New rules for Colleges who teach overseas students

26th July 2007

Any college recruiting students from abroad will in future need to be registered on a new Home Office Sponsors' Register...

To qualify for the register they will have to show they have been accredited by an approved body. This will demonstrate that they are a genuine education provider and prevent any acting as a front for the entry of bogus students or illegal immigrants to the country. The new rules are part of Britain's new Points Based System (PBS) for managing migration.

Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education Bill Rammell said:

"The Government welcomes the many genuine international students who come to study in the UK each year. But a minority of less reputable colleges in this country work with people overseas helping them to get round the immigration rules and enter the UK to work illegally. That is why new rules for colleges who teach overseas students have today been announced.

"Unaccredited institutions should seek accreditation with one of the approved accreditation bodies as soon as possible. These improvements will mean we are better equipped to protect the UK against those individuals and colleges who want to misuse the student route of entry to this country. We are also able to offer international students the assurance that they are applying to trustworthy and good quality learning institutions in the UK. This will further enhance the reputation of UK education abroad.

"Under the Points Based System, education providers will act as the sponsors of their international students and will not be able to bring international students to the UK unless they are on the PBS Sponsor Register. Requiring educational institutions to be accredited before they can qualify for the Register means that UK Visas staff will be able to trust the decisions of those establishments in offering places to potential students with the result that the visa issuing process will become much quicker."

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne, said:

"We are already cracking down on bogus colleges and schools and 69 have already been stripped of their right to take foreign students since 2005, but today's announcement is the next step.

"Abuse of our education system will not be tolerated. The sponsor register, along with an extra £100 million of investment to double our enforcement capability, will help us do this.

"Foreign students bring in a huge £5 billion a year. But migration has to support Britain's national interests.

"Our new Australian-style points-based system will be simpler, clearer and easier to enforce. Crucially, it will give us the best way of letting in only those people who have something to offer Britain."

The announcement comes as The Border & Immigration Agency, working with Ofsted, announce the organisations they have approved to inspect and accredit educational institutions so that they can qualify for the sponsor register

Many private education providers already have existing accreditation with one of these bodies which, if valid at the date of application and continues to be valid at the time the new student route is introduced, may be used to obtain registration.

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