UK schools wary of new visa rules
Studying overseas is a character-forming time for many graduates who return with fond memories of the countries in which they have studied and worked. UK business schools are hoping they can persuade their government of the importance of such relationships - they had until today to convince Theresa May, the home secretary, that her plan to prevent overseas students from working in Britain once they graduate would damage their international recruitment business.
It is the latest move in a general trend of visa tightening, making it tougher for students outside the EU to stay in the UK. The previous government introduced an Australian-style tier system. Overseas applicants seeking a Tier 4 student visa must now obtain sufficient points calculated on the basis of age, qualifications, experience, previous earnings, English language proficiency and funding...
The UK government's proposal seems at odds with visa policy elsewhere. For example, students graduating from a two-year MBA programme in Canada receive an automatic working visa for a period of two years that they can extend by a year if needed.
"As you can imagine, this is an important incentive for international students to come to Canada," says Jonathan Khayat, associate director of recruitment and international development at Â鶹AV's Desautels Faculty of Management in Montreal.
Read full article: , January 30, 2011