On 15 June 2018 the Home Office published changes to the Immigration rules due to come into effect on 6 July 2018.
As part of the changes the Home Office has expanded the list of countries classified as "low risk countries" in Appendix H of the Immigration Rules. Students from these countries benefit from a streamlined application process for Tier 4 Visas in which they do not have to submit evidence of their finances, academic qualifications or academic progression.
Citizens of Bahrain, Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Kuwait, the Maldives, Mexico, Serbia, and Thailand are added to the category of people who enjoy relaxed documentary requirements when applying for Tier 4 visas.
The other countries deemed low risk are Argentina, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and United States of America.
Applicants from countries not on the list will still need to provide evidence of their finances and academic qualifications, however print-outs of academic transcripts are now deemed acceptable, however the Home Office can still request originals.
Another change sees students who study certain subjects and learn "knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction" require a certificate from ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme). Prior to the amendment, such a certificate would be required only if the course lasted longer than 6 months. The rule change sees this requirement apply regardless of the length of the course.
The move to relax these rules is welcome, but it is difficult to anticipate whether the Government will be adopting any further measures to encourage international students to study in the UK. Students are still officially counted in net migration figures which the Government has pledged to lower, prompting concerns over the long term growth of the sector.
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