Fake schools targeted by visa law

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6913242.stm

I thought this was an interesting read. Does anyone think this would have an impact on, say, the time it takes to have a student visa approved? I'm just wondering if this new legislation would make the student visa process more difficult for valid students. In addition, I worried that it would increase the costs of the visas since it probably requires more leg work to process the proof from universities that they are valid institutions.

Any thoughts?

The fact that there are bogus universities doesnt surprise me because student visas are among the easiest visa to get approved for.

What does surprise me is that when they issue these student visas, the UK government doesn't have some way of checking whether the student is registered there or even if the institute exists! Shocking.

What does surprise me is that when they issue these student visas, the UK government doesn't have some way of checking whether the student is registered there or even if the institute exists! Shocking.

Not sure what makes you think this.  The applicant certainly does have to show that they have accepted an unconditional offer of a place at the relevant college, and the college has to be on the DfES register.  It's the register that needs policing a bit more robustly where private colleges are concerned, because of a few dodgy ones, and this is what is changing. 

I think this is a good thing - I have had plenty of people contact me as they have thought they were applying for a genuine course and have subsequently found different, so it will protect the student as well.

It just goes to show that the current DFES register isn't really working though.

Vicky

I work at a university and have dealings with the department that runs the halls of residence and every year we discover empty rooms where the student has accepted an unconditional offer, paid the deposit for accommodation, turned up and registered for their course and then disappear having never moved into their rooms or attended a single class.  I'm not sure if there is some rule that they have to report it to some government body or not, but it's a surprisingly frequent occurrence.

I'm not sure if there is some rule that they have to report it to some government body or not, but it's a surprisingly frequent occurrence.

As of April 2007, universities are obliged to keep detailed records of attendance which the Home Office can check on request.  There is no obligation at the moment for institutions to actively report to the Home Office any no-shows or students who withdraw or just disappear, nor for students themselves to report any change of study plans, but they will come to light in any Home Office check. 

Some institutions have decided off their own bat to report those who are not attending, but my experience is that some institutions that do this, or who threaten to do it, are inconsistent about it, and may have questionable or even unprofessional motives for doing the reporting.

I think this is a good thing - I have had plenty of people contact me as they have thought they were applying for a genuine course and have subsequently found different, so it will protect the student as well.

It just goes to show that the current DFES register isn't really working though.

Vicky

That is a good point. I never thought of the fact that some students may have believed they were applying to a valid school only to be ripped off in the end.

I work at a university and have dealings with the department that runs the halls of residence and every year we discover empty rooms where the student has accepted an unconditional offer, paid the deposit for accommodation, turned up and registered for their course and then disappear having never moved into their rooms or attended a single class.  I'm not sure if there is some rule that they have to report it to some government body or not, but it's a surprisingly frequent occurrence.

It's amazing to me that someone would go through all that trouble and not attend. I'd think they'd just overstay the visa at the end of their studies. I mean, isn't that what most overstayers of student visas do? I'd be too nervous to do something like that. I'd be afraid of possibly damaging my ability to reenter the UK later!

That is a good point. I never thought of the fact that some students may have believed they were applying to a valid school only to be ripped off in the end.

It's amazing to me that someone would go through all that trouble and not attend. I'd think they'd just overstay the visa at the end of their studies. I mean, isn't that what most overstayers of student visas do? I'd be too nervous to do something like that. I'd be afraid of possibly damaging my ability to reenter the UK later!

I think the point is they never wanted to study anyway... they just wanted a way in.

I think the point is they never wanted to study anyway... they just wanted a way in.

Yup, that's my opinion too...

I remember one in particular who applied went through the whole process, including paying the deposit, but had his visa denied.  We deferred it to the next year when he was successful in obtaining his visa only to do exactly what i described in my previous post.

Yup, that's my opinion too...

I remember one in particular who applied went through the whole process, including paying the deposit, but had his visa denied.  We deferred it to the next year when he was successful in obtaining his visa only to do exactly what i described in my previous post.

Amazing. That seems very weird to me. Don't they pay tuition too? That is an awful lot of money to owe just to get into a country. But then again, I guess if they disappear people can't exactly hunt them down for repayment either.

Amazing. That seems very weird to me. Don't they pay tuition too? That is an awful lot of money to owe just to get into a country. But then again, I guess if they disappear people can't exactly hunt them down for repayment either.

We're one of a number of instituitions who don't take payment up front for tuition fees, we bill them once they've registered.  If they're in accommodation they pay £300.00 up front, but in the grand scheme of things i suppose that's not a lot to lose.  It was the non-payment that would prompt us to visit their room (after the usual round of letters) and then discover it was empty (or being occupied by someone not remotely connected to the university - on one occassion there was four people in a single room!).  Working backwards we'd then discover that they'd never attended class etc.  Given the long and labourious debt collection process here, it would be as long as 5 months before it got to that stage.

Also, the bank on site here would accept their accommodation contract as evidence of accommodation so they'd be able to open a bank account no problem.

I agress with you SomedayInTheUK, it seems crazy to me to go through all the hassle of applying etc but what annoys me the most is that they're preventing someone else attending.

Wow Carol, I didn't know that some unis did that! That puts it into a totally different perspective so now I can understand how someone would be motivated. 300 pounds plus the  cost of a visa application isn't much to get into a different country.

That is very frustrating in regards to the fact that these people take up spots that actual students could have had. Why don't these unis that take tuition after the fact change their policies? I mean I'm sure it isn't a huge, detrimental impact, but I'd think that it could be implemented without a great deal of problems. In the end, they'd be pushing through students who really did want to be there instead of people who just want a free ride into the UK.

What do you do when you find 4 people staying in a room like that? I would be so shocked!

Why don't these unis that take tuition after the fact change their policies? I mean I'm sure it isn't a huge, detrimental impact, but I'd think that it could be implemented without a great deal of problems. In the end, they'd be pushing through students who really did want to be there instead of people who just want a free ride into the UK.

Being careful here because i know there are other uni employees out there...but in MY institution, changing policies is an incredibly long and arduous process, it has to go through committee upon committee before it gets to the deciding committee and then it has to go one up from there if applicable.  We're changing slightly for next years intake where we'll be taking a deposit in advance for around £1500 - but this is ONLY for Post-Grad overseas students (bearing in mind it started out as 100% prepayment for all students and ended up at this - gives you a bit of a clue as to how things work!!!).  This is only at my uni, so please don't be offended if other universities out there work more efficiently.

What do you do when you find 4 people staying in a room like that? I would be so shocked!

Luckily i don't get to do that job, but the people who do have found far more shocking things than that in a bedroom - i love students, their antics are just hilarious!

I had to pay a £1500 tuition deposit upon registration when I arrived at my uni in September...and reading Carol's story I realise now why I was asked for it!  It was a huge hassle for me because the deadline to pay was literally days after I received my student loan cheques (in US $, while I was in the UK) and I had to scramble to make sure I had the funds, but it ended up working out fine.

I didn't think about that. A lot of unis seem to have that issue with committees. It's like the uni is a mini country and has all that governmental red tape to go through.

Luckily i don't get to do that job, but the people who do have found far more shocking things than that in a bedroom - i love students, their antics are just hilarious!

I've seen some pretty crazy things in my days as a student... I had some friends who managed to steal a traffic signal. Don't as me how they got it down, because I have no idea and they didn't share their secret! All I know is, traffic lights are crazy bright in a small dorm room!