Tough new rules and enforcement action to stop abuse of the UK student visa system mean that over 450 education providers would no longer be able to sponsor new international students, the British High Commission in Colombo said in a statement today.
The sponsors’ register was published on the UK Border Agency’s website and includes the sponsor-rating. It is available at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/s...pointsbasedsystem/registerofsponsorseducation.
(PDF)
New UK Border Agency regulations have significantly raised the standards that education providers must meet before they can recruit international students.
So far, over 400 colleges have lost their right to recruit international students after they failed to sign up for the new inspection system. As well as cutting abuse, the new standards would help ensure that genuine international students receive the highest quality education.
In addition, a targeted UK Border Agency investigation into more than 100 colleges has led to 51 institutions having their licences to recruit international students revoked. The investigation followed a spike in applications in South Asia just before the English language requirement rules were tightened in April.
More than 4,500 applications to study have been refused or withdrawn as a result.
One college advertised classes even though the website said it was shut for maintenance, while another could not even produce a list of students enrolled or a timetable of classes.
On inspection, others could not produce any records of student attendance, or evidence of checking student qualifications.
The UK Border Agency has also created a list of more than 2,000 banks and financial institutions from which it will no longer accept evidence to show that a student has sufficient funds to support themselves and pay for their course.
If a bank is on the list, a student providing supporting documentation from that institution will not be granted a visa.
Further measures will be introduced in April 2012. The post study work route will close and students wishing to stay and work in a graduate level occupation would be able to apply under Tier 2 of the points based system.
Students would be able to study for a maximum of 5 years above degree level (with some exceptions) and there will be restrictions on work placements for non-university courses.
DM
Last edited:
