What are the new changes in the UK's study abroad policy?

The new policy for studying in the UK is as follows:

1. Pilot visa for new UK study abroad policy

Following Cambridge University, Oxford University, Imperial College London, and Bath University, another 23 universities have joined the T4 Pilot policy. Generally speaking, for postgraduate students who start in September, the visa will be issued until January of the following year after the course ends, with a 4-month buffer period. This policy means that students who meet the requirements of these 27 schools can have their visas approved until March of the following year, and can stay in the UK for an additional 6 months after graduation. In addition, the visa application materials will be reduced, so the visa application process will be more streamlined.

2. IELTS in the new policy for studying in the UK

The recognition of TOEFL and PTE has been cancelled, and IELTS has been subdivided into three categories: life IELTS, academic IELTS and visa IELTS. This is to ensure that the IELTS scores truly reflect the language proficiency level of British students. In the preparation stage, students should focus more on improving the basics such as grammar and vocabulary. Only after the language foundation is solid can skills training be better carried out. When living and studying abroad, language skills are still very important, so students still have to study English well.

3. Scholarships under the new UK study abroad policy

In order to encourage more Chinese students to study in the UK, the British Embassy has joined hands with 31 British universities to set up a scholarship of up to 1 million pounds for Chinese students. A total of 31 British universities from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland participated in the scholarship program, covering a wide range of subjects, including engineering, law, business, management, art design, biological sciences and information technology.

4. The new policy of studying in the UK: visa points system

The UK has adjusted the points-based system for Tier 4 student visas, and the living expenses standard stipulated in the visa has been increased. It is now 1,265 pounds per month in London and 1,015 pounds per month outside London. In addition, the rule that you only need to pay 2 months of living expenses to renew your visa after one year in the UK has also been cancelled.

5. Visa interview under the new policy for studying in the UK

According to the new study visa policy officially announced by the UK, all applicants for UK study visas are required to undergo a video interview, which lasts about 10 minutes. The main purpose of the interview is to conduct a credibility investigation on the student's reasons for going to the UK.

6. Impact of Brexit on international students

After Brexit, the number of students from the EU may decrease significantly. In order to balance the number of international students, British universities will reduce enrollment, and it is expected that the admission requirements for Chinese students will increase accordingly. The impact of Brexit is mainly reflected in the depreciation of the pound. At present, the exchange rate of pound sterling: RMB = 1: 8.7, a 30-year low. Compared with the peak exchange rate of pound sterling: RMB = 1: 15, the cost of studying abroad has almost halved. This is a good opportunity for Chinese students who choose to study in the UK to save money. Another good news is that the British government provides free medical insurance for students who apply for a study visa for more than half a year. Although the UK has left the EU, the medical system still follows EU standards. After paying for medical insurance, the cost will be much cheaper.

Further reading: Restoration of PSW visa for studying in the UK

1. What is a PSW visa?

The British PSW visa, full name Post Study Work. The British government officially introduced it into the T1 (points-based system) on June 30, 2008, replacing the previous IGS visa.

The PSW visa is valid for 2 years. It is designed to allow international students with bachelor's, master's, PhD and diploma degrees to find a job or conduct business activities in the UK for two years after graduation.

The PSW visa can be extended to other types of visas in Tier 1, such as Highly Skilled Migrant Workers (HSMP).

Before 2012, overseas students studying in the UK could apply for a two-year PSW visa after graduation. They did not need any sponsor, had no work restrictions, and did not even have to find a job. Students were free to explore the job market and gain work experience.

However, this win-win policy that benefits both British society and international talents was seen by then Home Secretary Theresa May as an immigration bug that allowed people to mix up their identities. So, May cancelled the PSW visa on the grounds that "100,000 international students were staying in the country using the PSW visa" and also included international students in the "net immigration data" for strict control.

Since the cancellation of this visa has led to a large loss of international talent, major British institutions and universities have been calling for the restoration of this visa! In the middle of this year, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid publicly supported the restoration of the Post Study Work visa. This morning, the UK officially announced the approval of this decision, and international students in 2020 can enjoy this policy!

2. The UK will become a popular country for applications

The high quality of teaching in British universities has always been recognized by the world, and coupled with the relaxation of the UK's study abroad policy, the PSW visa is now a strong catalyst. This will increase the number of Chinese students studying in the UK again and again, and this year it will hit a new record high.

