have finished their studies in the UK. The benefits of this programme are also available to individuals going from the UK to study abroad.

For further information and assistance, please contact:

E-mail: bookingsUK@iom.int

Tel.: 020 7811 6098 or

020 7811 6008

IOM UK

11 Belgrave Road London SW1V 1RB

IBM International Student Virtual Webinar Career Fair

2012-02-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Date:	23 Feb 2012
Time:	12:00 - 13:00 (United Kingdom Time)
Hosted By:	Meire Naomi Fujimoto (IBM)
Presented By:	Meire Naomi Fujimoto (IBM), Vishwas Deoskar (IBM), Alana Buckner (IBM), Kunwarjeet (IBM), Tatiana Kotrusova (IBM), Anita Mathur (IBM), Si Miao Yu (IBM), Xiao Ying W Wu (IBM), Selena Zhang (IBM)

IBM is running a Virtual Webinar Career Fair on February 23, 2012 for international students who wish to return to their home country for internship and/ or full time placement.

This is an exciting opportunity learn more about IBM’s International Student Hiring Program; get in touch with IBM Recruiters from around the world; and learn about challenging employment opportunities in various countries. The panel will include speakers from India, China, Latin America and Central Eastern Europe.

SIGN-UP NOW by filling the form below.

Date: Feb 23, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm (UK time)

Registration is open until February 22, 2012.

https://events.webdialogs.com/portal/wipevents/register.php?id=f451e63684&l=en-US

For additional information on this program:www.ibm.com/start/internationalstudents

Internet Assessor Program

2011-11-23T04:36:00.000-08:00

“Valuing your knowledge and opinions”

Type: Work from Home, Temporary, Part-time, Independent Contractor

Description:
As an Internet Assessor your ultimate goal will be to contribute towards making internet search more
exciting, relevant and interesting for all end users in the UK. You will play a part in improving the quality of
one of the largest search engines in the world.

The internet has now become the powerhouse of all information, everything you need to find or explore
can be found on the internet, yet how can we be sure this information is entirely up to date or relevant?
This is where you can contribute. We are looking for creative thinkers who enjoy browsing the internet and
would like to express their opinion on the quality and content of what is currently out there on the web.
You will be provided with guidelines and scoring criteria on how best to evaluate an internet search result.

You will have the flexibility and freedom to work from your own home, working your own hours, depending
on availability of tasks (10-20 hours per week). Payment will be based on completion of the agreed upon
tasks or engagements within the specified time period.

Requirements:

Fluency in written and verbal English
Preferred level of education/certification - Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent)
Access to and use of a broadband internet connection and associated computer and software to perform the work, all provided at your own expense
Experience in use of web browsers to navigate and interact with a variety of content
Time Management Skills
Proficient with Microsoft Office applications
For cultural and historical awareness purposes you must be resident in the UK for the last 5 consecutive years

Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIOX) is a leading provider of globalization and testing services.
Lionbridge has a global network of more than 200,000 resources focused on translation and localization
services across 100+ countries. To learn more visit http://www.lionbridge.com.

Economic Analyst at British Embassy

2011-01-13T03:33:00.000-08:00

JOB VACANCY
Economic and Trade Policy Section

Position:
Economic Analyst
British Embassy
Position Code:
4574011
Beijing
Grade:
LE II
Position Open to: Qualified Chinese Nationals and British Nationals with a valid "W" or "Z"
visa.

Background:

Economic issues lie at the heart of the UK’s relationship with China. As a member of the Embassy’s busy Economic & Trade Policy Section the jobholder will have a high profile and stimulating role in providing analysis on China’s economy and financial sector to customers in the Embassy and in London.

Main Duties:

Monitor the Chinese economy and provide timely and relevant reporting on macroeconomic and financial sector developments to customers in the Embassy and UK Government departments in London.
Develop and maintain a network of contacts with key Chinese government departments, think tanks, academics, and private sector institutions.
Respond to requests from customers in London and the Embassy for information on macroeconomic issues.
Support Section colleagues in implementing an extensive programme of technical collaboration with the Chinese authorities on financial sector issues.

Requirements on competencies and skills:

A good degree with a significant economics component is required. Fluency in both written and spoken Mandarin and English is essential.

Other requirements:

The ability to draft short reports well in a relatively short space of time will be necessary given the significant amount of written work (in English) the jobholder will be required to produce.
A strong knowledge of Chinese economic and financial institutions and previous work experience in this area would be highly desirable, but not essential.
Experience using Microsoft Word and Excel packages is vital.
Given the varied nature of the role, strong organisational and time management skills are also important.
The successful candidate will be a good team worker, and engage in and contribute to the wider activities of the Embassy.
There will be some limited opportunity for travel in the job, including to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London.

General conditions:

We offer a competitive package including performance related bonus scheme, good leave entitlements and medical insurance plans, multi-cultural environment and well-designed training and development opportunities. The salary for this position is based on LEII salary scale of the British Embassy. The successful candidate will be employed under locally employed staff conditions within the British Embassy. Conditioned working hours is 35 hours/ week from Monday to Friday.

How to apply:

Deadline for applying is 17:00, 6 February 2011 (Beijing Time).

The British Embassy is an equal opportunity employer and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Both female and male candidates are also equally encouraged to apply. Each application will be considered carefully. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates short - listed for interview will be contacted.

If you are interested and meet the above-stated criteria, please send your CV together with a
one-page of Cover Letter explaining why you think you are suitable for this position (please
clearly mark the Position Code and Position Title under the “subject” title of your email or fax),
to:

The HR Office
The British Embassy
11 Guanghua Lu
Beijing 100600
Fax: 51924204
E-mail: recruitment.beijing@fco.gov.uk (preferred)

HR Management Associate Programme at HP

2010-10-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

HR Management Associate Program (HR MAP)

Job Description

Take advantage of HP’s eighteen month HR Management Associate Program (HR MAP) to demonstrate your talents and start down the path of becoming one of our next generation, world-class HR leaders.

We are looking for energetic, highly motivated individuals who have recently completed a Master's level (or equivalent) degree. HP wants people who can bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives into our organization.

Our program is designed to mentor and develop talented individuals with strong leadership potential and strategic thinking capability.

If you have the ability to elevate organizational capability and create a performance-driven culture through change management, effective organization design, and talent management, HR MAP may be for you.

Well-rounded HR functional depth, business exposure and global orientation are critical in our HR leaders; therefore this program will offer three, six-month rotations in Business HR, a Center of Excellence and HR Global Operations -- one of which may be an international assignment.

Participants will be assigned challenging positions and projects that will provide the exciting opportunity to be a strategic business partner, working with various levels of management. This program can be customized to participant interest and will offer formal and on-the job training, as well as tailored mentoring and coaching.

Positions are currently available in:

Palo Alto, CA
Houston, TX
San Diego, CA
Plano, TX
México City, México
Sao Paolo, Brasil

Your Profile

Advanced degree (Master's level or equivalent) in Business or Human Resources required

Some work experience or internships in a business or related field
Previous functional HR experience desired (i.e. staffing, compensation, benefits, etc.)

Strong results orientation
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
Geographic mobility
Exceptional interpersonal skills
Proven project/program management skills
Strong leader of change
Diversity champion and leader
Strong business acumen and ability to partner with business leaders to achieve organizational
strategies and objectives

HR Management Associate Programme at HP China. Rotation opportunities in other countries are offered with this job.

Key requirements:

Must be Master Degree or MBA
3-5 years of HR related working experience is preferred
Graduate in last or coming 12 months

Sorry HP will not accept applications with no working experience.

If you are interested, please send your CV to china.hr.staffing@hp.com with the subject: Name_Degree_Graduate Date .

