Jakarta. Britain announced this week that it will change its immigration rules to make the visa application process easier for Indonesian students, by reducing documentation requirements.

The new regulation, which will come into effect on July 6, will no longer require student visa applicants from Indonesia to submit proof of finances, prior qualifications and proof of English language ability, according to a statement issued by the British Embassy in Jakarta on Monday (18/06).

This change only applies to Indonesians applying for Tier 4 student visas.

While Indonesian students are still required to meet all the other requirements for a Tier 4 student visa, they do not have to be in Indonesia to benefit from the new regulation.

UK Visas and Immigration also reserves the right to request complete proof of requirements and will do so for a random sample of applications.

As of March this year, Britain issued around 2,500 Tier 4 student visas to Indonesian students. The embassy said 96 percent of the applicants were granted visas.

According to the Indonesian Student Union in the United Kingdom (PPI UK), there are more than 3,300 Indonesian students currently studying in Britain.