Foreign students to face tougher rules

Home Secretary Alan Johnson will bring in tougher rules including demanding that applicants be able to speak passable English and banning those enrolling for short courses from bringing dependants.

Would-be students from outside the EU will have to speak English to a level just below GCSE standard rather than beginner level as at present.

In a development which is likely to see a massive reduction in successful foreign applicants wishing to study in Britain, Mr Johnson admitted the tightening up of the rules had been planned for some time following Gordon Brown's pledge of a review in the wake of the attempted Detroit plane bombing.

The Home Secretary said he wanted to "strengthen" the points-based system, which was introduced a year ago.

"Those who are not seriously interested in coming here to study but come primarily to work, they should be in no doubt that we will come down hard on those that flout the rules.

"I make no apologies for strengthening an already robust system," he said.

The new rules do not require legislation and are due to come into force within weeks.

Controversially, foreign students taking "below-degree-level" courses will only be permitted to work for 10 hours a week instead of the current 20 which will still apply to British students.

Those on courses lasting less than six months will not be allowed to bring dependants at all, while the dependants of students on below-degree-level courses will not be allowed to work.

Resistance to the new rules is likely to be fierce, beginning with today's public meeting hosted by civil liberties group Students not Suspects, featuring veteran leftwinger Tony Benn.

A spokeswoman said: "We feel these rules are unfair, unwarranted and undemocratic.

"They require non-EU students and staff to have biometric ID cards if they extend their visas, involve demands on the financial background of applicants and mean that staff are obliged to report students to the UK Border Agency when they have not attended regularly."

Monday's meeting will start at 5pm at The Stretch, Dixon Road, Goldsmiths, London SE14 6NW.