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MRN argues that foreign student restrictions would be unevidenced and disproportionate
Hold onto your (graduation) hats, because the next chapter in the government’s reworking of the immigration system is well underway. The first target for the new year – foreign students – is currently under the spotlight in relation to a substantial series of proposals put forward by the government in late 2010. Controversially, these proposals aimed to reduce the numbers of international students coming to the UK, towards meeting the objective of slashing net immigration by 2015. Strategies for deterring foreign students from coming to the UK include a serious reduction in opportunities to study below degree-level courses in the UK; and restricted access to the labour market for students, both during and after studies.
These proposed restrictions have certainly generated heated debate, not least on this website. And the wider evidence-gathering process is just getting underway, including via two enquiries run by the Home Affairs Committee (now closed for submissions) and the UK Border Agency into the proposed changes for international students (deadline 31st January).
Last week, MRN submitted evidence to the recent Home Affairs Select Committee enquiry on the impact of the government’s proposed restrictions on migration under Tier 4 (for international students) to the UK. We argued that, if introduced, the measures proposed by the government would have wide-reaching implications for the majority of international students coming to the UK, by increasing the requirements for entry and restricting their rights when here.
In general, we think that the importance of the current routes for international students for the UK economy, skills and research base and for international students themselves means that a strong evidence base should be offered up in order to support and guide these proposals - and currently, this evidence base simply does not exist. Instead the government has accompanied its new proposals with broad analysis of datasets which are far from comprehensive. Although this analysis does provide some general information about international students in the UK, it is wholly inadequate support for the proposals which have been put forward.
The proposed measures have been underpinned by a growing distinction between ‘desirable’ and ‘undesirable’ international students, following on from government targeting of ‘abuse’ in the student system. Below degree-level students are increasingly presented as undesirable and prone to abuse the system – this characterisation appears to enable the government to substantially restrict their numbers as an easy means of moving towards its goal of reducing overall net immigration. We think that, as yet, the government has not adequately made the case that students studying courses below degree-level are in and of themselves more inclined towards breaking the immigration rules in the UK than those studying at degree-level – or that these courses are less important to the UK economy.
The home office’s own data indicates that incidents of ‘abuse’ of the system are likely to be connected with a relatively small number of cases – we think often related to exploitative practices among some private institutions. As such, it would neither benefit British institutions or migrants themselves to prevent migrants from undertaking below degree-level study in the UK by making it the subject of overly severe restrictions. We think that the focus of reforms would better be on tighter regulation of the educational sphere, leading to improved conduct by colleges themselves towards foreign students.
Overall, the way that the proposed reforms would feed into the government objective of reducing net immigration is also potentially problematic. There is a case to be made that, if the government’s primary concern is with long-term settlement in the UK and population growth, it is unhelpful to include international students in the calculation of net immigration. The recent home office research paper ‘The Migrant Journey’ found that only 3% of those entering the UK in 2004 as students later applied for settlement. Should the government simply move the goalposts of what it considers to count towards net immigration in order to reach its target, rather than clamping down on students themselves?
We can expect that these, and a whole range of other issues besides, will be reiterated and explored in response to the UKBA consultation into foreign students - still ongoing until the end of this month. The higher and further education sectors will continue to make a strong case for the business and economic need for international students. At a time when UK universities are under more pressure than ever, it makes very little sense to additionally jeopardise the income from foreign students.
It is also likely that strong arguments will be made about the way that these proposals will affect the experiences of international students themselves – with the knock-on effect of deterring people from coming to the UK for this purpose. The point needs to be made that, although this policy agenda may inch the government closer towards its objective of reducing net migration, it could turn out to be a major own goal.
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I agree 100% with madam Ruth, education is a huge profit center for UK. The students contribute about 8 billion pound per year, which in crunch time of high unemployment, high inflation and increase competition from other countries like Canada, Australia, Newzeland, south africa and etc etc will mean, UK will lose such business. Once thousands of students go back home because of these ever changing and damaging immigration rules, then it take much more efforts to bring the students back. Dont forget that some of the main universities and thousands of UK college will endup being bankrupt as well as uk other sector which benefit from students spending like book, bedsits(renters), take aways, transport and etc will suffer.
These students since they are usualy quite young, therefore they seldom need NHS, they work hard and bring fresh blook and energy into UK.
we should fillup up the ukba public consultation form and say to NO to all of the proposed changes. Although, i know the wording of the question for post study visa does not give the online form filler the option to say NO to stopping the post visa from next intake. only option given is, should be close post study visa, yes, or other...
how come there is not simple NO option, plus , after other.. there is no space to type anything. (when filling the form online..) mind you that in present fact pace time, most will try to fillup online. instead of filling up by paper and yes, it require postage as well. so the questions are tricky..and not fair.
My concern is I will be completing my studies in May 2012.if psw is removed by the time i finish my MBA i will have to return back to my country without work experience and I was hoping to work in uk labour market after achieving my degree so that when i retun back to my country i would be able to gain a reputed job.I paid my fees to the college in september 2010 and during that time i was told i would get psw visa after completion of studies.Psw was promised to me.i know its not written anywhere that i am entittled to get a psw. but I will be at loss as I was hoping to gain experience by working in UK.
below is what i think abt psw closure, my questions and concerns..
Post Study Work (PSW) Scheme to be closed
1) there are many students in uk studying for bachelors degree many of those are my friends who have started in 2009,2010 what will happen to those students who wish to shift to psw after completion of their studies.will these students not get psw visa?
will there be any transational arrangement for such students? the consultation doesnt mention any thing on this its only concerned for phd holder.
