PARIS – The government of France has made it tough for international students to come to the country and study with the introduction of a new fee.
As part of a bill that has been approved by the parliament, the lawmakers have introduced a deposit requirement for those applying for a student visa.
As far as the amount is concerned, the specific amount has not yet been specified but it is believed to cover unexpected costs that may arise during the students’ stay.
Based on the information available, it has come to the notice that the deposit will be reimbursed once the student’s residency permit expires, upon its renewal, or if the student acquires a new French residency permit under a different title or status.
Nevertheless, the deposit will remain withheld indefinitely in the event the student has avoided complying with a removal order.
The legislation will additionally implement a rise in tuition fees for non-EU students, besides requiring students holding multi-year residency permits to annually demonstrate their enrollment in a ‘genuine and substantial’ educational program, French publication Le Parisien reported.
Although the immigration law creates hurdles for immigrants to access specific benefits like housing aid, international students are excluded from this alteration. Interestingly, they remain eligible to receive housing benefits even with their student visa.
Though official details are set to be released, local media reports say that the students would also have to show the ‘real and serious nature of their studies’ every year to keep the residence permit intact.
Although the legislation seems anti-students, the country has set an ambitious goal of attracting 500,000 international higher education students by 2027.
The immigration bill, which also cost the country a prime minister, also introduced migration quotas and restrictions on citizenship for people born in France to non-French citizens.
It is also being reported that the new bill will make higher education fees for non-EU students mandatory though currently, several institutions offer full or partial waivers.
The passing of the bill has stirred concerns among the students who are calling on the authorities to reconsider measures as it will impact international students.
