London Metropolitan University today won back its licence to recruit foreign students.
The Home Office lifted its ban saying the university had made “improvements to its systems and administrations.”
It means London Met can start taking students from outside Europe from today.
The UK Border Agency took away the university’s right to sponsor students for UK visas in August saying it was not making proper checks.
Speaking to the Evening Standard today, Malcolm Gillies, vice-chancellor of the university, said: “We are very pleased that after nine months we are back in the business we believe we have always done very well. We are disappointed about many of the processes of the last nine months, but we have to look forward.
“We are out there issuing offers to students this afternoon.”
The university was unable to recruit any international students for this academic year. It led to fears for the financial future of the university, and the reputation of the higher education sector in Britain as a whole.
Hundreds of students feared they would be deported, and many transferred to other institutions to finish their qualifications.
Professor Gillies said that even though new students can now be recruited, there will be a “gap” that will take up to three years to work through the system because “we missed out on one year’s intake.”
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: “A series of inspections carried out by the Home Office in the last six months have demonstrated that the university has made the necessary improvements to its systems and administration. The university now meets the requirements needed to sponsor international students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).”
Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: “It is in the interest of international students that all institutions take their immigration responsibilities seriously and demonstrate that they comply with the rules. This is exactly why the sponsorship system was set up.
“We have worked closely with university staff to ensure that London Met standards were improved. As a result the university now meets the required standards and we are able to grant a licence.
“We will continue to welcome the brightest and best students to our world-class universities.”
The university will now be subject to 12 months probation.
After London Met’s licence was revoked, the university took legal action in a bid to have the ban overturned. The High Court later granted students already at the institution a temporary reprieve from deportation, although the full case has yet to be heard.
