Chinese students who aim to further their higher education in the European Union (EU) will benefit from an extension of at least nine months of stay after their studies end, according to new rules agreed on by the European Parliament on last Wednesday.

欧洲议会上周三通过的新规将惠及想要赴欧盟国家接受高等教育的中国学生。根据新规，赴欧盟国家的中国留学生完成学业后可在欧盟逗留的时间将延长为至少9个月。

The new rules, valid¹ for all the students and researchers from non-EU states, are designed to attract more skilled labor for all 28 member states of the bloc², which has a population of about 500 million but is faced with a challenging aging problem.

新规面向非欧盟国家的所有留学生和科研人员，旨在为欧盟28个成员国吸引更多高素质劳动力。这些成员国的总人口约为5亿，但面临着具有挑战性的老龄化问题。

Currently, there are more 200,000 Chinese students studying for their higher education in European Union countries and roughly half of them are studying in UK, according to official figures.

据悉，新政将在两年内实施。官方数据显示，目前共有20多万中国留学生在欧盟国家接受高等教育，其中约一半在英国。

"I am very happy to hear about this as now I am seeking to apply for my second masters degree in London and this will allow me more chances to stay longer in UK after my graduation," said Li Siyu, finance major in Leicester University who would graduate in September.

将于今年9月从莱斯特大学财务专业毕业的李思雨表示：“我很高兴听到这个消息，因为现在我正打算在伦敦申请硕士学位，这将使我在毕业后有更多的机会留在英国。”

"So I am crossing my fingers to see if the UK still stays in the EU after the referendum next month and as an EU member, it should observe the new rules."

“所以我现在正在祈祷，看看英国在下个月的全民投票之后是否还留在欧盟。作为欧盟成员，英国应该遵守这一新的规定。”

Currently the UK operates strict rules for graduates from non-EU countries and students are allowed at most two or three months extra after their studies end.

英国现行规定较为严苛，非欧盟国家留学生完成学业后最多只能再逗留两到三个月。

Some Chinese students have to apply for a tourist visa to UK if they plan to attend their graduation ceremony.

如果打算参加毕业典礼，一些中国学生必须申请英国旅游签证。