At the beginning of 2024, the UK has introduced new immigration restrictions, one of the important measures is to prohibit family members of international students from applying for companion visas. According to the Home Office, from January 2024, dependents of undergraduate and postgraduate students studying non-research courses in the UK will not be able to apply for companion visas. However, this does not apply to international students pursuing a research master's or doctoral degree and receiving a ** grant scholarship. The implementation of this policy has attracted widespread attention and discussion.
Expansion: The reason behind the new policy is that the UK** is trying to control the number of immigrants and reduce the number of international students on non-research courses. By restricting the issuance of accompanying visas, it is possible to avoid the abuse of visas by family members or the possibility of family reunification through the international student route. The move is aimed at maintaining the rigor and transparency of immigration policy.
This restrictive policy has raised a series of concerns and questions for Chinese students and their families. First of all, many parents are worried that if their child is not yet an adult to apply for a companion visa, they will need to find a professional in the UK to take care of their child, which is bound to increase the cost and difficulty of caregiving. Secondly, the UK has become one of the most popular destinations for Chinese students in the past few years, and it is important for families to be able to apply for a companion visa to help reunite and support family members.
Extension: This restriction is a big blow to families of international students who plan to study a non-research course in the UK. Being able to have family members by your side to provide support and care for international students during their studies can play a positive role in their studies and lives. Therefore, the implementation of the new policy will make these families face greater difficulties and challenges.
Among the many families of Chinese students, the children of some well-known figures are also studying in the UK, including Wang Shiling, the daughter of the famous actress Li Xiang. Wang Shiling studied at Dulwich College Beijing and attended the prestigious Beniton High School in the UK. In order to better accompany his daughter, Li Xiang often travels back and forth to the UK. Not only that, Bai Yansong's son Bai Qingyang also studied abroad at King's College London, and stayed in the UK to work as a ** after graduation.
Expansion: The study abroad experience of the children of celebrity families has undoubtedly attracted much attention, and has also attracted a lot of attention and discussion. The experience of these well-known people has become the object of learning and reference for many parents. However, after the implementation of the new policy, there is still some uncertainty about whether the children of celebrity families will choose to accompany them to the UK.
Although the UK's new ** prohibits international students' family members from accompanying visas, it has no impact on the accompanying of young international students. According to the **official** regulations, the new policy is mainly aimed at "student visas" (student visas). For children between the ages of 4 and 17, one parent can still apply for a companion visa to accompany the child to live and study in the UK. Therefore, for families like Li Xiang, they will not be restricted by the new policy.
Expansion: Although the new policy does not directly affect the accompanying visa for child students, it is important to note that there are certain restrictions on the accompanying visa for child students. For example, in the UK**, only one parent is allowed to accompany the school, and the family is required to keep the main property in another country, while in the UK it is not allowed to engage in paid work. These restrictions will require families to make some compromises and adjustments during the chaperonement arrangement.
The UK's new ban on accompanying visas for international students is not aimed at Chinese parents, but to curb immigration from countries such as India and Nigeria. According to statistics, between September 2022 and September 2023, 70% of the visas issued by the UK for the dependents of foreign students were issued to the dependents of students from countries such as India and Nigeria. Young people from these countries often marry and have children at an early age, hoping to bring a spouse and children to the UK through one of them, and thus achieve the goal of migrating as a family. This behavior is contrary to the original purpose of the escort visa, that is, to promote the financial contribution of international students and parents, and the accompanying family members should not engage in paid work.
Expansion: With the popularization and further opening up of international study abroad, the issue of accompanying international students has become the focus of attention in many countries. Countries are struggling to find fair and reasonable policies that balance the multiple interests of the economy, society and migration. For the UK, although the new policy has less impact on Chinese families, this move shows that the UK** has made changes to its immigration policy, one of which is to prohibit most family members of international students from applying for companion visas. However, this restriction is mainly for international students over the age of 18, and for children between the ages of 4 and 17, parents are still allowed to apply for a companion visa. Therefore, the arrangement for children of celebrity families such as Li Xiang to study in the UK will not be affected by the policy. The main purpose of the new policy is to prevent families of international students from countries such as India and Nigeria from migrating through the study abroad route. For Chinese students, in addition to facing the problem of family accompaniment, they also face difficulties in finding a job and converting it into a work permit after graduating from the UK. At present, the main way to stay in the UK is to obtain a 5-year work visa through a skilled work visa, and then apply for indefinite leave to remain.