Review the changing trend of British study abroad policy in recent ten years

Since the implementation of the new visa policy of "counting system" in the UK in March 2009, the number of China students studying in the UK has reached a record high: from March to September 2009, China students submitted 442 17 visa applications, up 53% year-on-year, and the British Embassy issued 32,857 visas, up 40% year-on-year.

From February 22nd, 20 10, there will be changes in the application for student visa with points system: CAS system will replace the existing visa letter, and Britain plans to improve the visa standards and working hours. At that time, there were different opinions. 20 10 which direction do you want to study in the uk?

Education is a pillar industry in Britain; Education is the rigid demand of China. Looking at the overall trend of studying in the UK in recent ten years and the overall performance of China students in the UK, we have reason to believe that the prospect of studying in the UK in 20 10 is still bright.

I. Interpretation of the new visa policy:

From April 6th, the student visa fee was raised from 145 to 199.

From March 3rd, the legal working hours of undergraduate students were reduced from 20 hours per week to 10 hours.

From March 3rd, families of students who have studied for less than 6 months cannot apply for accompanying students.

Since March 3rd, the language course level of adult students has been improved from CEFR A2 (IELTS 3.0) to B2 (IELTS 5.0-6.0). It is generally recommended that adult students must have IELTS 4.5 or above to learn language courses.

From March 3, the accompanying family members of students with bachelor degree or below can't work, otherwise they will be deported.

From March 3rd, students who study courses below the undergraduate level cannot work in the workplace unless the courses they study are provided by "highly trusted" educational institutions.

It is expected that from the summer vacation, the English proficiency certificates provided by students who study courses below undergraduate level will be restricted. It is estimated that the language test organized by the school itself will no longer be recognized, and students must take authoritative exams such as IELTS.

From February 22nd, 20 10, the application for student visa under the points system will be changed: all students who apply for a visa to study in the UK in the fourth stage of the points system must provide a study admission confirmation letter (CAS) issued by their sponsors (that is, educational institutions in the UK, which need to be on the sponsor registration form). CAS system (confirmation of acceptance of study) has replaced the existing visa letter. The CAS system allows each student to have a number. Through this number, UKBA can find students' information in the system more conveniently, and the school will regularly update the status of students in the system, so this system will make it more convenient to apply for visas in the UK in the future.

What is CAS?

20 10 From February 22nd, in order to solve the problem that the format of visa letters of British universities is not uniform, British universities will use Electronic Admission Notice (CAS), which is a special electronic reference number issued by the guarantor, namely British universities. This number will completely replace the previous written visa letter.

CAS can better supervise the school.

The introduction of CAS will better supervise British institutions. As a guarantor, the school must know about its students, including whether they have the learning ability, whether they will study in the UK, and whether they have the ability to pay the fees. They must provide the visa officer with the attendance rate and all activities of the students. It is reported that at present, 52 colleges and universities have been disqualified because they have not taken the responsibility of guarantor seriously.

A CAS number corresponds to only one course.

A CAS number only corresponds to one course, and the CAS number is only issued to courses with conditions for admission.

For example, the course is language+preparatory course+main course, the students have good language conditions, and the language course is very short, for example, 5~ 10 weeks, so in the view of visa officers, the previous language and preparatory course are unconditionally accepted, and a CAS number issued will correspond to the previous two courses; However, if students' language conditions are not good and the language courses are long, visa officers will feel that language has become the main course for students at present, and students must complete the language courses for a long time to meet the requirements of the preparatory course, so the preparatory course is conditional, and a CAS number issued only corresponds to the language courses.

On the other hand, students have poor language conditions, but the language courses accepted by the school are very short. In this case, the visa officer will logically judge that the latter preparatory course is conditional and will only give the CAS number of the previous language course.

Reminder: CAS number is valid for 6 months.

CAS is just a number. Visa officers can find information about students and courses by entering this number in the visa processing system. Because students can't see this information, there may be errors in school information login. At present, the visa officer said that if the spelling mistake is a small problem, it is not enough to lead to the refusal of the visa; If it is a course problem, the visa officer will communicate with the school.

Students should be reminded that the new CAS code will be used on February 22, and students who have obtained visa letters before need to exchange CAS with the school before submitting their applications. The validity period of CAS number is 6 months; The number of CAS numbers issued by each school is limited, so the school must strengthen the examination of students' applications to ensure that the students who get CAS are students with real learning purpose and sufficient learning ability. The trial of the school will be stricter, and students can submit their applications earlier.

Second, the hot discussion and interpretation caused by the New Deal.

Britain plans to raise the visa threshold for foreign students.

It is reported that in order to prevent the abuse of immigration regulations and crack down on the illegal work of student visa holders in the UK, the authorities will raise the standards for issuing student visas. A spokesman for the Home Office stressed that the new measures were not aimed at certain countries, and pointed out that the new cases would affect the number of student visas issued this year.

