Introduction

Within the context of the regulation of English language standards in higher education, reference was made in Chapter 2 to the increasing role of immigration departments in the establishing of university entry threshold proficiency levels. In countries such as the United Kingdom, this development has proven to be highly significant and it highlights a tension at the political level between a desire by some governments to be seen to be taking robust measures to control levels of immigration, instances of illegal immigration and employment and the issuing of student visas on the one hand, and on the other a desire to create a buoyant economy though promoting the virtues of their respective higher education sectors through political discourse and, in the case of the United Kingdom, institutions such as the British Council that promote British educational and cultural interests internationally. That is, while the British government, for example, seeks to extol the virtues and benefits of the educational experience offered by its universities as a way of promoting Britain and generating business and thus income for the national economy and for higher education institutions through international student fees, it has, simultaneously, been making it more challenging for international students to obtain visas permitting them to enter the country for the purpose of studying. In 2011, the Home Office UK Border Agency issued a press release announcing changes to its immigration rules affecting Tier 4 (the student tier) of the points-based system it employs. Among other things, these changes:

1. • restricted work entitlements to migrants studying at higher educational institutions (HEIs) and publicly funded further education colleges only;

2. • restricted the sponsorship of dependents to those studying at postgraduate level at HEIs on courses lasting at least twelve months, and government-sponsored students on courses lasting at least six months;

3. • stipulated minimum English language levels required for study in the United Kingdom both at degree level and above as well as below degree level (including pre-sessional courses);

4. • required education providers to vouch that a new course represented genuine academic progression;

5. • ensured that maintenance funds were genuinely available to the applicant, by introducing a declaration on the visa application form;