Ed News :UK visa curbs putting off Indian students?

Amidst renewed calls to the David Cameron government to review recent
curbs on student visas, the British universities have reported a
significant fall in applications for courses from India for the
forthcoming academic year starting September-October.

The actual scale of fall in students from India and other non-EU
countries will be clear by September, when students arrive to start
their courses, but lesser number of applications received by April-May
suggests that international students may be looking elsewhere.

Britain faces stiff competition mainly from Canada and Australia to
attract high fee-paying international students.

The challenge has increased as changes to the student visa regime in
the UK - particularly the closure of the post study work visa- have
been reported widely in countries such as India and Nigeria.

According to the Sunday Times, universities are seeing falls of more
than 30 per cent in applications from India "in the first signs that
foreign students are being put off coming to Britain by the
government's crackdown on migration".

Universities UK (UUK), the umbrella body representing 134 higher
education institutions, has warned the prime minister that
universities could lose between 5 to 8 billion pounds every year due
to the restrictions put in place as part of plans to curb visa abuse
and net immigration.

Prof Eric Thomas, chairman of UUK, says in a letter to Cameron that in
China and India, Britain is seen as "putting up barriers to entry",
and added: "The UK seems to be telling the world that it doesn't
welcome international students".

Julia King, vice-chancellor of Aston University in Birmingham, told
The Sunday Times that the university had experienced a "dramatic"
slump in applications from India, which were usually about 1,000 a
year but have fallen to 650 for 2012.

"They believe the situation is much friendlier in Australia, the US
and Canada - other places where they can learn in English," Ms King
said.

read more at http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/uk-visa-curbs-putting-off-indian-students-213299