According to new rules, announced by the Home Ministry of the UK on Tuesday, only students at universities and public-funded colleges will be allowed to work. Earlier, all students were allowed to work for 20 hours a week to financially support their studies.[break]
“This new rule will have a great impact on Nepali students,” said Rakesh Shrestha, Director of International Relations at American Education Foundation, a Kathmandu-based educational consultancy. “Only a few Nepali students apply for universities. The new rule implies that some 80 percent students will not be allowed to work.”
In its announcement, the UK government has not clearly stated whether it has reduced the working hours for foreign workers. However, Rajendra Baral, general secretary of the Education Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN), claims that the UK´s new rule has reduced working hours for foreign students as well.
Graduates can still work, but will now have to secure a skilled job, reads a statement issued by the British Embassy in Kathmandu on Wednesday. According to the statement, the UK government has also introduced other rules, which will make the entry of Nepali students into the UK tougher. The UK government has made it clear that its new rules are not meant for creating hurdles for genuine students.
“My aim is not to stop genuine students coming here. It is to eliminate abuse within the system,” said UK home minister Theresa May, according to the statement. “Alongside our stricter rules, we will implement a new route specifically to attract student entrepreneurs.”
As per the new rules, not all foreign students will be able to bring their dependents in the UK. Only government-sponsored students, and certain post-graduate students, will be allowed to bring their dependents to the UK. Similarly, there will be a limit on the overall time that can be spent on a student visa in the UK.
“The limit on stay on a student visa in the UK is apparently meant for those students who tend to stay even after completing their courses,” Shrestha said.
“Especially, South Asian students, including Nepalis, hop from one subject to another while continuing to do odd jobs. The UK wants foreign students to return immediately after they complete their studies.”
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