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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Visa victory for language schools | Visa victory for language schools |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The colleges say 100,000 people would be deterred from coming to the UK | The colleges say 100,000 people would be deterred from coming to the UK |
| English language schools have won a High Court battle over visa restrictions which they say are absurd and damaging to their businesses. | English language schools have won a High Court battle over visa restrictions which they say are absurd and damaging to their businesses. |
| They took the action over new regulations which say that students entering the UK to study must be able to speak English. | They took the action over new regulations which say that students entering the UK to study must be able to speak English. |
| English UK, which represents 440 language schools, says the regulations are "disproportionate and unjustified". | English UK, which represents 440 language schools, says the regulations are "disproportionate and unjustified". |
| The restrictions form part of a drive against illegal immigration. | The restrictions form part of a drive against illegal immigration. |
| The language schools said the restrictions would result in the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of pounds in foreign earnings. | The language schools said the restrictions would result in the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of pounds in foreign earnings. |
| Students were required to have English language skills of at least GCSE level. | |
| Before the High Court verdict, Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, had said: "It's clearly absurd requiring students to know English before they come here to study it." | |
| His group brought the case on technical grounds rather than on a point of principle after the rules were tightened by the Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson. | His group brought the case on technical grounds rather than on a point of principle after the rules were tightened by the Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson. |
| It argued in court that the Home Office should have brought the issue back to Parliament for proper debate. | It argued in court that the Home Office should have brought the issue back to Parliament for proper debate. |
| Mr Justice Foskett, sitting in London, declared the fresh restrictions had been achieved through altering guidelines when there should have been a formal change to the rules, with the matter referred back to Parliament. | Mr Justice Foskett, sitting in London, declared the fresh restrictions had been achieved through altering guidelines when there should have been a formal change to the rules, with the matter referred back to Parliament. |
| After the verdict, Mr Millns said: "We are pleased that Mr Justice Foskett saw the merits of our case and we believe that his decision is good for the UK economy, to which the English language sector contributes about £1.5 billion in foreign earnings each year." | |
| The coalition government says it is reviewing English language requirements across the visa system. | The coalition government says it is reviewing English language requirements across the visa system. |
| Last month it said it would bring forward to the autumn other measures planned by Labour requiring many immigrants marrying UK citizens to prove they have a command of English. | Last month it said it would bring forward to the autumn other measures planned by Labour requiring many immigrants marrying UK citizens to prove they have a command of English. |