Police Registration Policy is Lifted for UK International Students

The UK government has recently made a significant move that is being highly praised by the country’s international education sector. It has lifted a policy that required international students to register with the police.

The previous requirements of the now lifted policy entailed that international students remaining in the United Kingdom for longer than a six-month period should register their details and information with the local police forces, as well as pay a fee. 

Stakeholders have suggested that lifting this policy will reduce the sources of anxiety and stress for international students in the country, as well as make for a smoother international student experience in the UK moving forward. With that in mind, the government withdrew the policy on August 4th. 

“The decision to abolish the Police Registration Scheme will be welcome news for universities and international students alike." “The UK, along with others across the sector, have been calling for the policy to be dropped for some time,” said policy manager at Universities UK, Harry Anderson. 

Anderson continued, “The scheme was a significant administrative burden for international students, and there had been backlogs in the number of police appointments available." “Given the information included as part of the Police Registration Scheme is already captured during the visa application process, it is right that the government has decided it is no longer required.”

This abolition of the aforementioned policy was also welcomed and strongly supported by UKCISA chief executive, Anne Marie Graham, who thinks this change “will have an immediate benefit to the international student experience in the UK."

“For many years, UKCISA and its members have called for the removal of this unnecessary bureaucracy, which causes anxiety and stress for international students,” Graham stated.

Huan Japes, Membership Director at English UK, also stated the association for UK English language providers’ support on the matter, stating that they are “pleased that the home office is acknowledging that duplicate registration with the police is unnecessary since they already collect all the information they need through the student’s visa application."

Japes also added, “Anything which simplifies the UK experience for students and schools is very welcome, and this change will improve the overall student experience.”