A guide to the government's new rules for international students
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Version 0 of 1. It’s a tough time for international students in the UK, and their plight has only been made worse by home secretary Theresa May’s recent announcement of changes to the immigration rules. In a recent confidential letter, May wrote that universities should “develop sustainable funding models that are not so dependent on international students”. And business secretary Sajid Javid told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier this month that he wants to “break the link” between studying and settling to work in the UK. Related: Get a job or get out: the tough reality for international students Since it came to power, the government has tried to make it more difficult for international students to stay in the UK after completing their studies, as part of its failed plan to cut net immigration to below 100,000 per year and reduce visa fraud. The most significant step in this direction was the scrapping of the post-study work visa in 2012. This had allowed non-EU students to stay in the UK and work for up to two years after graduation. International students have also been hit by an NHS charge for hospital treatment this year, on top of paying extortionate university tuition fees – up to four times as much as UK students on some courses – which can rise without notice. Despite media reports implying that all international students will now be kicked out as soon as their courses ends because of a new rule, this isn’t the case. This new rule only applies to students in further education colleges, not universities. In fact, the latest rules differ in several ways depending on whether you are studying at a university or a further education college. Changes affecting international students at UK universities Changes for international students at further education colleges Related: Work restrictions on foreign students extended in 'visa fraud crackdown' International students have some powerful supporters Keep up with the latest on Guardian Students: follow us on Twitter at @GdnStudents – and become a member to receive exclusive benefits and our weekly newsletter. |