Student Visas

Stephen Mosley Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

I note the hon. Gentleman’s comment and request; my hon. Friend the Minister for Immigration will be happy to meet him.

[Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (Con)]

One popular scam involves students deliberately failing their examinations repeatedly in order to retake them and hence prolong their stay in the UK. What action is my right hon. Friend proposing to tackle such scams?

[Mrs May]

I referred in my statement to students who stay on and move from course to course but I had not got as far as those who deliberately, as my hon. Friend suggests, fail their exams. There will be a time limit on how long someone can stay in the UK—three years for a below degree-level course. The limit will be extended for postgraduate studies and to accommodate those who are doing medicine and longer courses, but there will be a limit on the number of times that someone can try that ruse.