Student Visa’s in the UK

Recent data shows that the University of Birmingham, enroll the most international students than other Birmingham Universities, such as Birmingham City University and Aston University, However the chart shows that non-European Unions Students get accepted into Birmingham Universities than other European Universities,with 1460 beating out the 545 other European Union students at University of Birmingham, a similar pattern follows at Aston University, Birmingham City University and Birmingham College University.

However studies at UCAS, a British admission service for students applying for university or higher education, show that majority of international students that apply for university within the UK is, is students from China,with the numbers reaching as high as 12182 in 2012. Which is more applicants than countries closer to the UK such as Ireland and France. The greatest rise in numbers for applicants applying for British universities is Hong Kong with 3586 applicants in 2009 to 6780 applicants in 2013. What else is interesting to look is that number of applicants from Nigeria had steadily dropped since 2009 with 3144 applicants to 2595 applicants in 2013.

A Former International Student turned Lecturer at Coventry University was asked why he thought more non-European union students enroll and are accepted

“Firstly there are more non-European union students that European union students. Also I think that there are some good universities within Europe so many students from their don’t find it necessary to move countries, however I think many students come from developing countries and are trying to help themselves and their family by getting a decent degree and then a well paying job.”

Having spent 10 years studying within the UK, A University Lecturer,  had expressed his views on being a former international student, from Ghana and voices how he feels sorry for the younger generation of international students and how he feels that it is more difficult for international students to fully thrived within the UK university system.

A Bangladeshi International student, Mijan Rahman, a former International Student at Aston University, had preferred the idea of staying the UK than go back to his home country, due to the job prospects that England has to offer stating

“Moving from Bangladesh to the UK I knew after I completed my degree I wanted to live in the UK. I knew if I went back to my country all this hard work will go to waste. The job prospects are very low there; in the UK I have more opportunities.”

“I was not enjoying my experience as much, I didn’t get to live the ‘free’ student life that others were living. Although I couldn’t complain much as my life here was better than in Bangladesh.”

Knowing life was better in Birmingham; Rahman knew this would end soon as he would not be able to carry on studying and juggling two jobs at once whilst studying. His student visa was to come to an end soon.

“I prepared myself mentally as I knew would have to go back once this course had finished.” He said.

However in 2012 data shows that 64% EU nationals come to the UK to work compared to the 19% that come to study, Whereas 59% come to study from non-EU nationals and 19% chose to come for work.

Despite these statistics the government have issued less student visa’s for the third year in a row. In 2012 the amount of international students who successfully received a study visa had fallen 21% (211,000) since 2011 and a further 5% (-9,750) in the year ending June 2013 (204,469).

However despite the decline in student visa issues there was a 5% increase in student visitor visas in the year ending June 2013.

Kiri Kankhwende, the special projects and development manager at Media Diversified had mentioned in her feature piece posted on the Huffington Post that she believes that the British as a nation, are purposely unwelcoming towards Immigrants.

“the Big British Immigration Row, sums up everything that’s wrong with the current discourse on immigration: lots of heat and very little light.”

She also thinks that with the privatisation of Immigration checks that there is a possibility  that ethnic minority British Citizens who are more than likely to be considered foreign, would also be discriminated against.

Kankhewende also gives the readers a warning  “If you think this won’t affect you, it’s worth considering the implications on wider society of getting citizens to monitor one another. You may not be a landlord, employer or otherwise likely to be in a position to make immigration checks on another person, but you could still be affected. In order to avoid discrimination, efficiency and common sense suggests immigration checks for all.”

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