International students planning to study in the UK next year will be able to apply for visas from next month. The UK government announced that the new Student route and Child Student route will open on October 5th. The application process for both routes has been simplified for applicants and the education institutions that sponsor them. The early introduction of the scheme aims to give students and universities time to get visas in place for January 2021.
It is a UK policy goal to attract “the brightest and the best from around the world” after the country leaves the EU on December 31 this year and international students play a pivotal role in the Government’s plan to upscale the UK’s potential. The country hopes to attract 600,000 international higher education students by 2030. Applications to the new student routes will be made through the new points-based immigration system.
Benefits of the new system include:
- Equal treatment for all students: Post-Brexit, students from all countries will be treated equally.
- Streamlined processes: The Government promotes the point-based system as flexible and simplified.
- Opportunities to stay post-study: The government plans to launch the Graduate route in the summer of 2021, which helps retain talent within the country.
- Offers to stay: Students with a record of compliance who have completed a degree at a UK HE provider will be offered the chance to stay and work at any skill level for two years (three years for PhD graduates). They also have an option to switch into work routes if they find a suitable job.
- Unlimited visa: There will be no cap on the number of international student visas issued.
Under the points-based system, students will require 70 points to attain a visa. Points are awarded for factors including offers from an approved educational institution, ability to speak English, and the ability to self-support.
Barbara Wickham, Director of the British Council in India, said the new student routes will pave a way for thousands of Indian students wishing to study in the UK.
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