Chinese student visa applications to UK reach peak, British ambassador says

The number of visa applications from Chinese students who want to go and study in the United Kingdom has reached a peak this year, said Barbara Woodward, British ambassador to China.

"We've seen about a 20 percent increase in student visas this year," she told reporters during the fourth British Embassy Open Day in Beijing on Saturday, when more than 2,400 visitors toured the ambassador's home, enjoying a range of interactive activities including music performances, virtual reality displays and food tastings held by over 50 organizations.

The UK currently attracts around 450,000 overseas students each year, with around one-third coming from the European Union.

China, with about 95,000 students, is the single biggest national source.

"We continue to see very exciting growth in the overall visa market," Woodward said. "And we have introduced a number of measures which allow us to simplify the application process."

The most important thing, she said, was to reduce the number of documents required in the application procedure, which will make the process easier and friendlier for Chinese students and tourists who want to travel to the UK.