Yet another statement of changes to the immigration rules has been announced this week.
The new rule requires that before Tier 4 visa is granted the Entry Clearance Officer is to be satisfied that he is dealing with a “genuine student”. Students from “low risk” countries will not be affected by this requirement. Others may expect to be interviewed. From the introductory announcement by the UKBA it appears that the interview would concentrate on the applicant’s ability to understand and speak English. Failure to communicate adequately with the Entry Clearance Officer, as well as failure to attend the interview without a reasonable explanation, will result in a visa refusal under the new powers.
The new rules will come into force on 30 July 2012.
Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 514
