Over half of the colleges registered with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills as approved providers for student visas have been struck off the list. Out of the 256 colleges inspected since 2005, 124 have lost their accreditation.

There has been a problem for some years of bogus colleges of higher education being created as a way both for international students to enter the country on a student visa and to fleece others who genuinely wanted to study. Many of the colleges are no more than a front to allow illegal immigration into Britain, or a scam to take thousands of pounds in processing fees from unsuspecting students. Some of the colleges struck off the list have been found to be operating out of temporary office addresses, and few match up to the campuses portrayed on their websites, which for many students is all they can base their decisions on applying on. There are still around 1750 colleges left to be inspected, and it remains to be seen how many of them will be struck off.

A place at one of these colleges is the gateway to a student visa, and with that the associated benefits. A student visa, although requiring the holder attend courses for fifteen hours a week, allows the holder to work legitimately in the UK, as well as allowing their spouse and children to enter and work. This, when coupled with new advice that students overstaying their visas will not be deported as a matter of course, has led to concerns amongst members of the opposition. The Border and Immigration Agency has revealed that only foreign students who have been accused of fraud or corruption will be pursued at the end of their visas. The shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, has accused the government of backing down on their promises to tackle illegal immigration.

It is estimated that international students are worth between £4bn and £5bn to the UK economy annually. The problem for the future is ensuring that students study at legitimate places rather than slipping away into the black economy once arriving, whilst at the same time not making it too difficult and bureaucratic for legitimate students to apply.