10 Mar New Graduate Immigration Route
There is exciting news for international students, as the government announces the new Graduate Immigration Route which will be launched on 1 July 2021!
This will allow international students who have completed an eligible course with a UK higher educational institution to work or look for work in the UK, after their studies. They will be able to do so for a period of up to 2 years or 3 years if a PHD student.
Unfortunately, the Graduate Immigration Roue will not be available to international students whose existing leave expires prior to 1 July 2021. Hence, they may wish to consider switching to another visa category such as the Skilled Worker visa, Innovator or Global Talent.
This new route will allow the UK to retain talented individuals who wish to contribute to the UK economy and society. Kevin Foster, the Minister for Future Borders and Immigration has stated:
‘As we rebuild from the global pandemic, we want the world’s brightest talent, who aspire to a career at the highest levels of business, science, the arts and technology to see our United Kingdom as the natural place to fulfil their aspirations.
The changes announced today [4 March 2021] will ensure once they have received a gold standard qualification from one of our world leading education institutions, they can easily secure the status they need to continue living, working and fulfilling their dreams in the UK’.
Do you qualify for the Graduate Immigration Route?
An applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Must have successfully completed a UK degree or an eligible course
This means that the applicant must have completed a degree course at either bachelor’s or postgraduate level, or a professional course which is regulated by UK law or a UK public authority.
In addition, applicants who are currently appointed as Student Union Sabbatical Offers will be able to apply, as long as they have completed their most recent studies.
- Must have studied at a Higher Education institution with a valid licence and have a track record of compliance
The applicant should have been assigned a valid Certificate of Acceptance (CaS) and studied at an institution which holds a valid Sponsorship Licence.
The Graduate Immigration Route will not require an applicant to have a job offer or a CoS in order to remain in the UK. This will allow applicants to progress in their career, they will have greater flexibility as they can change employers without notifying the Home Office.
- Must have spent a minimum study period in the UK
This varies, depending on the length of period of the course. If the course was longer than 12 months, the applicant should have spent at least 12 months in the UK.
If the duration of the course was for 12 months or less, the applicant should have spent the entire duration of their course in the UK.
- Must be applying from within the UK, and have valid leave as a student or Tier 4 General student on the date of application;
The applicant will need to have valid leave, as applications must be made from within the UK.
- Must have not previously held permission on the Doctorate Extension Scheme or the Graduate route.
- Must not fall for refusal on the grounds of suitability
The UKVI will take into consideration factors such as whether the applicant has previously been in breach of the Immigration Rules, if they have previously made false representations and whether their presence in the UK is non-conducive to the public good.
Applicants should be aware that they cannot apply for an extension of the Graduate Immigration Route and that it does not lead to settlement. However, if they have dependants in the UK under their current leave, they will be able to switch to the Graduate Immigration Route as your dependants, although this is only for existing dependants unless a child is born in the UK during the grant of leave.
Contact Our Immigration Team
For expert advice regarding any aspect of the UK visa application, please contact our team on 0203 384 3075.
