Tougher Visa Rules For Students Going To UK

[webfact]

CAMPUS UPDATE

Tougher visa rules for students going to UK

By The Nation

Starting from April next year, those wishing to study in the United Kingdom will face tougher visa rules.

The revised rules will come with restrictions on the right to work and to bring dependants.

"The new system is designed to ensure students come for a limited period, to study not work," Home Secretary Theresa May said.

According to the new rules, students at universities and publicly funded further education colleges will retain current work rights but all other students will have no right to work. However, the UK will allow new international graduates to take up skilled jobs in their territory if they are interested.

With the new rules, only postgraduate students at universities and government-sponsored students will be able to bring their dependants.

Students to the UK will have to demonstrate good English skills too.

The new rules require that those coming to study at degree level will have to speak English at an upper intermediate (B2) level. UK Border Agency staff will be able to refuse entry to students who cannot speak English without an interpreter.

"My aim is not to stop genuine students coming here - it is to eliminate abuse within the system. Our stricter accreditation process will see only first-class education providers given licences to sponsor students," May said. "I am delighted to announce that, alongside our stricter rules, we will ensure that innovative student entrepreneurs who are creating wealth are able to stay in the UK to pursue their ideas."

For more information on the new visa rules, please see www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk.

-- The Nation 2011-04-18

[Tatsujin]

Is this a little bit of payback from the UK . . . ? <smiles>

[samran]

Is this a little bit of payback from the UK . . . ? <smiles>

payback to who? And for what?

[johnefallis]

For who??? Really??? LOS, Duh!

[samran]

For who??? Really??? LOS, Duh!

Duh?

So the UK is overhauling its ENTIRE immigration system based on what Thailand has done? It wouldn't have anything to do instead with the fact that there is a newly elected government there which had a policy of reforming there immigration system there?

Get a grip.

[khaowong1]

I have to agree with the higher English speaking skills. How can those students expect to study with out good English skills? It appears to me, that some of those students just want to get to another country and find work. Which is ok, just don't grab up the student visa's to get there. Here in the U.S., I have met very, very few Thai's with even decent English. Even those who have been here for 15 or 20 years still can't speak English well.

[samran]

I have to agree with the higher English speaking skills. How can those students expect to study with out good English skills? It appears to me, that some of those students just want to get to another country and find work. Which is ok, just don't grab up the student visa's to get there. Here in the U.S., I have met very, very few Thai's with even decent English. Even those who have been here for 15 or 20 years still can't speak English well.

It all depends on who you mix with.

Plenty of people can get by with 'functional' English for their day to day lives. You only have to look at the farangs who move to Thailand - the can live here for years and barely string a sentence of Thai together.

With study, it is a bit different. I know many who can and do study with superficially at least, 'bad' English skills, in the technical subjects especially.

Just because someone's spoken English is a bit slow, it doesn't mean their reading comprehension is as well. Similarly, one might not be confident in speaking fluently, but understand everything that is said to them.

Edited April 18, 2011 by samran

[Foggy Bottom]

What the Nation article has failed to mention is that these new rules only affect nationals of non-EEA countries. The UK is swamped with East European economic migrants, and the current benefits systems is positively discriminated in favour of non-British Europeans, to the disadvantage of all others including native Britons ... especially those native Britons returning from an extended period overseas outside the EEA. If you've not yet encountered it, search online for the UK Habitual Residency Test. If you've been out of country for more than two years, don't return to the UK expecting automatic entitlement to benefits and housing, you'll be treated as a "person from abroad" (the official term) and denied everything you think you're entitled to, including free health care other than A&E.

The student visa clamp down is a reaction to a number of TV documentaries (and dramas) that have highlighted that there is potentially 80%+ of registered student visa residents who have never attended a single classroom session. Yet, when enquiring at the local college about a course for my wife (accounting) I was told her annual fees would be £4,500, whilst a Briton or EEA national attending the same course would pay just £270 - with those sorts of fee difference, I can't help wondering if the government is not just scape-goating and targeting the wrong demographic in the clamp down?

[koan]

> I was told her annual fees would be £4,500, whilst a Briton or EEA national attending the same course would pay just £270

I don't think this is a new thing at all. Educational establishments in Britain have always charged foreign students significantly more. I think it is mainly concerned with limits on fees for Brits but there are no limits for foreigners. Furthermore, foreign students probably require more support.

[12DrinkMore]

Here in the U.S., I have met very, very few Thai's with even decent English. Even those who have been here for 15 or 20 years still can't speak English well.

And I think we can also transpose that sentence a wee bit.

Here in Thailand, I have met very, very few foreigners with even decent Thai. Even those who have been here for 15 or 20 years still can't speak Thai well.

[Fremann85]

Here in the U.S., I have met very, very few Thai's with even decent English. Even those who have been here for 15 or 20 years still can't speak English well.

And I think we can also transpose that sentence a wee bit.

Here in Thailand, I have met very, very few foreigners with even decent Thai. Even those who have been here for 15 or 20 years still can't speak Thai well.

that's very simple,the most of the farang here in thailand do not need to learn thai, cuz the most of them are old fat men who got marry with eesan ladies, and do not need to work in LOS and when they do , in many cases they do as an english language teacher,so they do not really need to learn the language.

[jdinasia]

NOTE --- The new UKBA rules only affect Private Colleges ---- Some of which have been running scams on the visa system there for a long time. Fo to the UK .. Study and work 20 hours/wk during school sessions and 40 hours/wk during school breaks AND get the right to stay 2 years after you finish a degree and continue working.

That is how it used to be.

Now students at private colleges will only be able to be students and will not be allowed to work. There will be no 2 year right to remain and work after finishing a degree. Students at private colleges that do well and are offered ligit jobs will be able to move to the T2 work visa after completion of studies.

The new UKBA rules on this are going to hit private colleges HARD!