The Oxford University. Nearly a third of UK's foreign students from outside the EU come from China. [Photo/IC]

Reforms are not aimed at university students or those with graduate level, well-paid job offers

The United Kingdom has some of the world's top universities and China is our most important market for students - in fact, almost a third of our foreign students from outside the European Union come from China.

We have a highly competitive offer for these students - and we remain the second-most popular destination in the world for international higher education students, behind only the United States.

Last year more than 64,000 visas were issued to Chinese students and their dependants - more than any other country - and this figure continues to rise.

We truly value these students - they make an important contribution to the UK during their time here and help make our education system one of the best in the world.

But to ensure we maintain our reputation for educational excellence, we need to make sure the system is properly controlled.

The changes we have recently announced to the Tier 4 student visa route are designed to do exactly that - stop immigration cheats abusing publicly funded education and using the education sector as a backdoor to the British jobs market.

The vast majority of Chinese students' applications - 85 percent - are to come to the UK to study at our universities. These recent changes are aimed at colleges - the UK's further education sector - and not universities, so they will not have a significant impact on most Chinese students.

For example, the requirement for Tier 4 visa holders to leave the UK after graduation only affects those studying at colleges. So, if you are at university you will still be able to extend your student visa, or switch into another visa route, if you are offered a graduate-level job paying an appropriate salary while in the UK - allowing you to stay here longer.

It is important that the primary reason for students coming here is to study, not to work. We closed the old Tier 1 (post study work) route because it attracted too many students to the UK for the wrong reasons, and allowed them to stay on in low-skilled work.

We now have a refined, targeted post study work offer which allows students to switch into graduate level roles, to become graduate entrepreneurs and help foster the UK's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, or, if they are graduating with a PhD, to extend their stay for an extra year to look for work or start their own business.

We also want genuine international students to put their new knowledge and skills to the best possible use by gaining a suitably skilled and challenging role in the jobs market, not taking low-skilled work.

This is why we have introduced a more selective system. So, let me be clear, if you come to study and then gain a graduate level, well paid job, you can stay on to work in the UK once your course has finished.

It is also right that students contribute to the public services that they may need to use while they are here, which is why they pay our immigration health surcharge - albeit at a reduced rate to others who come to the UK. Private medical insurance for students and working migrants is a common requirement in many of our competitor nations, such as Australia and the US - and the costs there are higher.

Our reform of the student visa system - which includes introducing English language testing, removing sponsorship rights from hundreds of bogus colleges, and restricting students' access to the jobs market - is all part of our plan to maintain the UK's reputation for educational excellence and ensure our visa routes are fair for the people of Britain, as well as those seeking to come for work or study.

The author is British minister for immigration. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.