New UK student visa system is an improvement says Woolas
January 05 2010 by Liam Clifford
In response to criticisms that the new UK student visa system is easily defrauded, UK immigration minister Phil Woolas has leapt to its defence.
There have
been reports in the papers about how students are defrauding the new points
based system for foreign students by using fake documents and enrolling in phony
courses. UK Border Agency staff have also claimed they have limited powers to
challenge suspected cases of abuse.
In response to these concerns, Woolas
urged that the new system is a "huge improvement on the past." He added that the
new requirement that students must be offered sponsorship from an accredited
education institution has helped wean out those trying to cheat the UK immigration system.
The letter of sponsorship awards the student 30 points. He or she must
make up the remaining ten points by proving they have the correct means with
which to pay for their living and study expenses.
However, the fact
remains that studying in the UK is highly desirable and some students will take
risks to gain a UK student visa fraudulently. UK student visas are popular as
they can also provide a path to gaining a UK work visa in the future.
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