2)UKBA should close the PSW route to all out of country applications. This will help the UK degree holders to gain good skilled jobs.PSW application for outside UK should be removed completely as anybody can come to UK and work in UK labour Industry without UK qualification; this will help the fresh UK graduates to gain good jobs as getting work experience from UK for fresh UK graduates is necessary for the qualification they earn.there are many people who apply for psw directly from outside uk without gaining a uk qualification, without paying the same price as the international students do and take up work which is right of the uk fresh graduate students.Y is this discrimination ?
Eg- I as an international student will be paying around 20000 pounds for studies,living expense,taxes and other expenses for 2 yrs in uk on a student visa and at the same time a person from outside uk who will be having a good work experience is just paying around 800 pounds for application fees and comming to uk to take up a job that should be given to me because i will have studied and achieved a uk degree is this fair for me?
I paid a big amount of money in terms of fees to study in uk and gain uk work experience.if i would have applied for USA i would have got 5 years of visa + a right to work in USA after completion of studies.I choose uk for its world class degree and amazing working environment.is that fair treatement for international students who contribute more than 2 billion each year to uk economy directly and around 7.5 billion indirectly?
3) PSW visa is very necessary for students who finish their degrees in UK and getting a UK work experience is necessary for fresh graduates ,students with bachelors ,masters or PHD holders.in each category all the degree holders are paying fees and following the rules and regulation of ukba,paying taxes so Why is the transational arrangements only for PHD students? transational arrangements should be for all if psw is decided to be removed.
4) Currently many students have taken admission,paid fees and have got UK student visas for Jan/feb 2011 intake including me and have been assured two years PSW by the universities under these circumstance what will happen to these students when they complete their degree?
5)IF psw is removed totally then students outside EU countries will prefer to go to Canada, USA, Australia or New Zealand which offer work permits after the completion of studies. What is the need to go to UK then?
6)UKBA has said that Tier 2 will allow UK firms to sponsor,students can shift to Tier 2 BUT but these firms will only hire people who have experience, what will happened to fresh UK graduates who don’t have work experience, currently PSW is allowing these students to gain experience in UK without being sponsored from an UK employer.
there is no firm in uk which will hire a fresh garduate.
If psw is reduced to 6 months like they do in Ireland ,still No firm in UK will hire a person and issue his a work permit with only 6 months full time experience.Uk firms require minimum 2 yrs full time work expereince if they wish to sponsor a person.
7)After two years on PSW visa a student can either leave the county or can shift to tier 2 if a UK Employer is willing to sponsor him/her that is.
8)PSW removal will indirectly affect many sectors of the UK economy along with Universities.Currently for example the hotel industry,lawyers under training and companies offering management trainee positions dependent on students to work for them which helps the UK economy and helps the UK companies to gain profit.
I have been hearing about a lot of very cheesed off students who are rushing to their solicitors to find out what is exactly happening. And for the record these are quite well off Americans from elite universities, such as the LSE...
@Never ending
Why should "quite well off Americans from elite universities" be any the less cheesed off about the obvious injustices of the proposed changes? We will look forwarded to hearing that some robust challenges to the government are beng mounted by their hopefully excellent lawyers....
If this new rules are applied, then I WILL SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE ENSURING THAT NO ONE WILL COME FROM MY COUNTRY (INDIA) TO UK FOR STUDIES AND GET CHEATED....I WILL USE ALL THE INFORMATION WEBSITES AND BLOGS TO LET MY FELLOW CITIZENS KNOW THAT THERE IS NO SURETY ABOUT THE WAY STUDENTS WILL BE TREATED IN THIS COUNTRY. BECAUSE, WE BELIEVED THE RULES OF THIS COUNTRY & GOVERNMENT AND CAME TO THIS COUNTRY AND IF ANOTHER GOVERNMENT COMES UP AND CHANGES THE WHOLE EXISTING LAWS MAKING THE LIFE OF EXISTING STUDENTS LIKE JOKERS, AND SPOILED..IS THIS THE RIGHT WAY OF UK TREATING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY BECAUSE A FEW OF STUDENTS HAS ABUSED THE SYSTEM?????????
FEEELSS PATHETICC AFTER SPENDING 9000 POUND FOR 1 YEAR'S MASTER'S EDUCATION........
I appreciate all the guyz who wrote about this matter. this is the big issue for the students who are presently in uk and cant apply for psw as it is been closing after april 2011. now plz tell me what will happen with us.i have joined my master course on feb 2011 and that time i was aware that i will get the work permit. now they have announced the news that we are not giving any kind of psw(post study work) visa after wards. Can anybody tell me what will happen with me, as my master degree is expected to complete on august 2012.
I appreciate all the guyz who wrote about this matter. this is the big issue for the students who are presently in uk and cant apply for psw as it is been closing after april 2011. now plz tell me what will happen with us.i have joined my master course on feb 2011 and that time i was aware that i will get the work permit. now they have announced the news that we are not giving any kind of psw(post study work) visa after wards. Can anybody tell me what will happen with me, as my master degree is expected to complete on august 2012.
As you have enough time in ur hand now, u along with ur fellow mates go and meet the university officials..then pressurize them to reschedule the course in such a way that u guys hav de flexibility to strt ur project wrk early so that u can apply for visa extension before april 2012...PSW will b abolished by april 2012 only and not after april 2011. this is ur best chance..read the following link to knw abt the rules in detail:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/sop4.pdf
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