EU citizens resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 can apply for UK immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), to enable them to continue living and working in the UK after 30 June 2021. Their eligibility for the EUSS will not be affected if they are absent from the UK over the Christmas period and they will not require a visa to return to the UK in January 2021.

Eligible EU citizens have until 30 June 2021 to make an application to the EUSS. Applicants only need to complete three key steps: prove their identity, show their residence in the UK and declare any criminal convictions. Eligibility for the EUSS is not generally concerned with whether the applicant has been engaged in a qualifying activity, such as employment.

From 1 January 2021, EU citizens newly arriving in the UK and non-EU citizens will be treated equally under the new points-based immigration system. The UK has not operated a dedicated immigration route for au pairs since 2008 and has no plans to introduce one. However, the UK currently operates eight Youth Mobility Schemes which are principally designed for cultural exchange. We have indicated our desire to negotiate a youth mobility arrangement with the EU or with individual countries within it, if a collective agreement is not possible.

The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural and educational opportunities, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recognises the importance of its work in providing a variety of foreign exchange programmes for UK students to widen their career prospects. The Council delivers or part-funds eight schemes for UK students to study or work abroad. For example, over 2,000 students participate annually in the Language Assistants programme, which supports UK students and recent graduates in taking up a placement in a school to assist in English language teaching. Between now and 2025, the British Council is aiming to provide international mobility opportunities to over 125,000 UK students and researchers.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) recognises that higher education is a significant export for the United Kingdom, bringing value in the collaboration and partnerships they foster, and helping to forge deep global relationships. These underpin opportunities for the United Kingdom and our international partners to develop, trade and work together.

HM Government is exploring to what extent our trade negotiations could support trade in education services. This may include collaboration in science, research and innovation as appropriate. DIT will continue to work across government and with other interested parties to make sure our trade negotiations represent the sector’s interests.

The Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX) is a flagship project of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and the British Council Israel. Since the launch of BIRAX in 2011, around £13 million has been invested in 26 research projects, focusing on regenerative medicine including cardiovascular and liver disease, Alzheimer's, Diabetes and Parkinson's. BIRAX-supported research has been published in 77 publications and presented in about 96 conferences around the world. With projects at the forefront of scientific innovation, BIRAX has now progressed to tackle the global challenge of ageing, a priority for both the UK and Israel.

The shape and content of EU Programmes post-2020, including Erasmus+, are currently being negotiated in the EU institutions and have not yet been finalised. The UK government is preparing for every eventuality, and is considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives.

The UK is ready to consider participation in certain EU programmes, once the EU has agreed the baseline in its 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and has taken into account the overall value to the UK of doing so.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his ministers regularly discuss matters relating to education and EU exit with the devolved administrations, including on Erasmus+. Officials also hold regular meetings on the topic of Erasmus+ with officials from the Devolved Administrations to ensure close cooperation on this matter. Ministers and officials engage with stakeholders from across the education sector, including further education, to understand their views.

The shape and content of EU Programmes post-2020, including Erasmus+, are currently being negotiated in the EU institutions and have not yet been finalised. The UK government is preparing for every eventuality, and is considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives.

The UK is ready to consider participation in certain EU programmes, once the EU has agreed the baseline in its 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and has taken into account the overall value to the UK of doing so.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his ministers regularly discuss matters relating to education and EU exit with the devolved administrations, including on Erasmus+. Officials also hold regular meetings on the topic of Erasmus+ with officials from the Devolved Administrations to ensure close cooperation on this matter. Ministers and officials engage with stakeholders from across the education sector, including further education, to understand their views.

Under the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with the EU, the UK will continue to participate fully in the current (2014-20) Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes. This means that the projects successfully bid for during the current programmes will continue to receive EU funding for the full duration of the project, including those where funding runs beyond 2020 and the end of the transition period. We expect Higher Education mobilities being bid for in 2020 will include some mobilities for academic year 2020-21 and academic year 2021-22, depending on the specific details of individual projects.