According to a report on the British "Times" website on August 19, about 7,740 new Chinese students will arrive at campuses across the UK in the fall this year, compared with 3,480 ten years ago.

The Daily Mail reported: "Britain replaces US as destination for Chinese students." China is already a source country for international students at British universities, and Manchester is one of the most popular study abroad destinations.

British universities are eager to recruit more Chinese students, and most organize marketing trips every year. Bristol University, London School of Economics and Political Science, Essex University, Sussex University and University College London all hold graduation ceremonies in China so that students don't have to spend money flying back to the UK to collect their degree certificates.

The educational level of British universities has always been highly recognized worldwide. I believe that after the PSW visa is opened, the competition for international students will be even greater, and future development will be very promising.

3. New opportunities or intensified competition?

The return of PSW means that international students can stay in the UK to work for two years after graduation. This policy will undoubtedly bring unlimited opportunities for the future careers of international graduates! It is expected that postgraduates in the UK from 2020 to 2021 can obtain a two-year work visa after graduation!

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “International students make a vital contribution to our country and our universities, both culturally and economically. Their presence benefits the UK, which is why we are increasing the length of time these students can stay in the UK after their studies.

Last year, British universities educated about 460,000 international students, excluding those from within the EU, and the government aims to increase that number to 600,000 in the next 10 years.

The Ministry of Education said that this also means that graduates who have obtained a degree (bachelor's/master's/doctoral) in the UK will find it easier to immigrate in the future. Graduates can look for jobs as much as they want within the next two years, and if they find a job on the skilled work route, it will be easy to transition from PSW.

But the British media also mentioned that the latest PSW visa will be more open to outstanding graduates in disciplines such as mathematics, engineering and technology.

During the period of holding a PSW visa, international students can also apply for a longer-term work visa. Industry analysts believe that this good news also means that the competition for studying in the UK will become increasingly fierce.

Further reading: What are the new changes in the UK study visa?

1. Background of PSW visa

On September 11 this year, the British government announced a new policy regarding visas, which is to begin providing international students with a two-year work visa, called a PSW visa, so that international students can start working in the UK with peace of mind after graduation.

In fact, the UK had similar policies before, but those policies were cancelled in 2012. In the years since the PSW was cancelled, the UK's market share in higher education has been eroded by countries such as Canada. According to estimates by some British alliances, in these academic years, due to the cancellation of the PSW visa, the UK has lost a total of about 70.2 billion yuan in potential revenue.

2. New changes to visas

On the 11th, the British government announced a new visa policy, which is to restore the PSW visa for international students that has been cancelled for 7 years, allowing university students to work and live in the UK for two years after graduation. The British government introduced the details of this visa, saying that if you are a student who enrolls in the UK for undergraduate and master's degree in 2020, you can automatically get a PSW visa after graduation without applying for anything. There is no upper limit on the number of this visa, and there are no requirements for majors, etc., which means that any student who enrolled in 2020 can obtain it.

In addition, during the period of holding PSW, students can also apply for a longer work visa. Although this visa has no requirements for majors, the statement still mentioned that the PSW visa will be more open to graduates in mathematics or engineering.

Among all the countries for studying abroad, the UK is currently second only to the United States. The UK's plan is to achieve the goal of increasing the number of international students by 30% before 2030.

III. Impact of visa changes

Before 2012, international students could still apply for the UK PSW visa. The purpose of this visa is to give international students an opportunity to experience the UK job market and gain experience, so this visa is still quite popular among students.

In 2012, the UK cancelled the application for the PSW visa, which actually meant that those international students from non-EU countries had no chance to work in the UK. As the most traditional country for studying abroad, the UK itself saw its share of the higher education market rapidly eroded by its competitors after the cancellation of the PSW visa. At that time, the number of students studying in the UK only slightly increased by 3%, and the cancellation of the PSW visa was the reason for this situation.

So now that the UK has restored the PSW visa, it should be for the sake of its own economic interests. A British university alliance has a report on this situation, which shows that international students going to the UK can bring up to 26 billion pounds of economic contribution to the UK every year, including direct and indirect contributions. In terms of employment, it brings 207,000 jobs to the UK. The number of international students from non-EU countries accounts for twice that of the EU. Because non-EU international students have to pay very high tuition fees when studying in the UK, the increase in this part of the population can bring huge benefits to the UK.

What are the new changes in the UK's study abroad policy? Summary

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