Good News For Visa Aspirants: British Government Announced A New Visa Routes For Students! Here’s What You Should Know

Snapshots:

•  The Child Student Route (for 4-17 years old who wants to study in an independent school in the United Kingdom) and Student Route will open on 5 October for international students. 
• Applicants need a total of 70 points to succeed. Points are non-tradeable and will be bestowed for meeting the conditions set forth herein.
• Applicants who apply to study under the Tier 4 system and submit their application before October 5 will be deemed in violation of the current rules of the route. Those new immigrants who apply from October 5 will be deemed to have violated the new simplified rules.
• Like the current Tier 4 system, students will need an appropriate level of English to study the course. The required level of English will remain the same.
•  The number of international students who can come to the UK will continue to be unlimited.
• The graduate course for international students will open in the summer of 2021. This will enable eligible international students (including international students from India) who completed undergraduate and master’s courses to stay for 2 years, and those who have completed their doctorate can stay for three years to work or job search.
  
  

The British government announced on Thursday a new visa route for international students, which will begin on October 5th, fulfilling its promise to introduce a new points-based immigration system.

A statement from the British High Commission in New Delhi stated that the new student route visa system is based on points (70 points in total), which applicants must earn to obtain a visa. It said that for students and their sponsors, the new process is more streamlined.

It said: If pupils can prove that they have been accepted by an accredited educational institution, speak English, and can provide support during their studies in the UK, then they will achieve the required points.

Students can now apply for a visa application up to 6 months before the start of their courses (from the previous 3 months) and will no longer need to resubmit the evidence of their qualifications with the application for a visa. The new route treats students equally so that all foreign students can use the same simplified route when opening programs, no matter where they come from.

Acting High Commissioner Jan Thompson believes that India is one of the largest sources of international students in the UK, and our world-leading education system has always been an important part of our bilateral relationship.

In the last fiscal year, nearly 51,000 Indian nationals obtained study visas—they are ambassadors for the “live bridge” connecting our countries. Now that we have left the EU, we can offer this simplified visa route and introduced the graduate route in the summer of 2021, to assure that the best and brightest students continue to choose the UK.

 Director of the British Council in India, Barbara Wickham, said that the new student route is a welcome message for thousands of Indian students who choose to receive a British education every year to gain foreign exposure. The new system provides applicants with greater flexibility and immigration convenience.

She appended: With the benefits of post-graduate research work and the launch of the student route, the United Kingdom has further consolidated its commitment to international students and realized their dream of pursuing world-class education, which is more important than ever.

India has previously urged the British government to reconsider its visa policy, which prohibits Indian students from coming to work in the UK after completing their courses. The UK had a post-graduate work visa scheme that lasted until 2012 when it was scrapped by Foreign Secretary Theresa May.

The UK is aware that due to Covid-19, some overseas students have decided to postpone their entry onto courses in the United Kingdom until the spring semester of 2021. The introduction of the new route now means that these students will be able to reap the benefits from the new process while still allowing time for sponsoring organizations to adapt after enrolling Autumn intake.

Introduced a New Highly Skilled Visa Route

The Global Talent Program will welcome the most skilled workers to come to the UK without a job offer. Top researchers, scientists, and mathematicians will get the opportunity to swiftly enter the UK through this route, which is believed to be launched in the second half of 2021. It will replace the Tier-1 (exceptional talent) pathway and will be acknowledged by the scientific and research community for the first time.

You Can Even Start Learning Remotely Without Visa

The next step in the latest UK Visa update: People who cannot travel to the UK due to restrictions can start studying remotely without applying for a Tier 4 visa. You only need to apply for a student visa when you are ready to travel to your university.

For example, in India, the British Visa Application Centres have just reopened after closing due to the epidemic. You can visit Bangalore (Global Technology Park only), Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Kochi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai (Maharashmi only), New Delhi (only Shivaji Metropolitan Stadium), and Pune to apply for a Tier 4 visa, with the option of on-demand mobile visa available for door-to-door delivery.

The British government also announced that as long as students are progressing academically, there will be no time limit for postgraduate courses. In addition to this, university sponsors can now self-assess applicants’ academic and English proficiency during the admissions phase.