Britain plans new rules for international students

New Delhi, Jul 30 (UNI) Britain will introduce a new student visa system to encourage young people from different countries to study and train in the country, a statement issued by the British High Commission here said today.

Known as Tier 4, the new system would be more transparent and easily understood and would simplify the existing immigration rules for genuine students and education providers.

One of the key benefits is that students would be able to work out whether they have sufficient points to qualify before they make a visa application, the High Commission said.

Under the new rules, universities and colleges would be required to take greater responsibility for their international students by, for example, reporting students who fail to attend courses and to obtain a special license if they wish to recruit students from overseas.

These arrangements would protect students from bogus colleges which attempt to abuse the system and exploit students.

Any education providers who fail to follow the new rules, risk a ban on recruiting international students in the future and bogus colleges would be shut down, the High Commission said.

According to the new rules, students would need to be sponsored by a licensed educational institution and obtain an identity card in advance, have a good academic track record and demonstrate that they can financially support themselves and any dependents.

They would also need to apply for a course that leads to an approved level of qualification.

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