Reforms to the student immigration system for international education announced

Following a number of high profile closures of international schools and protests by students affected by the closures, the Government has announced proposed reforms to ensure better regulation and protection.

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald announced that the Government has approved the implementation of a series of reforms to the student immigration system for international education.

The key reforms include:

• A more restrictive list of education programmes eligible for student immigration purposes. Further education and vocational and training education programmes will no longer feature on the list as of 1 June 2015.
• In relation to higher education programmes, only programmes which are accredited by Irish awarding bodies, or those accredited by universities in the EU that meet quality assurance standards comparable to those of Irish accredited programmes, will be permitted to recruit international students.
• With regard to English language programmes, only those providers who can demonstrate that they have reached an acceptable standard will be permitted to appear on the list from 1 October 2015.
• The standard 12 months immigration permission for the purposes of attending a 25 week English language programme is being reduced to 8 months with effect from 1 October 2015. Students will be permitted 3 such permissions and there will be no reduction in overall tuition.
• All institutions will have to comply with new requirements including a clear declaration of ownership, shadow directors, physical infrastructure and teaching capacity.
• A number of measures designed to protect students are being introduced including compulsory learner protection arrangements and a separate account facility to safeguard student advance payments.

Click here for the joint press release.