In the year that Britain voted to leave the EU, international students have definitely attracted attention in 2016! Questions were even raised recently in the House of Commons! Disappointingly, the concerns have not been over the growing shortage of affordable, decent international student accommodation (apart from hosted homestay accommodation, of course!).
Instead, the focus has been on whether to allow overseas students to work in the UK after they graduate but only if they are studying at top universities, which also have the best records of ensuring that graduates didn’t overstay their visas. It now looks as if a government report on this issue will not now be published until next year.
In the meanwhile, the ongoing debate hasn’t yet seem to have put off students from the EU studying here at the various UK colleges.
Unemployment rate of graduates was actually half of non-graduates
Students from Europe accounted for 33 per cent of all international students, according to latest available figures (Higher Education in Facts and Figures 2016 – Universities UK). The Report, published in August, states that more than 1 in 7 (13 per cent) of undergraduate students, and more than 1 in 3 (38 per cent) of postgraduate students are from outside the UK.
It’s also worth noting that the Report found that, in 2015, the unemployment rate of graduates was actually half (3.1 per cent) when compared to non-graduates (6.4 per cent). Six months after graduation, 92 per cent of postgraduates and other undergraduates, and 89 per cent of first degree students were working or pursuing further study.
Houseowners who are committed to the cultural ethos of hosting a room for international students may be wondering about the effect of the government report when it’s released in 2017.
The Home Office has said it will “look for the first time at whether UK student immigration rules should be tailored to the quality of the course and the quality of the educational institution”. The indication is that they will be “looking at tougher rules for students on lower quality courses”, which could trigger changes to the entire “student immigration system”. The approach seems to be a way of meeting the government’s goal of reducing net migration by trying to significantly reduce overseas student numbers.
Reducing the proportion of refusals to a third
There has been concern over the numbers of students who apply to colleges of questionable quality. However, it is now being reported that even bona fide students are being turned away after difficult “credibility” interviews, which can be part of the visa process. Under current guidelines, universities will lose their licence to recruit international students if more than 10 per cent of the students who apply are refused visas. The Home Office is currently denying the rumour that it is considering reducing the proportion of refusals to a third, or around 100,000 a year.
It’s also important to be reminded that the Post-Study Work (PSW) scheme, which allowed any Tier 4 student to stay on and work (at anything) for two years after their studies was abolished in 2012. In addition, since the introduction of Tier 4 of the Points Based System any college wishing to recruit non-EEA (European Economic Area) students must first be inspected and accredited by an Education Oversight body, approved by the Home Office. Once they have been approved, only then can a student apply to be included in the Home Office’s Register of Sponsors, making their applicants eligible for visas.
Hosts go to great lengths to ensure their applicants are fully vetted
Hosted accommodation has long thrived as the ideal ‘home from home’ environment, especially so for young people to safely and securely continue their education in the UK. Of all international students, it is those on English Language courses who often prefer to stay with a family on the hosted rent-a-room scheme. International hosting organisations, who operate to approved British Council standards, go to great lengths to ensure their applicants are fully vetted and matched to host providers.
Looking forward, the good news is that the number of international students is expected to rise by more than one in five by 2018, according to latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). By then, it’s more than likely that government plans will have changed. Or perhaps they already have, on the report due in 2017.
The wisest course of action is probably to wait and see – a bit like Brexit, then?