Here is the latest news:

The Government have now conceded at Report Stage of the Bill a new provision on the duties of residential landlords that means that where accommodation is nominated by a higher education institution there will be no need for landlords to check on visas. Good news!!

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We are on Committee now with the Immigration Bill and fierce debate is taking place advocating the exclusion of overseas students from its provisions.

I strongly supported both Lord Hannay’s amendment to retain appeals as they are for students and Lib Dem colleague Baroness Hamwee’s amendment to effectively exclude Overseas Students from net migration figures. See my speech here.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldhansrd/text/140303-0003.htm#14030340000183

Our arguments are much reinforced by the recent  British Council document “EDUCATION IN EAST ASIA – by the numbers Making sense of the slowdown in outbound student mobility from China ” which has recently shown a huge slowdown in outbound Chinese students numbers.

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A major debate on Visa policy towards overseas students in Higher Education took place on Monday 10th February when the Immigration Bill was debated at 2nd Reading. A great many peers not only believe that students should be excluded from UK net migration figures but that they should be excluded from the provisions of the Bill which take away remaining Appeal rights, set charges for NHS Services and introduce requirements for landlords to check migration status. Both Universities UK and the National Union of Students are united in their view on the adverse impact of the Bill.

See the Debate here: 

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldhansrd/text/140210-0001.htm#14021021000162