SEJG -Sales Executive 2010 at Randox China

2010-10-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

Imagine a career with a world-class leader in the development of revolutionary medical
technology…… Look no further because at Randox Laboratories Ltd this is possible.

What do we do??

We develop and manufacture high quality diagnostic kits and instrumentation for pathology
laboratories. Randox diagnostic kits are used in over 30,000 laboratories in 128 countries
around the world. Randox’s clinical products can be found in almost every country throughout
the world, in fact, wherever there is a need for disease diagnosis I’m sure you will find us.
Thanks to our innovation and diversity the role that Randox products play in healthcare
decisions is increasing everyday, so, if you want to join us in our mission to revolutionise
Healthcare read on…………

Sales Executives/Product Specialists (10/SEJG)

At Randox we are offering exciting opportunities for enthusiastic, self motivated individuals
to join our ambitious growing sales teams throughout China including Shanghai, Beijing and
Chengdu and Guangzhou.You will be responsible for increasing sales and brand awareness
of the Randox product range in your region and for providing technical and market support to
your colleagues in other Randox sales teams, international distributors and end-users.

Do you think you have what it takes…

Qualified to at least degree level in a Life Science/Business related discipline.
Experience in Laboratory work or the Diagnostic Industry will be advantageous
A high level of business acumen however full training will be provided.
A positive attitude with the drive and work ethic to meet targets
Initiative and the ability to work as part of a team
Excellent communication and presentation skills (both written and oral)
Excellent time management and organisational skills
Proficient in Microsoft Windows and office packages
Fluency in the English Language.

Do you think we have what you want….

We can offer you a challenging and stimulating work environment with the opportunity to grow
and develop. We provide a full training program with your long-term career advancement and
progression in mind. In return we also offer a competitive remuneration package.

What next……

Take the next step in your career and join the Randox team, send your resume and cover
letter in English to: globalrecruitment@randox.com today

Please quote the appropriate job reference in all communication.

Job opportunities at IBM China

2010-10-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

IBM China Research Lab is looking for graduate applicants who are interested in pursuing a career in research. It is open to overseas Chinese students who wish to come back to work in China.

Degrees needed
: PHD or Masters
Majors considered:
Computer Science and related subjects
Application procedure:
Go to www.ibm.com/employment/internationalstudents and click on Featured Jobs. Current jobs will be posted under China.

Please note that all jobs compensate according to the local market and will require work authorization. You will be contacted for next steps, if we determine a strong match.

Job opportunities at KPMG (Guangzhou and Shanghai) - Apply now!

2010-10-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

KPMG (Guangzhou and Shanghai) still has openings for this year, for more details and online application please visit:

http://hr.kpmg.com.cn/graduates/application/

Please apply as soon as you can if you are interested, interview and writing test will be scheduled soon for shortlisted candidates. Commencing date for these positions will be from October 2010.

Final year students could apply in October for jobs commencing next year.

London Fresher

2010-07-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

London here I come! With intense excitement, I boarded flight MH004 on Friday the 13th (I swear!) after having my luggage ready 3 weeks before. And when I arrived to find that I was to spend one year on the 19th floor overlooking the West of London City, I was ecstatic!

Despite the noise, I enjoy gazing out my window every night and the breathtaking view, a word rarely used to describe a city, in the morning, it is a joy to wake up to. I was, in one word, mesmerised.

As I wandered the streets of London over the first weekend, I experienced mixed feelings.

While I was thrilled to be here, I was also daunted by the size. (Pardon the pun!) Topped with hassles of setting in, homesickness set in. but my love for London, fortunately, reduced it to the occasional poignant moments of missing my family.

Coming from KL, and being aboard for the first time, alone, I realised that there are just so many things I have yet to explore. And indeed, I will! The best part was when things unfolded for me automatically for being a student at University of Westminster. From the induction workshops to the freshers fair, from checking out the SU, ISS & Smoke, the range of fresher activities- cruises, ball, reception and jam- was absolute indulgence.

