subject: New UK Visa application centre in Beijing, China [print this page] New UK Visa application centre in Beijing, China
The UK has opened a new visa application centre in Beijing, China in order to provide a better service for the ever increasing demands from Chinese nationals travelling to the UK. More Chinese nationals are opting to travel overseas and figures appear to be doubling since last year.
However, thousands of Chinese students currently studying in the UK are concerned about the increasing restrictions on Tier applications and in particular, on Tier 1 general and Post study work visas. As the UK Government continues to tighten visa requirements, the number of migrants will no doubt fall.
The first of the changes to the Immigration Rules will be to close the Tier 1 General category of the Immigration Rules to persons applying from outside of the UK. The Government decided to take this step as a result of the sheer volume of Tier 1 applications received since July 2010.
The second change to the Immigration Rules is to set an interim limit on the level of Tier 2 general applications. This will apply as of 21st December 2010 and has been set at 10, 832. This means that the number of certificates of sponsorship available to licensed Tier 2 general sponsors will be limited.
The changes were brought about following the Divisional Court's judgment on 17th December 2010 which effectively determined that I, in order for the Government's interim limit policy to have legal effect, the level of the limit needed to be specified in the Immigration Rules as opposed to the UK Border Agency guidance.
Furthermore English language requirements for many migrants have been raised from level B1 to level B2. The Government intends to attract students who intend to follow their course of study and then leave the UK, not those who come to the UK with an intention of settling here permanently. The new restrictions mean that those taking language courses or those migrants studying below bachelor level may have to leave the UK at the end of their leave.
