Universities say it is a ‘hostile act’
British universities are calling a government plan to tighten rules around student visas “a hostile act” against the higher education sector. Immigration minister Damian Green has proposed to strengthen English language requirements on foreign students, place stricter limits on how much they can work when they are in school, and curb the option for students to bring their children and other dependents with them. Except where the educational institution is ‘highly trusted,’ student visas are to be limited to those who are pursuing a university degree, the Guardian reported. Lobby group Universities UK says the changes would cripple student enrolment and graduate level research in the sciences and engineering, where students from outside the European Union can count for more than 60 per cent of enrolment. The government says it wants to target private colleges that the UK Border Agency lists as lower than “highly trusted.”