Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Tougher rules on UK visa applications which take effect Wednesday will not affect Taiwanese students aspiring to study in the United Kingdom, the UK representative office in Taipei and Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
The new rules require that applicants have a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in a foreign language or its equivalent to study in the UK and that they take courses to improve their English language competency once they enter the UK. The rules also reduce in half the amount of time a student studying below first degree level will be able to work in the UK to just 10 hours per week during each school term.
The rule change was made because UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown had requested a review of the student visa requirements in November 2009 to prevent abuse of the system.
David Campbell, Director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , said the new rules should not have any negative impact on Taiwanese students.
"These changes are aimed at reducing immigration abuse, and should not affect anyone who is studying at a reputable educational establishment, " Campbell said.
"UK universities and colleges have an excellent reputation worldwide, and we are very pleased that increasing number of Taiwanese students are choosing to take advantage of the opportunities they offer, " Campbell added.
Campbell also noted that the rules do not change the fact that Taiwanese students do not need visas to take up short courses (less than six months) in the UK.
BTCO is the UK's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also does not expect the new measure to negatively impact the number of Taiwanese students hoping to study in the UK, director-general of MOFA's Department of European Affairs Chiu Jong-jen said.
Currently, there are more than 15,000 Taiwanese students studying in the UK, Chiu said.
Eliza Lee, marketing and communications manager of the British Council, the UK's international cultural relations organization, said the measures are targeted at students from India, Pakistan and other countries who go to the UK to work rather than study.
"Taiwanese students enjoy a good reputation overseas because they work hard in school and always appreciate different cultures and blend in well, " said Lee.
The new regulations, Lee said, are beneficial to Taiwanese students because the UK government requested schools to register with the Education Ministry so those schools will be counted as "highly trusted institutions" and foreign students will be able to attend trusted institutions.
Taiwanese students who studied short language courses in the UK increased by 15 percent last summer after Taiwan was granted six-month visa-free treatment by the UK, she noted.
The new immigration rules also impose a ban on bringing in dependents for anyone studying a course for less than six months; and a ban on dependents of anyone studying a course lower than foundation or undergraduate degree level from working.