DUBAI - Students travelling to the UK for higher studies will soon have to earn at least 40 points to qualify for a visa and prove they have the financial ability to support themselves while studying in Britain, as part of the new immigration rules announced last week.
However, students can now work for up to two years after graduating from a UK university compared to the earlier one year.
Beginning this November, foreign students in colleges and universities will also be given a biometric residence permit, which would be similar to an ID card. The point-based system, which would apply to non-European Economic Area (EEA) students and Emirati students in the UAE, is part of UK’s efforts to tighten its immigration and protect students from bogus colleges.
British Embassy in the UAE, confirming these changes, asserted that students applying for the academic year 2009-10 would not be affected by the new rules that would be rolled out next year.
Jackie Colton, Deputy Director of Visa Services in Iran and the Gulf States at the British Embassy in Dubai, told Khaleej Times,“ Under the new rules, students will need to be sponsored by a licensed education institution in the UK and obtain an identity card, have a good academic track record and demonstrate they can financially support themselves and any dependants. They will also need to apply for a course that leads to an approved level of qualification.”
She noted that the “pass mark for general students would be 40 points.Thirty points will be awarded for a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) issued by a licensed education provider, and 10 points will be awarded for successfully meeting the funds and maintenance test.” Students will also be awarded points for specific attributes including their ability to speak English.
Authorities hope students would be able to work out for themselves if they have sufficient points to qualify before applying for a visa.
The new system hopes to simplify the application process for most students and make it more objective and transparent. “They will be required to provide evidence of all the points claimed and visa officers will check all documents submitted,”added Colton.
She said that while the British government was keen on encouraging foreign students, “ it would crack down on those who don't play by the rules”.
Universities and colleges would have to report international students who fail to turn up for courses. The British government has warned that education providers who do not follow the new rules risk a ban on recruiting international students in the future and bogus colleges will be shut down.
By Preeti Kannan