UK Starting to Issue a New Work Visa for Migrant Students

On 4 March 2021, the Home Office introduced a Graduate route visa for migrant students of British universities who would like to stay in Great Britain and look for a job. The UK is interested in keeping young specialists with good academic background and strives to create good conditions for talented young people. The new visa will also contribute to this cause.

The Graduate route is valid for two years, or three years for holders of PhD or other doctoral degrees. You can obtain it if you have a Tier 4 (General) or a Student visa.

To apply, you need to be in the UK and have documents proving your graduation from a British university or college. Your spouse and children can also stay in Britain together with you.

A significant advantage of the Graduate route compared to the ordinary Work visa is that you do not need to have an employer who is permitted to hire employees from abroad and is able to provide you with a certificate of sponsorship. A graduate is expected to look for a job and go to interviews in person instead of doing it online or having to come to the country on a tourist visa. However, it is better to do your best to find a job as soon as possible as you are not likely to get public welfare benefits.

Apart from employment opportunities, the Graduate route allows you to become self-employed and take part in volunteer activities.

As announced by the Home Office, the Graduate route will be open for applications on 1 July 2021. Till then, the authorities will need to decide what to do with the students who have been studying online during the last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those staying in their home country who have not been able to come back to their universities because of the closed borders.

We recommend talking to Imperial & Legal specialists to get relevant and accurate information about the Graduate route. Our experts stay up to date with all the amendments to the immigration rules and will do their best to help you fill in the application form, collect the required documents and meet the official deadlines.