Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne has today welcomed the protection of the Fresh Talent scheme under the Westminster Government’s new points based system for immigration.

Browne said the Scotland Office had worked closely with the Home Office to ensure the protection of the scheme, which allows people from outside Europe to stay in Scotland for up to two years after successfully completing their studies at a Scottish college or university.

Browne said: “The excellence of our higher education is recognised around the globe and you can see on the streets of our towns and cities that students travel from countries around the world to study here. They enrich the life of Scotland while they study and now we have preserved a system that will let them enrich the life of our country for longer and, I hope, even more substantially.

“Colleges and universities told me there were fears the Points Based System could mean a major change to Fresh Talent. I am happy this highly successful scheme will be retained - and with a Scottish differential so that the ongoing demographic challenge can continue to be met. Liam Byrne, the Minister of State for immigration, recognised the importance of retaining for Scotland the current HND and Bachelor Degree provision that exists under Fresh Talent and has now agreed to build this provision into the framework of Tier 1 of the Points Based System.”

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