Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures he is putting in place to facilitate the return of international student in January 2021 in response to increasing covid-19 related travel restrictions.

Visa concessions for those on student (or Tier 4) visas allow for the provision of online learning for students outside the UK until 6 April 2022. These visa concessions have been implemented so that students have a greater degree of flexibility on when they travel into the UK, if required.

Students should look to travel to the UK in keeping with their course requirements and should speak to their education provider to understand these. Individual higher education providers make the decision about face-to-face learning in relation to students’ learning needs.

The government is working closely with the higher education sector to ensure that providers are prepared to support students who may wish to stay in their university accommodation over the holidays due to possible travel disruption as well as international students returning in January.

In addition, the government has liaised with the higher education sector throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure they have been provided with the latest travel guidance that affects their international student population.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the UK higher education sector has gone above and beyond to ensure that international students’ physical and mental health are prioritised. The government will continue to work alongside the higher education sector to ensure international students are supported throughout their time in higher education.