Immigration Minister Damian Green and UK Border Agency Chief Executive Lin Homer today undertook to work with English UK and its members to look for alternative solutions to maintaining the controversial language requirement for visa-national students on English language courses.

English UK today said it was "very disappointed" at the decision by the UK Border Agency to again raise the level of English proficiency required for British student visas.

More than 3,000 jobs and over £600 million a year in foreign earnings have been saved for the UK economy by a High Court judgement on which international students can come to the UK.

The Government's decision to raise the required level of English for visa students applying to study the language in the UK was challenged in the High Court this week.

Changes to student visa rules are costing the British economy at least £600m a year, according to new research.