The UK has introduced stricter immigration rules that could bar universities from recruiting international students if they fail to meet tougher visa approval, enrolment and course completion requirements.
The United Kingdom has unveiled new immigration measures that could see universities barred from recruiting international students if they fail to comply with stricter visa and academic performance requirements. The changes, announced by the Home Office on Thursday, are part of efforts to curb rising asylum claims linked to work, study and tourist visas, with foreign students accounting for the largest share of such claims.
Under the revised rules, universities risk losing their licence to recruit overseas students if more than five per cent of visa applications linked to their institutions are refused, down from the previous threshold of 10 per cent. The Home Office said it has the capacity to monitor both student visa refusal rates and the institutions recruiting affected applicants. Universities could also face sanctions if excessive numbers of international students fail to enrol for their courses or drop out before completion.
Explaining the rationale behind the policy, the Home Office stated: “High drop-out rates can indicate students have entered the illegal working economy rather than studied whilst high visa rejection rates or low enrolment figures suggest some institutions have not done enough due diligence on applicants.” Under the updated standards, institutions must now achieve a minimum course enrolment rate of 95 per cent and a course completion rate of at least 90 per cent among international students, compared to the previous benchmarks of 90 per cent and 85 per cent respectively.
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