UK bans students from non-EU countries from working

The British government approved new rules in July that will deny non-EU students pursuing vocational training in this country the opportunity to work while studying. Moreover, students enrolled in post-secondary programs that do not include a degree will have to leave the country upon completion of their studies. To apply for a work visa they will also have to leave the UK. The Home Secretary Theresa May has tabled a resolution to change immigration rules including these points in the British House of Commons.

In a companion address to the House, Immigration Secretary James Brokenshire said: "The government is reforming the student visa system to reduce the increase in migration and limit abuse in this area. The changes will help achieve these goals while enabling Britain to remain competitive in attracting the best international students."

New work rules for international students in Britain

• From August 3, 2015, non-EU students admitted to public colleges in Britain lost the right to work up to 10 hours per week (and full-time during vacations).

• From November 12, 2015, students in vocational training will not be allowed to apply for work A student will only be able to renew a visa if they demonstrate impressive academic progress, and their institution must have a partnership with the university.

The changes were announced by two ministers, then reported in the British media. Initially, the changes applied to all non-EU students, but official statements a week later limited them to vocational programs.

What to do for those already studying in Britain

The Guardian tried to estimate how many students would be affected by these changes: "The number of international students at British colleges has fallen sharply in recent years from more than 110,000 in 2011 to 18 297 in 2015. About 5,000 non-EU students are thought to be attending colleges that receive government funding. Many of them are preparing to take the high school diploma exam to enter one of Britain's universities."

The government believes the measures will be a response to "indications of a growing number of fraudulent practices" at some state colleges. Ministers say they have evidence that immigration consultants are promoting vocational education visas as a way to stay living and working in the United Kingdom.

Speaking in Birmingham on July 10, Business and Enterprise Minister Sajid Javid said: "We don't want a system where some see study as a way to settle in Britain, and that is the only motive. Those who come to study with us should come for the sake of studying itself."

In an interview with BBC Radio, the minister added: "We have to get a system that does not give loopholes for abuse. The right to education should not be used as a way to stay in Britain. So we need to break the link between studying and being able to settle here and make sure that the focus is on those who want to study. Once they get an education, they will leave."

Education and Business System Response

In approving the new rules, the government has completely reversed course - a similar proposal by the Home Secretary had previously been rejected. Late last year, Theresa May tried to revive interest in one of the items on the election program of the Conservative Party in power. It demanded that students from abroad apply for a UK work visa from their home country after graduation. The idea was harshly criticized. One of Britain's most famous entrepreneurs, the inventor James Dyson, then a contributor to The Guardian, wrote: "You train them and then throw them out. A bit short-sighted, isn't it?...Our borders must remain open to the best minds from around the world. Share our knowledge with them, give them opportunities to develop and allow them to apply it to our land. The ideas and ingenuity of young people will allow us to create technologies that the whole world will need."

Possibly because of this kind of criticism, the government chose not to let change happen until recently. Nevertheless, it has announced its intention to tighten the immigration system to reduce the rate of migration growth.

The inclusion of international students in Britain's migration statistics has been the subject of heated debate in recent years. The Conservatives' solid victory in the last election appears to mean a new step toward further tightening immigration controls.

The Daily Mail earlier quoted Minister Brokenshire as saying that May's statement is "part of a government plan to control migration in Britain's favor. Lawbreakers want to sell illegal access to the labor market to immigrants, and there are plenty of people willing to pay for it. The hard-working taxpayers who help fund public colleges expect these institutions to provide a top-notch education, not a loophole to a British work visa."

The consequences of banning foreign students from working in Britain

But both colleges and business leaders, echoing Dyson's arguments, warn that further restrictions on non-EU students' right to work could hurt the international education sector and deny Britain a key source of innovation.

Before the new rules were approved, Seamus Nevin of the Institute of Directors, a community of business leaders, said, "The Minister for Business and Enterprise's proposals to throw out international students after graduation are misguided and would damage Britain's education system, economy and prestige in the world.

Other countries happily accept such students, but Britain puts up barriers and artificially makes it more expensive to stay. The current shameful changes will drive them out of the country as soon as they graduate...In the interest of our education system, business and international status, the Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise should reconsider this proposal."

The reaction of industry associations to the government's measures has not been long in coming either. In an official press release from the Association of Colleges, its head, Martin Dole, said, "Institutions have a well-designed, rigorous attendance monitoring system that is designed to prevent any violations. If vocational education were really being used as a back door for fake students, we would easily notice.

To prevent international students from continuing their education in Britain after graduation is to restrict their progression from colleges to universities. The government risks severely limiting the United Kingdom's ability to attract international students. A-Levels and International Foundation Year programs for international students are a sound educational trajectory that has led many to successfully obtain degrees from the most prestigious universities. By blocking the transition from post-secondary education to university, the government is doing irreparable damage to Britain as a country of interest to international students. The new rules need immediate review."

Economic consequences of banning foreigners from working in England

"These rules are an insurmountable obstacle for international students, which will send thousands of them into the open arms of our competitors among other countries," adds Graham Able, chairman of Exporting Education UK. - Surveys have shown that Britons are friendly to students from abroad, value their positive contributions and think it's fair to give them the opportunity to work in the country after they graduate.

Employers keep saying they need a steady stream of skilled workers. The country as a whole benefits from the energy of these talented young people...by leaving, they become our best representatives abroad.

Because the Home Office has not consulted with those who know the British education system best, these proposals are underdeveloped and underthought. If implemented in their current form, they will drastically reduce the attractiveness of Britain to international students."

It should be noted that the changes in the rules stand in stark contrast to similar policies in other popular educational countries, which, by contrast, are moving toward more opportunities for internationally educated students. At least from this perspective, education officials' worries about how eliminating the right to work for non-EU students might affect the UK's competitiveness are more than justified.