Education Sector could lose Millions due to new Visa Rules

The change in the UK Immigration Rules has resulted in massive delays in visas being issued to international students looking to commence courses in the UK this academic year.

Thalej Vasishta head of niche immigration law firm Paragon Law said “that in Pakistan alone there was a backlog of 15,000 applications which was wholly unacceptable”.

He went on to say that “at many universities and colleges term had already started and there was only so many weeks a student could miss at the start of term before the educational institution has to say that it was too late to start.  This would have the devastating effect of not only the student having to defer his studies for a year but the university or college losing out on much needed income”.

In order to deal with this problem some universities have begun filming lectures so that the students arriving late can catch up.  Other educational institutions are considering providing reading material at home.  However, it is thought that by the beginning of November the universities and colleges will close their doors to those international students who have not managed to secure their visas.

Mr Vasishta, whose law firm advises a number of universities and colleges in respect of immigration matters, including locally the University of Nottingham, New College and Castle College, went on to say that “overseas students contribute £4 billion a year in fees according to the UK Council of International Student Affairs and when you consider the contribution that the students make to the UK wider economy such as rent, transport, food etc. this figure increases to approximately £10 billion per year. 

He went on to say that “according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency 8% of total university income comes from international student fees.  On average international students will pay £10,000 per year in university course fees”. 

As well as this substantial loss of income to the education sector and the UK economy Mr Vasishta added “at a time that there is a global war on attracting the best talent to the UK that this chaos in issuing visas is sending a message that the UK does not welcome international students.  International students are important to the UK because many will return home to take important positions of responsibility in their home countries and often act as ambassadors to the cities where they have studied.  Many other international students will remain in the UK to carry out important research projects at the universities where they are studying or take employment in those jobs that historically have not been popular with local UK students such as maths, engineering and the sciences”.

The UK education sector is world renowned and a significant exporter of services around the world.  Mr Vasishta said that “the UK government are committed to seeing an increase in the income that universities receive from international students by continuing to welcome international students to study in the UK, however, unless the government resolves the current problems in the issuing of visas to prospective international students, there is the threat that this will damage the reputation of the UK education sector overseas”.