The new standards have raised the requirements for English proficiency of student visa applicants. The number of working hours allowed for applicants studying for courses below the bachelor's degree will be greatly reduced from the previous 20 hours to 10 hours, and the regulations restricting the families of students coming to the UK and Bandu will be strengthened, including that applicants who have been enrolled in courses for less than six months are not allowed to bring their families, and applicants studying for courses below the bachelor's degree are not allowed to work in the UK. The news said that the new regulations will take effect in a few weeks.

Suspension of student visas in India and other countries

British Home Secretary john johnson said in a statement that the government will never be soft on those who "study in the name of work". He said: "We are still open to foreign students who want to study in the UK legally-they are welcome. But those who have not studied hard, but mainly come for work-they should know in their hearts that we will not be soft on those who ignore the rules. "

It is reported that Britain temporarily stopped accepting student visa applications from northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh last week. According to British media reports, in 2008-2009, about 236,000 foreigners were granted study visas by the British government.

Britain introduced a new scoring system for student visa applicants about 65,438+0 years ago. A score of 30 points admitted to the college can prove that you have the ability to pay tuition and living expenses 10 points. Applicants only need 40 points to get a visa. There are criticisms that terrorists and "fake students" can use the existing system to enter the UK.

Expert: Raising the visa threshold for studying in the UK will not affect ordinary international students.

It is reported that British Home Secretary Allen Johnson said on the 7th that the government will raise the standards for issuing student visas and reduce the number of student visas in 20 10. Johnson said that nearly one-third of foreigners entering Britain hold student visas, and the new policy is to prevent "fake students" from mixing in.

According to Allen Johnson, the Home Secretary, the main purpose of this measure is to prevent contempt for the existing rules for issuing student visas and to stop the problem of illegal employment. In fact, policy commentators and ordinary people think that he is competing with the opposition Conservative Party to build momentum for the British general election in May.

The British Conservative Party has always been dissatisfied with the current issuance of student visas. They think these rules are too loose. Damian Green, the shadow home secretary, said last month that once the Conservative Party came to power, it would immediately reform the student visa to prevent thousands of fake students from entering Britain. If you contact Mu Talab, the principal bomber with a student visa some time ago, it is not difficult to understand that Green's statement is targeted.

What specific impact will the New Deal have on international students in the UK? The contents of the New Deal reform include improving the English proficiency requirements of applicants and shortening working hours. Students in short-term courses cannot have family members to pay for their studies. Students in short-term courses need internship units to apply to the internal affairs department.

Directly affected by the New Deal are students who apply for undergraduate and short-term courses. At that time, we remember that the New Deal drafted by Damian Green, the shadow home secretary, was much stricter. Only students admitted by officially registered universities can apply for visas quickly, while the rest students can't apply for visas quickly, and they need to pay a deposit of 2,000 pounds. In addition, after graduation, unless graduates with formal jobs can apply for overseas work visas, the remaining graduates should return to China immediately.

Britain has two-year post-graduation work visas for graduates with bachelor's degree or above, and 230,000 such visas were issued in 2008-2009. The implementation of the New Deal drawn up by Damian Green, the shadow home secretary, will greatly affect international students coming to Britain (especially those with bachelor's degrees or above), which is also very different from Allen Johnson, the home secretary.

According to incomplete statistics, there are currently 75,000 China students who have received undergraduate education or above in the UK, and more than 1 1,000 students have received undergraduate education. Both the New Deal that the Labour Party will implement in a few weeks and the New Deal that the Conservative Party has drawn up will have a great impact on China students (especially those who want to apply for studying in the UK).

Too harsh political considerations, tightening the British student visa, attracted heated discussion from all sides.

British Home Secretary Allen Johnson said recently that stricter measures will be taken to control the issuance of student visas.

Miss Guo, who is waiting for a visa in Beijing, told reporters that she submitted an application for visa renewal last September. More than five months have passed and there has been no reply.

Miss Guo, a 24-year-old, studied languages at London International House for one year. She returned to China last September to renew her visa, and is going back to the UK to study for a master's degree in media. She said: "Although the new regulations will not directly affect me, it must have a lot to do with the tightening of the visa policy in the UK."

have both pros and cons

It is right for the new regulations to improve the English level of applicants. She said, "The advantages outweigh the disadvantages for China students. After all, it will be more convenient for them to live in Britain in the future. "

But the new regulations on shortening working hours and restricting accompanying reading are a bit embarrassing.

"I am willing to work. If I can guarantee attendance and test scores, why can't I use my spare time to improve my living standard? And this is also a process of contacting society and learning to improve. "

Miss Li, who is studying economics at the University of Essex in the UK, said: "I came to the UK for the first time in 2007 and studied for a month. There was no requirement for language at that time. If I follow the current regulations, I will definitely not be able to come. "

The introduction of this policy will stop many people from taking short-term courses, but she said that she can understand the practice of improving English by the Ministry of the Interior. "After arriving in the UK, language will be very important. If you don't have a certain language foundation before coming, it will be more difficult after coming. " This reflects the "closed door" trend of British immigration policy. "I really feel that there are more and more international students in Britain in recent years. I heard Chinese or other languages every day during my preparatory course in London. "

A little harsh

30-year-old teacher Chen came to London EC Language School from Taiwan Province Province on June 65438+1October 65438+1October 0 to study English for 20 weeks. Chen Jianting, whose English is poor, caught the "last bus" before the policy adjustment, otherwise his plan to come to Britain would be ruined.

