Delays in the student visa process have created some obstacles for international admissions to UK universities this year, as students overseas have been left waiting for their visas to arrive.
Malaysia and Indonesia have signed an MoU agreement granting higher education students a two-year visa between the two countries that is renewable every two years. The changes will affect around 5,000 Malaysian students in Indonesia and 14,000 Indonesian students in Malaysia.
Senior political, academic and business figures have called for Sweden to relax its strict post-study visa, which requires students and researchers at Swedish universities to leave the country just 10 days after completion of their studies. They claim Sweden's tough visa regulations make it "the worst in the entire EU".
A Nobel-prize winning scientist credited with a discovery that could spur economic growth in the UK has lambasted the government's student immigration policies, saying they deter foreign talent. Russian-born physicist Professor Sir Andre Geim isolated the "super material" graphene in the UK but said new salary thresholds on non-EU students were "stupid".
From July 30, all student visa applicants from countries deemed "high risk" will be subject to an interview before being granted a visa in new efforts to crackdown on bogus students and providers. The system follows a pilot scheme which found hundreds of applications to lack credibility.
UG applications to UK universities from outside the EU have risen 8.5% since this time last year, despite continuing fears that student visa policies are dampening demand for the UK. Meanwhile, applications from the UK and elsewhere within the EU have fallen 8.9% and 12.9% respectively; and Scotland has seen a boost in its appeal.
All Pakistani students applying for UK visas will face a compulsory interview according to news reports. A pilot study is said to have revealed that up to 40% of Pakistani students could be ineligible based on poor English skills, despite rules requiring proof of English ability. UKBA is reported to be considering rolling out the requirement for other nationals also...
