Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe shone a light on the “real problems” facing international students and UK universities in the House of Lords yesterday, compelling policymakers to meet with sector leaders to work on solutions.
She highlighted concerns “relating to the red, amber, green methodology, the lack of real time data sharing with UKVI, visa processing delays and the lack of clarity about the reasons for a sudden upsurge in visa refusals”.
She added the matter was especially vital given the “massive impact” the decisions of international students have on UK university finances.
It follows the announcement in last year’s immigration white paper of tighter Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics that universities will have to meet in order to keep their ability to recruit international students.
Stakeholders welcomed UK minister of state for the Home Office Sir David Hanson’s commitment to meet with the Baroness and with Universities UK International (UUKi) to resolve such issues.
“This is an important step. The student visa system needs to work better for the international students who come here to study and for the universities that welcome them,” said UUKi.
