A new policy means that overseas students will now need to give fingerprints when applying for visa extensions to study in the United Kingdom.
It has been revealed that overseas students will require biometric identity cards, containing personal information, which, alongside fingerprinting students, is part of a bid to tighten immigration.
This is part of a Home Office initiative to help combat ‘bogus students’, the term used to describe immigrants gaining visas under the pretence of studying in the UK.
It is hoped that these new regulations will help to decrease the Home Office having to check information about students applying to study in the UK.
However, this news has emerged amongst criticism that the new regulations will discourage potential students from studying in the UK.
Currently overseas students – those from outside the European Union – are an important source of income for universities, due to them paying higher fees than UK students.
In a statement from the university watchdog, the Quality Assurance Agency, it is said that some universities are now financially dependent on overseas students, who contribute roughly £2.5bn to the UK economy.
The Home Office are positive about their new policy, and Phil Woolas, the Border and Immigration Minister, said “This new route for students will ensure we know exactly who is coming here to study and will stamp out bogus colleges which facilitate the law-breakers.”
