Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the impact of the requirement that, in applying for a visa to study in the UK, international students should demonstrate they have sufficient available funds to cover their living expenses.

The maintenance requirements for Tier 4 (General) Students to cover living costs is set at the same level as the combined maximum maintenance loan and grant available to English students living away from home. These requirements are set out in paragraphs 153-176 of the Tier 4 Migrant Guidance.

All students need to meet the same maintenance requirements; however, some students are not required to provide documentation with their applications to confirm this, although the Home Office retain the right to request these documents at any point during the visa process. The details of this are set out in Appendix H of the Immigration Rules.

We will shortly be consulting on proposed changes to the non-EU work and study migration routes to see what more we can do to strengthen the system to support the best institutions – and those that stick to the rules – to attract the best talent.

Interested parties, including businesses and members of the education sector, will have the opportunity to engage with this consultation to help us get these reforms right.