Thaindian News

London, Mar 22 (ANI): British Home Secretary Theresa May would reportedly announce that the number of foreign student visas issued annually would be slashed by 100,000.

May would also announce scores of measures to deal with fake colleges and tighten the rules, including restrictions on those wanting to study at below degree level, The Telegraph reports.

The government would also reportedly cut down on a controversial scheme in half, which allows thousands of foreign graduates to stay on after completing their degree to look for work there.

The British government has reportedly planned to take such actions after it was revealed that one in seven foreign students in the country are studying in fake private colleges.

Whitehall sources are of the opinion that the move, along with other measures like a tighter English language requirement, will cut the number of students arriving in the UK each year by 80,000.

The paper quoted a Home Office spokeswoman as saying that the students’ immigration has doubled in the last ten years, adding that most of them use the facility to work and not study in that country.

“This Government recognises the important contribution that international students make to the UK’s economy, and to making our education system one of the best in the world. But it has become very apparent that the old student visa regime failed to control immigration and failed to protect legitimate students from poor quality colleges,” she said.

“Too much trust has been placed on largely unregulated colleges and too many people used to come as students but were primarily working, not studying. We want to refocus the system as a temporary route, available to only the brightest and best,” the spokeswoman added. (ANI)