I intend to make the most of my stay here, and corny as this may sound, give back as much as I can to the place that has given me so much in one short month. I can hardly imagine how much richer in experience I will become by the end of next year. Kicking start the column for international students, let us toast to a colourful year of bounding and fresh beginnings! Cheers!

By: A L Lim (PG student from Malaysia)

Part Time Jobs

2010-07-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Part-time Jobs (Part 1)

Students are always vulnerable with money, especially if you are from a country where one pound is the equivalent of 15 *** Dollars or 20 ***Yuan. When you pay out 10 quid, sometimes it feels like spending a fortune. Therefore, you need part-time jobs to fill up the possible holes.

In this country, every student works. Despite only having to pay around £1000 a year (it’s their homeland, fair enough), you can easily find your British classmates working in local pubs and shops. For overseas students, getting a job isn’t that easy. The ultimate problem is EXPERIENCE.

Many people were scared about this when they first started to find a job, including me. Every vacancy wants experienced candidates. For a 17-year-old newcomer with basic spoken English, I didn’t have any luck except for ending up working in a Bedfordshire meat factory over Christmas. The job agency’s van of busybodies picked me up at the doorstep at 6 a.m. After a depressing journey of one and half hours in the darkness, me and fellow workmates (international students, pupils under 16, DSS etc…) are ready to dive into the frozen ‘winter wonderland’.

For the next eight hours I (a funny image with an over-sized uniform, plastic hat, gloves and stinky/dirty used boots) had to stand at the end of a production line sticking labels on meat boxes and moving them to packing lines. Both physically and mentally numbing.

Physically, those lovely mince and drumsticks had to be kept at a COOL temperature. This meant the whole workshop functioned as a huge fridge. I got the emotional understanding of freezing not in my snowing –30’ C hometown in China but here. What was more, standing still all the time was a back-suffering element, inevitably.

Mentally, my brain became a MACHINE like the rolling production line after repeating the same movement for 4 hours. When the tea break came, it felt like the VE Day. And when the long day was finally over, it felt like the VJ Day. I wouldn’t recommend this job to anybody except someone who’s extremely keen to think really hard on the puzzle of liberating the whole world’s civilization like me at the time (teenager’s angst?).

Well, I hope my time with the meat is not too disturbing. For those of you who have really rich parents, this might be unbelievable. Being the tip of the iceberg of my entire work history in this country, it has to be counted as the basis of all my earnings so far—my very first experience. LIFE BEGINS WITH IT.

Part-time Jobs (Part 2)

My longest job so far is being a morning cleaner. I worked in a recreation centre of Luton Borough Council 7am to 10 am, four days a week for two years. Yes, sometimes I can’t believe it myself. During those two years’ time, the job dictated my accommodations, life style, health and mood.

First of all, I have to get up no later than 6:15 am in order to open the heavy gates. The sun wouldn’t appear until 8am in the winter, so I need to find a place nearby to live. (Some areas of Luton are…err… rough, there’s no point walking in the dark) It was not easy. I ended up sending out leaflets to the houses around the recreation centre. With the help of an international students’ advisor, I finally settled in the nearest hall of residence. Then I had nine months of noise and confusion—what on earth are these first year students doing in the flat? Playing the loudest music 24/7, making the fire alarm go off at 2 or 3 in the morning, occupying the kitchen for hours and hours etc… I don’t know how many sleepless nights I had before heading to work at 6:45 am. Having sleeping problem seems to be inevitable.

Secondly, it’s the job itself. It’s better than the meat factory but it’s still depressing. My duties included cleaning the former drill hall using a huge cleaning machine, cleaning offices, toilets, bar, kitchen, rifle range, gym, snooker room and so on. If there hasn’t been any special function like wedding parties, it’s not very hard work. The hall after the wedding party is the filthiest & dirtiest place in the town. I wouldn’t describe it in detail. It’s very similar to a dump ground. My back problem comes from operating the cleaning machine to beat the beer and drinks on the floor. It has become a chronic thing.

I quit this permanent job before starting to write my dissertation. Although they gave me double pay on Sundays and holiday pay, I couldn’t take it any more. The job covered all my spending except the fees in those two years. Not bad, right? My suggestion is: if you need a job, try the council first.

By: Jacky Xing MA Journalism (International)

Housing!

2010-07-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Housing is always the biggest problem in students’ life, especially international students. When you moved to this country thousands/millions of miles away and try to build a new life here, the stability of the place you live is very important. If you stuck at finding ACCOMMODATION, you might find yourself stuck at EVERYTHING.

I have an extreme example: a friend of mine moved 9 times within the first year! Oh, my God, he almost spent the whole year house-hunting! Unfortunately, yes. So he couldn’t concentrate on his study. And the result was re-sit of exams.

I have been moving around Luton as well. Plus the latest move to Harrow, the figure is 7 times in four years. Not too bad compared to him, right? I move only if the contract expires or the place is no longer suitable if there’s no contract (e.g. families) or…I have to confess that I broke the contract once—because two of my housemates moved out without notice, leaving me and another girl unable to pay the rents for the whole house…

Usually, (with the exception of those who live in halls, although you’ve been considering moving out from the first week) it’s very difficult to find the perfect place to live: houses are either too far away, or too expensive, or the room is too small, or the people who already live there are too… you know what I mean. Therefore, you have to compromise. Your academic year could be a nightmare with late lecture arrivals, absence of enough pubing/clubbing/shopping, and regular rows with your housemates.

Sometimes it depends on luck, really. You may be having problems at the moment, but don’t give up. Try as many sources as possible: Uni’s accommodation office, notice boards, estate agencies, websites, personal contacts etc… Once you’ve had enough bad luck, good things would come. I am a good example. Leaving those miserable experiences behind, I settled in a perfect place in Harrow…apart from the fact that it’s a bit colder than other rooms…

By: Jacky Xing MA Journalism (International)

Born Again!

2010-07-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Forget about your past and all your old-style arrogance that related to it, when you come to study in Britain, you have been BORN AGAIN. The day you arrived at Heathrow, Standstead etc…is actually your birthday.

The urgent issues are: sorting out dinner (McDonald is an easy way), finding a place to live (you’d be lucky if you have somewhere decent to stay for the first night) and familiarise yourself with the black cab and the area you are in (buy an A-Z of London, obviously).

Don’t assume that you are as mature as you are in your country. You are a baby here and situations can be as awkward as always. You have to learn EVERYTHING from the beginning. Here are several tips from me—a four-year-old (natural age 21) who survived all the way from Luton (remind you of Luton airport and the famous name Vauxhall) to London.

If you live in the halls of residence, first of all you need a strong heart because the fire alarm could go off at any second. Imagine you are dreaming about lying on a beach at 2 o’clock in the morning, suddenly the alarm starts to ring… Secondly, be nice to your noisy and dirty flatmates. Sometimes people are as good as you think you are, sometimes they are not. Don’t try to change them—as long as everybody has got a character.

If you are a private tenant, accommodations always cause trouble. It could be the stopping of the gas supply, the breakdown of the hot water tank, the over-charging of the electricity meter etc… Or even the worst thing could happen to you when your landlord/landlady breaks the contract/promise and forces you to move out. So BE PREPARED. If you are sharing with other students, same rule applies.

There are lots more, which I can tell you in next issue. Anyway, enjoy your time here as much as you can. If anything goes wrong, just tell yourself that you are a BABY and things definitely go wrong.

