Foreign students slam planned visa changes

Damian Green, the immigration minister, has promised to review the visa system yet again due to the high increase in the numbers of applications this year.

Despite the change to the point-based system for visa applications two years ago, the number of students coming in to the UK to study has in fact increased by 75,000 in March of this year.

The review would aim to make more changes to ensure more stringent rules in obtaining a student visa. Proposed changes include limiting visas to selected courses or alternatively to a few selected universities. The rules will not only apply to student visa applications but to all parts of the immigration system.

The University expects the visa system changes to cause them far more problems in staff recruitment than for student visas, however. They have contacted the UK Border Agency with their concerns and have made them aware of the university’s concerns on immigration.

“We hope that they will take on board our feedback for any further changes to the system,” said Peter Dunn, the University’s Head of Communications.

An international student from the business school was extremely frustrated about the current visa system. “I entered the year they changed the system and I was rejected twice and had to pay the visa fees three times, even though I had handed in my acceptance letter and the approval letter at the bank stating that I had enough money to support myself through university.

“I was afraid I would not get my visa in time and they are thinking of changing the system yet again? They want to lower the number of students migrating to this country, but what about those of us who legitimately want to study in this country because of the poor education system back in our home countries?” said the student, who has been studying here for two years.

Another international student commented: “To think, we bring billions of dollars in revenue to this country and yet the immigration rules are making us suffer.”