The shape and content of EU Programmes post-2020, including Erasmus+, are currently being negotiated within the EU institutions and have not yet been finalised. These EU programmes must be adopted by the EU before any potential formal negotiations on association could begin. The UK is ready to consider participation in certain EU programmes, once the EU has agreed the baseline in its 2021-27 Multiannual Financial Framework, and taking into account the overall value to the UK of doing so.

The Department for Education is the national authority for the Erasmus+ programme in the UK. The Department oversees the work of the UK National Agency, which is responsible for the management and delivery of the programme across the UK. The UK National Agency have been issuing guidance to UK universities with the support of the Department for Education.

The UK government is preparing for every eventuality and is considering a wide range of options with regard to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives.

The government highly values international exchange and cooperation in education and training and recognises the benefits that such cooperation brings. As we prepare to leave the EU, the department has engaged widely with stakeholder groups across the UK, which we will continue to do. We have received representations from many sector bodies such as Universities UK, the Association of Colleges, the Russell Group, MillionPlus and the National Union of Students.

As the Prime Minister, has made clear, the government wants to work to continue to build academic cooperation between the UK and the EU. As we enter negotiations on our future relationship with the EU, we want to ensure that UK students and European students can continue to benefit from each other’s world-leading education systems.

As stated in my answer to 2672 on 17^th January 2020, the Secretary of State for Education and I regularly discuss matters relating to education and EU exit with the Welsh Government including on Erasmus+.

My officials also hold regular meetings on the topic of Erasmus+ with officials from the Welsh Government to ensure close cooperation on this matter.

The UK government wants to ensure that UK and European students can continue to benefit from each other’s world-leading education systems. We highly value international exchange and cooperation in education and training. Even after we leave the EU on the 31 January, the Withdrawal Agreement ensures that students, young people, and learners will be able to participate fully in the remainder of the current Erasmus+ programme and organisations should continue to bid for programme funding until the end of 2020.

As noted in the political declaration, the UK is open to participate in certain EU programmes, such as the next Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027), if it is in our interest to do so. The proposed regulations for the next programme are still being discussed in the EU and have yet to be finalised. Future participation in EU programmes will be a subject of our negotiations on the future of UK-EU relationship.

The UK government is preparing for every eventuality and is considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives. Officials from the Department of Education are liaising with their colleagues in the devolved administrations on a potential domestic alternative should it be needed.

Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning is a high performing programme that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to live and work in a global economy and to take action on global issues. To date the programme has trained over 25,000 teachers and school leaders, and reached over 6,000 schools.

Given the programme is less than halfway through implementation, DFID is focused on delivering current results. Future iterations of the programme will be considered alongside other priorities.

The government highly values international cultural exchange and cooperation in education and training and recognises the benefits that such cooperation brings.

As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has made clear, the government wants to work to continue to build academic cooperation between the UK and the EU. As we enter negotiations on our future relationship with the EU, we want to ensure that UK students and European students can continue to benefit from each other’s world-leading education systems.

As stated in the Political Declaration, the UK is open to participating in certain educational and cultural EU programmes, such as the next Erasmus+ programme (2021-27), if it is in our interest to do so.

The UK government is preparing for every eventuality and is considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives.

The government highly values international exchange and cooperation in education and training and recognises the benefits that such cooperation brings.

As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has made clear, the government wants to continue to build academic cooperation between the UK and the EU. As we enter negotiations on our future relationship with the EU, we want to ensure that UK and European students can continue to benefit from each other’s world-leading education systems.

The UK as a whole participates in the current Erasmus+ programme and the Department for Education is the National Authority for the programme in the UK. The department oversees the work of the UK National Agency, which is responsible for the management and delivery of the programme across the UK, including in the devolved administrations.

My right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education and I regularly discuss matters relating to education and EU exit with the devolved administrations including on Erasmus+.

The department officials also hold regular meetings on the topic of Erasmus+ with officials from the devolved administrations to ensure close cooperation on this matter.