Statement of Changes in the Immigration Rules

A new Statement of Changes in the Immigration Rules has been presented to parliament this week. There are significant changes to Tier 4 of the Points Based System. Please find below a breakdown of the main changes:

• College students will no longer be able to switch into Tier 2 or 5 in the UK from November 2015. They will instead have to leave the UK and apply for Entry Clearance;
• Tier 4 dependents will no longer be able to take low or unskilled jobs, from the autumn they will only be able to take part-time or full-time skilled work;
• From August 2015, new students at publicly funded colleges will no longer have permission to work, bringing them in line with those at private colleges;
• From November 2015, the time limit for studying at further education level will be reduced from 3 years to 2 years;
• From November 2015, college students will no longer be able to extend their Tier 4 visa in the UK unless they are studying at an ‘embedded college’, one which has a formal, direct link to a university that is recognised by the Home Office. University students will be able to study for a new course at the same level, however only where there’s a link to their previous course or the university confirms that this supports their career aspirations. The Home Office will conduct credibility interviews and sanctions against universities who abuse this rule, from August 2015;
• Tier 4 (General) maintenance requirement will be raised from September 2015.

We will continue to keep you updated.