The UK Government on Monday announced the go-live date for the student tier of its new points-based system for migration.

From 31st March, Chinese students looking to study in the UK can apply for their visa through the new points-based system which will streamline the Student visa application process.

Under the new transparent system, Chinese students will need to prove that they have been accepted onto a course run by a education institution which is licensed by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), prove that they have the means to support themselves and supply their biometric details at their local visa application centre.
There are currently over 60,000 Chinese students in full time education in the United Kingdom. In2008 we issued over 27,000 student visas, an increase of 21% over 2007.The increasing strength of the Chinese currency against sterling now makes study in the United Kingdom even more affordable.

The changes to the visa application system will allow students to check whether they are eligible for a visa before they even apply, making the whole system more straightforward. We would urge anyone considering studying in the UK to visit the UKBA website now to familiarise themselves with the new regulations and ensure their application can be processed as quickly as possible.

If granted a visa, the new regulations allow international students to undertake part-time work of up to 20 hours per week during term time, full time work during the holidays as well as any course related work placements. PBS Tier 1 Post Study Work provides for graduate students to gain work experience in the United Kingdom for up to 2 years.

For the first time, all independent fee-paying schools, colleges and universities that want to accept international students to study with them now need a licence to do so. This will help the UK Government crack down on bogus colleges, something which will be welcome news to many Chinese students, who can now be sure the language school, college or university they intend to study at is an approved educational institution.So far over a thousand UK institutions have signed up to sponsor international students.

But the UK Border Agency will refuse your application and you may be banned from coming to the UK for 10 years if you use a false document, lie or withhold relevant information.

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