Visa Curbs Will Cut Overseas Students by 80,000, Says Theresa May

Great Britain’s dynamic campuses draw ambitious students from around the globe, the likes of India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former US President Bill Clinton and Charles Kao, the so-called Father of Fiber Optics. But campuses may be less inviting as the government aims to reduce total net immigrants to 100,000 per year. Students account for the bulk of visas issued to non-EU immigrants, reports Alan Travis for the Guardian, so the new targets entail restrictions on student entry. As of April, the UK will impose tougher rules on accreditation, language requirements, part-time work and deadlines for completing coursework. Students can no longer plan on working in Britain for two years after graduation unless they secure jobs with an annual salary of £20,000. Students who stay 11 months or less are not counted in net immigrant totals, so colleges may develop new schedules. Critics argue that foreign students, rich and poor, contribute to economic competitiveness. – YaleGlobal