KATHMANDU: British minister for business, skills and innovation on Saturday said Britain’s temporary ban on visas for university-level students from Nepal, north India, and Bangladesh would be lifted on March 1. Minister Pat McFadden added that the visas would not yet be issued to under-graduate students, reported the online edition of Hindustan Times. The bar would be lifted once the UK sets up a system of “highly-trusted sponsors” for institutions offering under-graduate courses. “Institutions will have to register with the UK Border Agency and other bodies and convince the government that their principal motive is education and not providing work,” he added. Earlier, UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson had announced that international students aspiring to study in the UK would be required to meet stricter criteria. The new requirements for international students follow a review of Tier 4 points-based system. The review looked at whether the current arrangements meet the right balance between facilitating access by genuine students and preventing abuse by economic migrants. “The new requirements are targeted and proportionate and continue to support the UK government’s commitment to ensuring that the UK remains an attractive destination to legitimate international students who want to benefit from the world-class education,” read a press statement issued by the British Embassy in Kathmandu on February 11. Quoting Home Secretary, the statement adds, “The points-based system was introduced to provide a rigorous system to manage legitimate access to the UK to work and study.” According to the new requirement, under-graduate students will be restricted to work for 10 hours per week during their term (a reduction from 20 hours), with fulltime employment permitted during the holidays. For those enrolled in short-term courses of six months or less will not be entitled to bring their dependents to the UK. The statement added that the dependents of under-graduate students will not be permitted to work in the UK unless they qualified in their own right under one of the other PBS tiers. The new requirements are expected to come into effect on March 3. In addition, the Tier 4 visa fee will be upped from £145 to £199. with effect from April 6.