Thanks for the heads up. Client (who would pay) wants to get me back and I'll pass this on. Unfortunately they already pay a fortune for TI as all my work is in what were "do not travel" countries before the ban came in. I can confirm the premiums are eye watering. Bespoke prices from bespoke insurers.
The Govt never stopped business travel that fitted the criteria for exit, which was " essential for the conduct of critical industries and business (including export and import", which wasn't a particularly high bar from what I've heard. Agree with your point re the same rules should apply to internationsl students though.
there is an article on
Executive Traveller whose comments include the details a lot of experiences of getting approval to travel out. Not going to bother looking it up, but from what I've seen it wouldn't surprise me if posting copies of paperwork was a crime. They have morphed from keeping people out to keeping people in, with the same sort of no information, no guidelines, no right of review, etc.
Cheers skip