Regarding the Ministry of the Interior's requirement that applicants' English level is close to GCSE, Chen thinks that "this is a bit harsh. Many people come here to study English. For people with poor English foundation and no English environment, there is no chance to come here to learn English. "Chen Zheng considered taking a part-time job, because there are only three hours of classes every day, and he has a lot of free time. He was disappointed when he learned that the Ministry of the Interior would halve the working hours from 20 hours to 10 hours. "The consumption level in Britain is high, especially in London, and some students in the economy may not be able to afford it." He said that the introduction of this policy in Britain may be related to the poor domestic economic situation and does not want foreigners to take away the job opportunities of their own people. Mr. Chen believes that there is nothing wrong with restricting accompanying reading. "Short-term courses under six months do not need to be accompanied by family members. Unless they have their own studies, they can just travel. "

Political considerations

Cao, vice-president in charge of international education at Croydon College in south London, said that the introduction of the new regulations had the greatest impact on two areas. "On the one hand, it is a fake student who comes to work in the UK illegally through studying abroad, on the other hand, it also breaks the financial path of educational institutions in the UK that earn tuition for fake students." However, the new policy will also have "side effects" on Cao Qun, a professional who has been enrolling students in China universities for a long time to study in Britain.

For example, Cao said that in September last year, their school held a six-month short-term exchange program, and six students from Kunming University of Science and Technology successfully obtained visas. Nowadays, due to the tightening of policies, only two of the seven or eight students of Hubei University of Technology have successfully obtained their visas for the first time, while others have been refused visas.

"It can be seen that the above policy changes immediately had a direct impact, making us realize that the policy direction of the UK is changing." This new policy has political considerations of the British government. "When the British economy is bad, the government will play the immigration card, which is normal. However, some of them are because of wasting food. Although it is true that some people abuse the student visa in the UK, enroll in short-term courses, and then work illegally, or even disappear into the sea of people, there are indeed China students who want to study language and culture in the UK. "

Student visas in the UK will continue to change. "If the economy improves, or Britain is overtaken by other countries in the overseas student market, then the British government may relax visa requirements relatively."

Li Hong, First Secretary of the Education Office of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, told reporters that the new policy applies to all non-EU countries, not China. He said: "At present, international students from Chinese mainland mainly study in regular universities, and we also encourage students to study in regular universities. The education department also published a list of formal educational institutions on the website for students to inquire. "

Third, review the policy changes in the past ten years after studying in the UK.

Policy:

Before 2000, studying in Britain was mainly at public expense.

In early 2000, in order to let China families know about British education and its system, Britain launched a large-scale educational activity of "studying in Britain".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair personally promoted the study abroad policy.

On May 6th, 2004, the visa application for studying abroad was changed from face-to-face signing to material signing. Strict requirements on the source of funds and history. Visa application materials have been added: student questionnaire, guarantor's salary passbook and guarantor's personal income tax receipt.

Since June 5438+October 2008 10, biometric fingerprint technology has been implemented in Britain: all entry applicants must submit their fingerprints.

On March 3rd, 2009, KLOC-0, the new student visa system on the fourth floor was implemented.

20 10 From February 22nd, visa application must be submitted with CAS number.

Number of people:

China is the "most important" source of students in Britain.

According to the BBC, the number of non-EU students studying in British universities has almost doubled in the past 65,438+00 years. Between 2000 and 2006, the number of international students increased by 48%. In the 2007-2008 academic year, the number of international students from outside the EU reached 229,640, an increase of 65,438+065,438+02,350 compared with nine years ago. International students are an important source of income for British universities, because the tuition fees of non-EU students are much more expensive than those of British and EU students.

Among them, China is the "most important" source of higher education in Britain. In 2006, the total number of undergraduate students from China in the UK reached 19385, and the number of graduate students from China was 2 1990.

In recent years, the number of China students studying in Britain has been 6.5438+7,000 to 26,000 per year, and in 2009 it exceeded 30,000. The total number of China students studying in Britain is close to 654.38+million, and Britain is becoming one of the main destination countries for China students to study.

Fourth, experts suggest that:

Plan early, prepare early, and act early!

1. From the policy point of view, there are not many hard obstacles to studying in the UK.

2. A correct understanding of the visa spirit, full preparation and authentic materials are prerequisites for successful endorsement.

3. The admission criteria of British schools, like the number of applicants, are increasing year by year, so we should make preparations early.

4. It is best to fully understand the situation of the school and major, objectively locate your own situation, and find the best match.

5, everything is for employment! Clear goals, correct direction, appropriate methods and hard pursuit are effective guarantees for success.

6. At the same time of studying, it is the most effective means to face the employment competition by contacting the society more fully, strengthening practice and mastering more job-seeking information and skills.