New Rules and Changes to Tier 4 visas

The  following changes were announced on 13 July 2015 and will affect TIER 4 visa holders / applicants (mainly international students studying in the UK)

The main changes will:

• stop new students at publicly funded colleges from working, bringing them in line with those at private colleges (from August)
  
  
• allow university students to study a new course at the same level but only where there’s a link to their previous course or the university confirms that this supports their career aspirations. There will be credibility interviews and sanctions against universities who abuse this rule (from August)
  
  
• ban college students from extending their Tier 4 visas in the UK unless they are studying at an ‘embedded college’, one which has a formal, direct link to a university that is recognised by the Home Office. This will require them to leave and apply for a new visa from outside the UK if they wish to study another course (from November)
  
  
• ban college students from being able to switch visas to Tiers 2 or 5 in the UK, and require them to apply from outside the UK (from November)
  
  
• reduce the time limit for study at further education level from 3 years to 2 years. This brings the maximum period into line with the length of time British students generally spend in further education (from November)
  
  
• stop Tier 4 dependants from taking a low or unskilled job, but allow them to take part-time or full-time skilled work (from the autumn)
  

 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tier-4-visas-immigration-rules-changes