GOOD NEWS FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATES WHO WANT STAY BACK IN THE UK – AN IMMIGRATION OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Immigration is often a part of the study abroad plans for international students, but it takes a lot of work to change your status from a student to a resident in the country of your choice. The new Graduate route brings good news for students aspiring to stay back in the UK after completing their graduation in the country. It is also an opportunity for the country to retain the best talent to contribute to the economy and society.
The Graduate route opens for applications on 1 July 2021. Eligibility criteria for international students include completion of a degree at an undergraduate level and above at a UK university and compliance with the immigration requirements. Approved applicants will be allowed to work or look for opportunities after completing their course for a maximum period of two years. The time-period extends to three years for Doctoral students.
Since the route will be applicable across all parts of the UK, communities in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will have the opportunity to secure the best global talent to push economic growth. The initiative is a tangible measure to support the points-based immigration system, which aims to attract top professionals and give businesses access to the best resources for boosting the country’s economy.
The new route will get the government a step closer to its ambition of reaching the 600,000-mark for the number of international students in the UK-higher education domain by 2030. There is also much about the Graduate route that makes it favourable for international students who want to stay back, live, and work in the UK. The high points include:
- It will be unsponsored, which means that applicants can apply without a job offer.
- There are no caps on numbers or minimum salary requirements.
- Graduates can switch jobs, work flexibly, and develop their careers as they want.
Apart from the upcoming launch of the Graduate route, the Parliament also announced the extension of the coronavirus concessions for international students unable to travel to the country. Students who started their courses in Autumn-2020 can now enter the UK until 21 June 2021 to be eligible for the new Graduate route. Those who started in January or February 2021 will have to be here by 27 September 2021.
The Graduate route closely follows the launch of another immigration route that aims to get skilled migrants to the country so that they can help to accelerate innovation and growth of start-ups and fast-growing firms. It will make highly skilled migrants eligible for a visa only with a job offer from a high-growth firm without requiring sponsorship or third-party endorsement.
