Pictured: Rachel Harvey
Over 400 language and business schools which bring approximately
11,000 students into the UK every year may have to close following
a Government decision to revoke their licenses. The move follows
the discovery that some colleges had either failed to sign up to
the new inspection system or do not meet the criteria for student
attendance or qualifications.
Immigration Minister Damian Green claims that colleges were
abusing the system by offering an immigration service rather than a
proper education. Apparently some colleges failed to meet the basic
requirements of language for international students and others have
failed to engage with inspections.
Radical changes will now be introduced in a bid to crack down on
this abuse of the current system although the Government has made
it clear that colleges who wish to continue bringing students into
the UK will now need to meet higher standards. From April 2012 the
Tier 1 Post Study Work route will close and as such students
completing their education in the UK will need to find skilled jobs
and switch into Tier 2 or another strand of the immigration rules
or they will be required to leave the UK.
Tighter work placements rules will also be introduced and
certain financial institutions that have been used to verify
students' finances have been listed as inappropriate by UK Border
Agency (UKBA).
For educational institutions that have lost their licenses there
is no formal appeal process and if representations fail the only
recourse available may be Judicial Review.
Rachel Harvey, immigration specialist at Cartwright King
solicitors said: "We fully appreciate that the government wants to
regulate colleges for overseas students as these students pay high
fees to study in the UK and are entitled to receive a high standard
of education. With any change in regulation there can be a settling
in period during which marginal decisions can be made that
seriously affect the standing of the licenses and viability of
affected businesses. Many students and colleges may be affected by
this and we would always suggest that they take specialist
advice."