Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The British Embassy in Addis Ababa announced that Ethiopian students looking to study in the UK will be able to apply for their visa through Tier 4 of the new streamlined Points Based System beginning today.

According to a press release issued by the embassy, Ethiopian students will need to prove that they have been accepted onto a course run by an education institution which is a UK Border Agency (UKBA) licensed Tier 4 sponsor, proves that they have the means to support themselves, and supply their biometric details at their local visa application center.

If granted a visa, the new Tier 4 regulations allow international students to undertake part-time work of up to 20 hours per week during term time, full time work during the holidays and undertake any course related work placements, the release said. “The UK has a lot to offer international students. Now they see whether they are eligible for a visa before they even apply- making the system much clearer and easier to understand,” Susannah Susannah Richmond, Entry Clearance Manager of the British Embassy commented:, Entry Clearance Manager of the British Embassy commented.

The aim is to make the application process more transparent and straightforward, Richmond said.

For the first time, all independent fee-paying schools, colleges and universities that want to accept international students to study with them now need to a license to do so, the release indicated.

This will help the UK government crack down on bogus colleges, something which will be welcome news to many Ethiopian students, who can now be sure that the language school, college or university they intend to study at is an approved educational institution, it said.

According to the release, over a thousand UK institutions have signed up to sponsor international students.

Further information on visa products are posted on http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/,the release says.