My friends call me very ambitious. Maybe they are right. I launched my first IT business when I turned 18. I worked on several projects in Georgia but wanted to develop further. I decided to study at a British university, and I did. After graduation, I wanted to stay in the UK and try my business skills here. However, I needed to choose an appropriate visa and resolve some other relocation and business issues. I think that I was lucky to contact Imperial & Legal for help.
Quality education offered by British universities is not the only thing that attracts foreign students to the United Kingdom. After graduation, they can apply for a UK Graduate visa that allows them to live and work in the UK for another two or three years.
That’s why, a lot of Imperial & Legal’s clients are foreign students who have just graduated from British universities and want to prolong their stay in the country.
The client of this case contacted us with the same goal. An ambitious young man did not want to leave London after graduation and lose chances of a brilliant career. After the consultation, our immigration advisors recommended he apply for a UK Graduate visa.
Zaur is a 26-year-old man from Georgia. His parents wanted him to study in the UK because they thought that British education would secure a good career for their son.
Despite his young age, Zaur is a talented IT specialist with experience in launching and selling IT projects. Several years ago, he joined forces with like-minded people to create, set up, and grow a successful IT business related to training and a healthy diet. After he sold the start-up, Zaur decided to continue his education in the UK.
Zaur was about to graduate from the City University London but did not want to go back home. He hoped to find a job in an international company and build his career in Europe.
To get confirmation from Zaur’s university that he has completed the course, collect the required documents, and apply for a UK Graduate visa.
The main advantage of a UK Graduate visa is the freedom that it gives. It is a gift for foreign graduates from the British government. For example, you do not have to frantically look for a job before you graduate and sign an employment agreement as quickly as possible to get a work visa. There are no minimum salary requirements. On a UK Graduate visa, you are free to change jobs as many times as you want.
A UK Graduate visa allows its holders to try different occupations and find the best job, be self-employed or volunteer, go abroad and then return to the UK without any problems. Neither do you have to work all the time. You can go on holiday, take a break, and try yourself in a different field. In a nutshell, these two years can decide your future life.
If your application for a UK Graduate visa is approved, you will get a letter with the things that you can and cannot do.
Before the UK Graduate visa was introduced, British companies struggled to employ foreign graduates. They had to sponsor them which was very expensive. Besides, they often lacked administrative and financial resources to provide such sponsorship.
The above restrictions were lifted, and now, any company, either a large corporation or a small-sized enterprise, can employ a talented foreign graduate.
Zaur was happy with the conditions of a UK Graduate visa since he planned not only to look for a job in an international company but also to get involved in a small UK start-up. He had already made a preliminary agreement with one of the British companies developing software in the healthcare sector. This is a popular area since people begin to trust digital healthcare and see its benefits in terms of time and cost optimisation.
The director promised to make Zaur a co-founder with a 15% share if his ideas provided for stable financial growth. The company would then apply for a sponsorship licence, and Zaur would switch from his UK Graduate visa to a UK Skilled Worker visa.
To obtain a UK Graduate visa, Zaur had to submit his passport, biometric residence card, Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and confirmation from his university that he had completed his course.
Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors requested the confirmation, collected the required documents, and applied for a UK Graduate visa for Zaur.
When you apply for a UK Graduate visa, you need to pay an application fee of £715 and an immigration health surcharge. If your application is refused, the application fee is not refundable. Therefore, if in doubt, get professional legal assistance to fill in the application correctly and collect all the required documents.
Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors checked Zaur’s documents carefully, so he had no problems with getting his UK Graduate visa. It was issued quickly, and now, Zaur can legally stay in the UK for two more years.
Zaur plans to take part in a start-up. If he successfully launches his new IT project and grows it to a certain point, he will be able to become a co-founder and switch to a UK Skilled Worker visa.
To further assist Zaur, we offered to help him open a bank account for incoming payments from the start-up and act on his behalf before the HM Revenue & Customs. Zaur appreciates the value of such services, so he was happy to sign a contract with Imperial & Legal.
We will work with you to find a customised solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax and other needs.
UK Graduate Visa
UK Skilled Worker Visa
Employing foreign nationals