After graduating from a British university, I decided to stay and work in the UK. However, it was not so easy to find a job. I found out about a UK Graduate visa that allows me to stay in the UK and find work here, but I had no idea how to apply for it. Fortunately, Imperial & Legal advisors solved this issue!
Jamila came to Manchester from Egypt. She had studied in the UK for two years and her Student visa was due to expire a few weeks before a new UK Graduate visa was introduced. Jamila wanted to apply for this immigration category but did not know how to apply. Therefore, she contacted Imperial & Legal.
A UK Graduate Visa is for foreign students who have obtained a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree and wish to stay and work in the UK.
A UK Graduate visa is valid for two years for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and three years for PhD or other doctoral qualifications. There are no restrictions as to what you can do in the UK. You can work anywhere (except as a professional sportsperson, including a sports coach) including paid and unpaid employment, self-employment and engaging in business or any professional activity. However, with a Graduate visa, one cannot apply for benefits, scholarships, grants, or subsidies.
Jamila is a 24-year-old from Cairo. Her older brother, who also graduated from a British university, advised her to get an education in Europe. The young woman graduated with a bachelor’s degree and decided to stay in Manchester, where she had been studying.
Everything started with an application for a UK Skilled Worker visa, but it was difficult to find a job in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown. The university suggested she apply for a Graduate Visa which came into effect on 1 July 2021.
Obtain a UK Graduate visa during the COVID-19 lockdown using a priority service.
During the first meeting with Imperial & Legal’s advisors, Jamila told them that she could not leave the UK before her Student visa expired because of COVID-19-related travel restrictions. Our specialists applied online for an FLR visa extension. It was necessary to protect her from overstaying in the UK.
According to the Immigration Rules, it is possible to switch to a Graduate Visa only from a Student visa. The university where Jamila had studied confirmed that she had completed her course and passed her final exams.
Due to a prompt application by Imperial & Legal’s advisors, her UK student visa was extended. Now she had time to wait for a decision on her application for another visa category.
Thanks to that extension, Jamila could apply for a Graduate Visa. Otherwise, she would have had to leave the UK and apply for another visa outside the country because an application for a Graduate Visa can only be submitted within the UK.
Imperial & Legal’s advisors helped Jamila submit an online application and upload the required documents to a dedicated portal:
Jamila is very happy she got in touch with our company. She obtained a UK Graduate visa within 2 months. Jamila missed her parents who live in Egypt, but she could not visit them during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, now the main restrictions are lifted, and she can visit her family. Her Graduate visa allows her to travel abroad and come back to the UK.
Jamila is grateful to Imperial & Legal’s advisors. She said she’d come back to apply for the next immigration status because “the staff is polite, friendly, and great professionals in the field of immigration law”. Moreover, the young woman recommended Imperial & Legal to her relatives who would consult us when the time is right.
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