The Board yesterday approved English UK's submission to the current consultation on the student visa system. Please click here to download the document.

The following email from Tony Millns was sent out to Nominated Representatives, Principals and Marketing Contacts on Friday 14 January:

At the JET meeting on Tuesday, English UK was told that the number of responses to the consultation was approaching 20,000, almost all from individuals. So far as UKBA could tell us, this seemed to be split between anti-immigration 'Disgusted of Tonbridge Wells' people and international students in HE institutions protesting against the proposal to withdraw post-study work (the NUS has done a great job stirring up students to respond, apparently).

The Board therefore felt that we are to some extent in a 'numbers game', and though UKBA has said that it will pay more attention to responses from the major associations, we should not leave the outcome to the 'popular vote' if we can help it.  So we would like to encourage you as far as possible to suggest to staff, students on T4 visas, and possibly host families, that they also have an interest in the proposals and might like to respond.

Your response should not merely copy ours, but we hope you will express similar points in different ways, and give any quantification you can of impact in terms of your own centre.

Since emails of this kind have been leaked before, I would prefer it if you did not copy this further.

To respond to the consultation, go to: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/consultations/students/

Best wishes for 2011.

Tony