New rules to attract non-EU students, researchers and interns to the EU
The new rules clarify and improve conditions for non-EU interns, volunteers, school pupils and au pairs. The new rules merge two existing directives (one on students and one on researchers) ensuring that:
- students and researchers may stay at least nine months after finishing their studies or research in order to look for a job or to set up a business, which should also ensure that Europe benefits from their skills,
- students and researchers may move more easily within the EU during their stay. In future, they will not need to file a new visa application, but only to notify the member state to which they are moving, for example to do a one-semester exchange. Researchers will also be able to move for longer periods than those currently allowed,
- researchers have the right to bring their family members with them and these family members are entitled to work during their stay in Europe, and
- students have the right to work at least 15 hours a week. More...