Tier 4 sponsors spend £67m extra in 2012-13 to meet new UK immigration rules

A UK education body has called on the UK's Home Office to stop changing in the rules for Tier 4 sponsors. The Higher Education Better Regulation Group (HEBRG) says that the UK's Home Office has created uncertainty among colleges and universities and says that this lack of clarity has cost them about £67m in administration costs in 2012-13 alone.

The HEBRG says that universities are, and always have been, willing to comply with Home Office rules designed to ensure that only genuine students study at UK educational institutions but Andrew Boggs, an HEBRG policy advisor said 'higher education institutions are prepared to meet Home Office expectations on student visa compliance but confusion over requirements and constant rule changes have led to waste and overspending in an effort to comply'.

Since 2009, UK educational institutions have had to be Home Office licenced Tier 4 sponsors in order to teach students from outside the European Economic Area. Higher educational institutions have complained that the UK Border Agency (UKBA) constantly changed their guidance and made it almost impossible to comply with the rules.
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