Universities UK has called on the government to support prospective students from the EU after the introduction of a new points-based immigration system.

The UK government has announced that new routes for international students to apply for visas are to open in October, including a points-based immigration system.

UK universities are increasingly concerned with the service provided by government-contracted Sopra Steria, which is tasked with checking visa documents and collecting biometric information for visa applicants. Universities UK has labelled the company's provision "woefully inadequate".

Changes to the UK's national minimum standard for boarding schools will demand they do more to ensure they have more control over students during breaks.

10% of UK independent higher education providers have identified opportunities post-Brexit, while many predict a EU student drop, a survey has found.

UKVI is trialling a digital Tier 4 visa service whereby international students in the country will no longer have to leave their passport with a visa issuing office and risk the loss of sensitive documents.

The UK has granted 223,839 Tier 4 visas in the year to March 2018, UK Home Office statistics show, a 7% increase over the past 12 months.

UKCISA president Lord Bilimoria has said he will use the first opportunity he gets to question the UK government on why India has been excluded from a streamlined student visa application process.