Jaajef G-Lers, For anyone in the UK as an overseas student or thinking of coming to the UK to study, here is an update on changes to the rules on overseas students, regarding visa applications and work in the UK. The full text of the press release from the British Council is available on the web at http://www.britishcouncil.org/ecs/newsflash.htm Scholarships The Chevening programme currently provides more than 2,200 new scholarships each year for postgraduate study or research at UK higher education institutions. This will increase in 1999/2000. Most Chevening Scholarships are for one year Master's courses or equivalent, but some are for shorter specialised courses lasting for 3-6 months. Candidates for British Chevening Scholarships are selected by British Diplomatic Missions overseas. The scholarships are administered overseas and in the UK by the British Council on behalf of the FCO. Visa/entry rules The Government is streamlining processes for overseas students at four critical points: * visas, in countries where a visa is required for travel to the UK; * leave to enter and remain, when students first arrive in the UK; * permission to work, for students who want to combine study with work; and, * better information for the student thinking of coming to the UK. Visas In countries where visas for students have proved difficult to administer easily, a new partnership is being developed between visa offices and the British Council's Education Counselling Service. The British Council will give students guidance on entry clearance requirements and will help them fill in the visa forms, and where needed will act as go-between with the visa office. The visa offices are then able to process visas for bona fide students faster, often without having to interview the student. The partnership is now operating successfully in India and is being launched in China. The aim is to set up this partnership in countries with significant education market potential with the highest rate of student visa application rejections. The FCO has set a service target for visa offices, to turn round straightforward applications within 24 hours, and less straightforward applications in no more than 10 working days. New guidance to all visa offices is being issued on the key factors which cause problems for students applying for visas. Leave to enter and remain Everyone who enters the UK needs leave to enter and remain from Home Office immigration officers, whether they come from visa or non-visa countries. International students have experienced problems when they are granted leave to enter and remain for less then the length of their course, and need to apply for extensions. The Home Office has made two changes: * Immigration officers have been instructed to give leave to enter and remain for students for the full length of their course, unless there are specific reasons to give leave to enter and remain for a shorter time. * The Home Office has improved the turn round time of applications from international students for extensions to stay, to 2 weeks with the aim of faster turnaround times soon. Work Stamps in students' passports will not change. The formal and technical position is that students still need permission to work, but that the Secretary of State has given blanket permission for all affected students to work, subject to the specified conditions, so that individual permission is no longer necessary. The specified conditions remain unchanged: - the student should not work for more than 20 hours a week in term time except where the placement is a necessary part of their studies with the agreement of the education institution - the student should not engage in business, self employment or the provision of services as a professional sports person or entertainer - the student should not pursue a career by filling a permanent full time vacancy. Students also no longer need to get permission from the Overseas Labour Service to undertake a work placement which is part of their course of study or to do an internship placement. The Home Office leaflet for students, Home office and DfEE websites and other sources of information for students, employers and institutions are being revised to reflect this change. The new Home office leaflet may not be available until July or August. Students can use Jobcentres to look for and apply for jobs. Jobcentres have been told that the Employment Service no longer has any role in the issue of student work permits. Jobcentres have also been told that if employers are reluctant to employ students without a work permit they can issue an explanatory letter and have been given the text of one. Yeenduleen ak jaama Tony ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------