UK Post-Study Work Visa
This visa allows students who studied in the UK to work in the country after graduation. The UK government announced a new post-study work visa for international students graduating from a UK university in September 2019. The visa replaces one that was discontinued seven years ago.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This new immigration policy, dubbed the Graduate Immigration Route, will allow international students who graduate in the summer of 2021 or later to stay in the UK for an additional two years.
During those two years, graduates will be allowed to work or look for work in the UK. Once they find a job, they can apply for a work visa and begin their settlement journey.
What Are the Requirements for the Graduate Immigration Route in UK?
The main requirements for obtaining a UK post-study work visa include:
- You must be graduating in the summer of 2021 or afterwards. This means all students from the 2020/2021 academic year, as well as those on two-year courses which began in 2019, will be able to benefit from the visa.
- You must be graduating from an undergraduate level program or higher.
- You must have a track record of compliance.
- You must have a valid Tier 4 student visa at the time of application.
- You must have a full degree – not from a short-term course, language course, etc.
- You must have a degree from one of the licensed visa sponsor universities.
How to Apply for a UK Post Study Work Visa?
Although there are no official application guidelines, if you intend to apply for the UK Post Study Visa in the future, you must:
- Fulfill all the requirements, as detailed above.
- Submit an application before your Tier 4 visa expires.
- Submit a new application to the UK Home Office, including payment of all the relevant application fees as well as an Immigration Health Surcharge. The fees for the Graduate Immigration Route will be disclosed in the meantime.
You won’t be able to begin an application until 2021, when your graduation date approaches. Meanwhile, you should contact the UK Home Office for the most recent developments and updates on the post-study visa application.
When Will the UK Post Study Work Visa Be Implemented?
The Graduate Immigration Route is expected to be operational in the summer of 2021. As a result, students graduating in 2020 will be unable to apply.
There are no detailed guidelines or requirements because the new visa policy has not yet been implemented.
Can I Still Get a UK Post Study Work Visa If I Was Distance Learning Due to Covid-19?
Yes, students who were forced to pursue distance or blended learning during the Covid-19 pandemic will be eligible for the post-study work visa if they return to the UK by April 6, 2021. They must spend at least one semester in the United Kingdom.
So, in order to obtain a UK post-study work visa despite distance learning, you must:
- Return to the UK before 6 April 2021
- Finish your final semester in the UK.
- Have a valid Tier 4 student visa
- Meet all the other eligibility criteria for the new graduate visa
The new temporary concession was announced in a new Covid-19 guide by the UK Home Office published in June 2020.
Should the University Sponsor the Graduates for a Post-Study Visa?
No, applicants for the UK’s post-study work visa do not require a sponsor for the two-year period during which they are looking for work. Their employer will act as their sponsor once they have found work.
Can I Apply for the Post Study Work Visa If I Am Already a Student?
If you are currently a student in the United Kingdom, you can only apply for the Graduate Immigration Route if you will graduate in the summer of 2021. If you graduate before that date and your Tier 4 student visa expires, you will be unable to apply for the post-study work visa.
Can I Settle in the UK with the Post Study Work Visa?
No, the post-study work visa (Graduate Immigration Route) does not qualify for residency or settlement in the United Kingdom. You can only use this visa to find work in the UK and obtain a work visa, which counts toward your residency and settlement.
Can You Extend a Post Study Work Visa?
No, you cannot. The post-study work visa is only issued for a maximum of two years. If during that time, you have not found a job and applied for a skilled work visa, then you cannot extend the post-study work visa further.
Can You Have Dependents With a Post Study Work Visa?
Although the entire post-study visa regulations are still unknown, dependents will most likely be unable to apply at the same time as the main visa holder. If the dependents are already in the UK on a Tier 4 Dependent Visa, they are exempt.
Will EU Citizens Need a Post-Study Visa After Brexit?
The UK is still in the Brexit transitional phase until the end of 2020, so EU citizens can still work and study in the UK without a visa.
However, beginning in January 2021, the rules may be changed so that EU nationals are treated equally with those from non-EU countries. As a result, if EU citizens need to apply for a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, they will also need to apply for a post-study visa.
EU citizens planning to stay in the UK after Brexit have until June 30, 2021, to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Reasons Behind the New UK Post Study Work Visa
According to Home Secretary Priti Patel, the UK’s new post-study work visa (the Graduate Immigration Route) is an attempt on the part of the British government to “attract the best and brightest” of international students.
The new visa contributes to the UK government’s International Education Strategy, which aims to reach 600,000 international higher education students by 2030 and increase education exports to £35 billion.
Conclusion Of New UK Post Study Work Visa
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD AN APPLICANT PAY MONEY TO ANYONE IN GETTING A JOB WE HAVE PUBLISHED
