YUSU international officer Roberto Avelar was told he had to leave the country after changes to student visa rules.
Avelar, who is graduating this year, successfully applied for an integrated masters course for the next academic year only to have his application to extend his student visa rejected due to changes introduced on April 6 this year.
Student visas can only now be extended if applicants can provide proof of progression in their studies, however only completing the degree students originally applied for is recognised as progress.
If an application to extend a visa is rejected the current visa is declared void regardless of its original expiry date and the applicant has 28 days to leave the country.
After returning from Croatia on June 21 where he was on holiday celebrating the end of exams Avelar was held for over an hour at Luton airport as he had not left the UK within the time limit after his application was rejected.
Avelar was given until 30 June, only 9 days, to leave the country.
The University sent Avelar multiple emails warning him to renew his visa, however he was unaware that he had until April when the law changed, rather than the typical 6 months, to send in his application.
Avelar, who has Colombian nationality, is now in Turkey with his mother and optimistic that his application for a fresh student visa for his masters will be approved although he has had to give up a summer work placement he obtained in the UK.
Circumstances that do not count as proof of progress now include international students who change to a year in industry or change courses, as well as students like Avelar who go onto an integrated masters course.
Avelar slammed the new rules: “As long as they've [international students] changed their course in any way and need to extend their visas to finish their new course, they are kind of screwed.
“I am fortunate to have the money to travel here on such short notice, but a lot of international students likely aren't in the same position as me, meaning they'd have to leave the country and take a year out while they sorted out their finances.
“I think it's important that we try to do something about this, especially given that EU students will likely also be affected in the future.
“Two years ago, 48,000 international students were wrongly deported by Home Office.
“Past surveys have shown that over 50% of overseas students (of the sample size taken of course) don't feel like the UK government is welcoming towards international students, and 19.4% said that they wouldn't recommend friends or family to study here.
“To be honest, given how hectic and stressful the past few months have been, I wouldn't recommend overseas students come to the UK either while legislation like this exists, which is really a shame because my past 3 years in York have been amazing and lots of universities in the UK offer opportunities that these students wouldn't otherwise have access to.”