Latest news: Controversy over student visa cuts

A new coalition student visa system will cut international student numbers by over 25%, according to home secretary Theresa May. 28/03/2011 

The package will see tighter rules on how private colleges sponsor overseas students, tougher English language requirements, restrictions on students bringing dependants into the UK and changes to how international graduates move into post-work study – including a rule that they must find a job that pays at least £20,000 a year.

These changes will bring about a reduction of 100,000 in student visa applications.

Mrs May insisted that the coalition still aimed to attract the ‘brightest’ students to the UK, but that the student visa system had become broken under the previous Labour government.

‘This package will stop the bogus students studying meaningless courses at fake colleges. It will protect our world-class institutions and stop the abuse that has became all too common under Labour,’ she told MPs.

The plan has been criticised by business tycoon Sir James Dyson, who branded the cuts ‘sheer madness’.

The vacuum cleaner designer said that cutting international student visas meant many companies would face a shortage of skilled staff and may be forced to move abroad, particularly in the engineering sector.

‘I am extremely concerned because England is already under-producing the numbers of engineers it needs by 50%,’ he told BBC Radio 4.

‘I think it is sheer madness to be effectively chucking out graduates who we desperately need. I am afraid what it will end up doing is driving firms like us abroad because we simply can’t get people to do our research and development.’

Sir James sits on Prime Minister David Cameron’s business advisory group.