By: Jacky Xing MA Journalism (International)

Student VISA Tier4 Review

2010-02-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

Tougher rules for foreign students

10 February 2010
Foreign students from outside Europe wanting to come to the UK to study will be required to meet stricter entry criteria, the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson announced today.
The new regulations will ensure that students studying below degree level have a limited ability to work in the UK and that their dependants cannot work here at all.
It will be even harder for bogus students, whose only aim is to work in the UK, to come into the country.
The Home Secretary also confirmed today, that the Government will implement plans to introduce a points test by 2011 for those who wish to earn British Citizenship.
New measures include:
• a good standard of English (equivalent of holding just below a GCSE in a foreign language) will be needed to come to the UK and study to improve English language competency further;
• a good standard of English (again equivalent of holding just below a GCSE in a foreign language) will need to be demonstrated in order to study any other course below degree level;
• halving the amount of time a student studying below first degree level or on a foundation degree course, will be able to work, to just ten hours during term time;
• a ban on bringing in dependants for anyone studying a course for less than six months; and
• a ban on dependants of anyone studying a course lower than foundation or undergraduate degree level from working - they will face removal from the UK if found doing so.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:
'The Points Based System was introduced to provide a rigorous system to manage legitimate access to the UK to work and study, with the ability to respond to changing circumstances.
'We want foreign students to come here to study, not to work illegally, and today we have set out necessary steps which will maintain the robustness of the system we introduced last year. I make no apologies for that.'
In addition, the new measures will include:
• a ban on foreign students studying below degree level if the course includes a work placement - unless that course is being provided by a university, college or training provider which has the status of 'highly trusted sponsor';
• a requirement for students to demonstrate their English language ability by passing an approved secure test - this will apply to all students studying below (foundation) degree level, including those coming to study English language; and
• introduction of tougher criteria for defining which course providers count as 'highly trusted sponsors' of foreign students. We expect that all publicly funded universities and colleges will count as highly trusted, and we will ensure that there is a rapid but rigorous system for ensuring that private training colleges can also gain that status as soon as possible.
UK universities and colleges offer an excellent education and the government recognises the essential contribution genuine international students bring - economically, academically and socially - to the country as a whole, as well as to the universities and colleges in which they study. However these steps are part of the government's commitment to crack down on potential abuse of the system.
These changes are part of a radical overhaul of the student system that began last year. Since March 2009, the government has required all foreign students to be sponsored by a UKBA licensed college and to demonstrate they can support themselves once they get here before being granted a visa. Also since March, any college or university wanting to bring in international students must be accredited and licensed. This has reduced the number of institutions able to bring students to the UK from over 4,000 to approximately 2,000.

Pat McFadden Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills said:
'Genuine international students are welcome in the UK. They make a significant contribution to the academic and cultural life of the universities and colleges where they study and bring over £5.3bn to our economy each year. But where there is abuse it undermines the position of genuine students as much as anyone else.
'It is important that we protect the reputation and quality of our institutions by ensuring only legitimate students are able to benefit from the courses they offer. This is why we will work closely with the sector to implement the recommendations of this review.'
The new requirements for foreign students follow a review of Tier 4 of the PBS, announced by the Prime Minister in November 2009. The review team were asked to look at whether the current Tier 4 arrangements strike the right balance between facilitating access of genuine students and preventing abuse by economic migrants.
The decision to introduce a points test for citizenship follows the results of a public consultation on the proposals which were published today. The results show that three quarters of the public polled during the consultation are in favour of the Government's plans to introduce a points scheme for citizenship.
Alan Johnson added:
'We have already made fundamental changes to the immigration system to control migration in a way that is firm, and has a positive impact on our work force and economy.
'From 2011 we will put the mechanisms in place that will ensure that people who are allowed to become citizens have earned their right to stay here.
'We will do this using a points test, giving us the ability to take clear, enforceable decisions about who should be allowed to stay permanently, with the flexibility to raise or lower the threshold for citizenship, depending on the current interests of the country and economy.'
Under the new rules anyone wishing to become a permanent resident will have to earn their right to citizenship. This will restrict the number of economic migrants granted citizenship, for example by limiting it only to those who have the qualifications or skills that the economy needs, or are living in parts of the country where there are specific skills shortages that they can fill. They will also have to demonstrate that they could speak good English for their application to be successful.

http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2010/February/tougher-rules-for-foreign-stud