Foreign undergraduates think visa changes make them unwelcome

MANY international students believe that changes to the UK’s visa system mean they are no longer welcome, a survey suggests.

It raises concerns that while parts of the visa system are becoming easier to understand, many people have negative perceptions about the UK.

The survey, which questioned 5,000 overseas university and college students, found that almost one in five (19 per cent) disagreed with the statement that “the UK welcomes well-qualified international students”.

The report, by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), concludes: “The fact that nearly four in ten of those well-qualified students who successfully gained places and visas did not endorse the statement that the UK welcomes international students is a very real cause of concern.”

The poll revealed 70 per cent of students applying from overseas found the visa application process quick and efficient, compared to 59 per cent in 2009.

Professor Paul Webley, who chairs UKCISA, said: “All of the students we surveyed qualified for visas. All of them wanted to come to the UK. Many of them will be the brightest and the best, accepted by our leading colleges and universities.

“It is essential therefore that we get these processes right, for the sake of continued growth in the sector and promote the message that in this field the UK is very much open for business.”

He added: “It is widely recognised that international students are enormously beneficial to the education sector and to the UK more widely and therefore the findings on their perceptions, in particular, is a major cause of concern.”