Over 450 colleges in foreign students ban as Ministers combat immigration abuse

The colleges, which either failed to sign up to the new inspection system or had their licences revoked, could have brought more than 11,000 international students into the UK each year, the Home Office said.

Some could not produce any records of student attendance, others failed to show they checked student qualifications and another could not even produce a list of students enrolled or a timetable of classes.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said widespread abuse of the student visa system, the most common way for migrants from outside the EU to get into the UK, had gone on for too long.

“The changes we have made are beginning to bite,” Mr Green said.

“Too many institutions were offering international students an immigration service rather than an education and too many students have come to the UK with the aim of getting work and bringing over family members.

“Only first-class education providers should be given licences to sponsor international students.

“We have curbed the opportunities to work during study and bring in family members.

“We have also introduced new language requirements to ensure we only attract genuine students whose primary motivation is to study.”

More than 400 colleges lost their right to recruit international students after they failed to sign up for the new inspection system, the figures showed.

A sharp spike in student visa applications from south Asia just before the English language requirement rules were tightened prompted an investigation into 119 colleges, the UK Border Agency said.

Of these, 51 had their licences revoked, three had licences suspended and nine were re-rated. A total of 11 are subject to further considerations and 45 were found to be compliant. The move comes after the Government announced a blacklist of more than 2,500 banks which cannot be trusted to verify documents supporting student visa applications.

Foreign students applying to study in the UK who claim they have funds to support themselves and pay for their course held in any of the banks on the list will receive no points for maint-enance, the UK Border Agency said.

The list, which includes 1,977 banks in India, three in Pakistan and 762 in the Philippines,

Students represent almost two-thirds of the migrants coming to the UK from outside the EU each year.