About UKCISA:
Consultations on international student issues
Reports from past consultations
UCAS Admissions Process Review consultation (January 2012)
National Audit Office review of Tier 4 (November 2011)
The Independent Chief Inspector of the UKBA consultation on Tier 4 (October 2011)
Scottish Affairs Committee report on Student Immigration (July 2011)
Consultations on access to the NHS by foreign nationals (March 2011)
Home Affairs Committee report on Student Visas (March 2011) and follow up report (July 2011)
Student Immigration System consultation: UKCISA's response, UKBA's consultation and 'research' documents (January 2011)
UCAS Admissions Process Review consultation
23 January 2012
Read our response
National Audit Office Review of Tier 4
11 November 2011
Read our response.
The Independent Chief Inspector of the UKBA consultation on Tier 4
6 October 2011
The Chief Inspector sought views from institutions on the implementation of Tier 4, sponsorship and the nature of the dialogue between the UKBA and Tier 4 sponsors. This was to enable the Chief Inspector to get an overall stakeholder view of the Tier 4 process before the inspection of the UKBA on Tier 4 takes place in the autumn.
Read the ICI UKBA consultation paper
Around 30 institutions submitted responses to UKCISA, and these were passed to the Chief Inspector's office, along with UKCISA's comments.
Scottish Affairs Committee Report on Student Immigration
26 July 2011
The Scottish Affairs Committee has released its Report, The Student Immigration System in Scotland, expressing concerns about the Tier 4 reforms having “a disproportionate impact on Scottish universities and the Scottish economy”. The report quotes from UKCISA’s response to its consultation.
Consultations on access to the NHS by foreign nationals
23 March 2011
UKCISA responded to the two consultations related to access to the NHS which are outlined below. Both had a deadline for responses of 30 June 2010. The UKBA and the Department of Health published their reports on the consultation findings in March 2011
1. Department of Health consultation
Read the Department of Health consultation response
UKCISA's response to The Department of Health consultation on proposed changes to "the charging Regulations for overseas visitors requiring hospital treatment and the recovery of any charges, and also initial thinking around possible future introduction of health insurance for some visitors" concentrated on the proposals for health insurance requirements.
Department of Health (now closed) consultation details and documents archive
The consultation included:
- 'Guidance on implementing the overseas visitors hospital charging regulations [DRAFT]' – this gives some clear explanations of the current system and paragraphs 4.29 to 4.32 are particularly relevant to students. Paragraph 4.30 on students who stop attending their course 'for no discernible reason' might have some significance in relation to each of the consultation documents mentioned below. And paragraphs 4.50 to 4.52 are relevant to refugees and asylum seekers.
- 'Review of access to the NHS by foreign nationals. Consultation on proposals' – Chapter 4 'Tackling NHS debt and misuse', also referred to as 'health tourism, is of particular relevance and links with the UKBA consultation (see below). Chapter 5 'Health insurance for overseas visitors' seems to be laying down markers for longer term consultation, but is also relevant in relation to students.
2. UKBA consultation
Read the UKBA response, and details of the (now closed) consultation, plus relevant documents
UKCISA's response to the UKBA consultation on a proposal "to change the Immigration Rules so that we can refuse permission to enter or stay in the UK if a migrant is subject to immigration control and is in debt to the NHS above a prescribed amount" urged that any such provision should not impact on international students who inadvertently become overstayers as the result of having their Tier 4 applications rejected as invalid.
The consultation document was called 'Consultation; Refusing entry or stay to NHS debtors A public consultation around proposed changes to the immigration rules'. Pages 14-17 contained the proposals on curtailing, or refusing, leave to those who have an outstanding NHS debt.
Home Affairs Committee follow-up report on Student Visas
26 July 2011
The HAC has produced a Student Visas: follow-up report expressing concern at what could be "an over-hasty student visas policy which could cost the UK economy £3.6 billion". One of its main criticisms is that the Impact Assessment was only produced 12 weeks after the new policies were announced – picking up on one of the key UKCISA recommendations and concerns in our original written evidence.
Home Affairs Committee report on Student Visas
17 March 2011
The Home Affairs Committee has published the report of its findings following its enquiry into student visas. The committee found international students to be "of vital importance" to the British economy. Amongst its other conclusions was an agreement that any cap on student visas is "unnecessary and undesirable", as well as concerns that data used in assessing migration figures is "not fit for purpose and could inhibit effective policy making". We await information as to how, and to what extent, the UKBA will use these findings.
20 January 2011
UKCISA's written evidence to the Home Affairs Committee's Enquiry
Leading figures in education object to UKBA plans to limit UK visas for international students
27 January 2011, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London
View the responses to the current UKBA consultation on visas for non-EU students from a panel of major stakeholders in the international education sector:
- Dominic Scott, Chief Executive, UKCISA
- Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive, Universities UK
- Aaron Porter, President, National Union of Students
- Susan J Hindley, Chair, Study UK
- Tony Millns, Chief Executive, English UK
- Professor Edward Acton, VC, University of East Anglia
Student Immigration System consultation
UKCISA's response
25 January 2011
UKCISA's response paper to the ConsultationUKBA's consultation and 'research' documents
13 December 2010
UKBA’s consultation and the related ‘research’Discussions on the proposed cap on student visas
22 November 2010
An exchange of correspondence between UKCISA and the UKBA's National Director for Temporary Migration on the proposed cap on student visas and the review of the student route: