Post Study Work Visa UK

The Post Study Work Visa UK also called the Graduate Route, is a temporary visa that gives international students in the UK a golden opportunity to reside, study and work in any post or career path that they choose.

Latest News About Post Study Work Visa UK

1. The UK Home Office has formally opened its new Post Study Work Visa (Graduate Route Visa) for international students. This visa allows students from India and other countries who have completed their degrees to stay in the UK and work for two years. If you are a PhD student, you will be granted three years.

2. International students realise that overseas studies are a possible way to emigrate to another country, settle there permanently, and further their studies. They have plans to use their educational qualifications to move to the UK, the land of their institution.

3. Sixty-five percent of these international students expressed their interest in gaining employment privileges. The UK government is considering these aspirations to sustain the market for international students.

4. According to new studies, international students entering the UK contribute about 28.8 billion pounds to the country's economy, with China and Indian students present in large numbers.

5. The UK Home Office has announced that international students taking courses remotely will still be eligible to apply for a UK post-study work visa under a concession granted due to the pandemic.

UK Post Study Work Visa Rules

The Post Study Work Visa or the Graduate Route allows international students to stay back in the UK to find work for two years after completing their graduate studies. 

These are the rules for this new visa.

• As an international student, you need to have a valid Student visa or Tier 4 visa on applying. It would help if you showed that you have finished your course in the UK as a student.
• You can apply for the UK Graduate Route once your institution has confirmed that you have completed your studies. You do not have to wait for your graduation, but you can apply as soon as your final course results are given to you.
• You also need to submit your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number. Your university and your Student or Tier 4 visa would have issued this number. Contact your university if you have misplaced or do not know your CAS number.
• You must pay a processing fee of 700 pounds for the Graduate Route and a full Immigration Health Surcharge amounting to 624 pounds/year. It is quite a high price, but it will give you full access to the National Health Services of the UK, just like any UK permanent resident.
• Your dependents also need to pay the processing fee and Immigration Health Surcharges. Bringing new dependents to the UK is not allowed; you can, if they have already come to the UK under your Tier 4 visa.
• It is important that you are in the UK when you apply for the Post Study Work visa. If you are outside the country, your application may be withdrawn or rejected. Make sure that you stay in the UK until the outcome of your application does not come.
• With the Graduate Route visa, you can work full time in almost any job, including freelancing or self-employment. Working as a sportsperson or coach is not allowed, however.
• The visa is non-extendable and cannot be renewed. Only once a lifetime can you apply for this Graduate Route. This visa is issued for two years. If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the duration of the visa will be three years. The start date of the visa will be the date your application is approved.
• Successful applicants on the Post Study Work Visa will be allowed to stay, look for work, and work in the UK at any skill level for two years after completing an undergraduate or Master's degree. If you are a PhD graduate, you can stay for three years. Once you have landed a suitable job, you can switch to skilled level work.
• With a Graduate Route visa, you can only study in the course you chose; you are not eligible for a student visa. If your course is eligible for a student visa, you must extend your student visa.

Eligibility Criteria for Post Study Work Visa UK

Previously, candidates who have had a Master's or Bachelor's degree were allowed to stay for only four months to search for a job. With new rules that the UK government has implemented, they now can stay and work in the UK for a maximum of 2 years, so it's a big change.

Students can apply for the UK Graduate Route visa without requiring a preexisting job offer. They can also take part-time studies, courses in the English language, or evening classes.

Here are the Post Study Work visa eligibility criteria.

1. As an international student in the UK, you will be eligible for a stay-back term if you are a degree holder from an institution of higher education that the UK government recognises. You can be a Diploma holder, an undergraduate, a postgraduate, or a Doctoral degree.

In other words, all international students who have completed a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree, or a PhD are eligible to apply.

2. You are also required to find a suitable job so that you can move towards a general work visa after your first year of graduation.

3. You must submit your application for the visa within 12 months of completion of the program.

4. You must be independent financially, so you do not require monetary aid.

How to get Post Study Work Visa UK?

The UK is known for being home to some of the world's best colleges and universities.

Every year the country draws thousands of international students to its shores to pursue higher education. This is true especially today when the UK government has opened its Post Study Work Visa or the Graduate Route visa. This gives you the freedom to stay in the UK to look for work and work. Many students are interested in applying for the Post Study Work Visa but do not know what to do and where to start.

Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you get this visa.

• You should apply online for a Graduate Route visa.
• Your partner and children will need to apply separately.
• Check the documents that you need for the application. Gather them and be ready to submit. Here are some of the necessary documents:
• a valid passport and other travel documents that states your nationality and identity
• your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP); you were given this when you applied for your Tier 4 or Student visa.
• your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number when you applied for the same above.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also be asked to provide the following:

• Proof of your relationship with your partner and your children if they apply with you.
• A letter from your sponsorship provider, who approves your application. This is if they paid your fees and living costs last year.
• Prove your identity and provide supporting documents. This is part of the application. Scan your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) with the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app. You also need to create an account with the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI); you need to sign in if you already have an account.
• Suppose you cannot scan your BRP with the app. In that case, you will need to get your photograph and fingerprints taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.
• After you have proven your identity, you will be guided on what to do.
• Once your application has been filed online, you have proven your identity and provided your required documents. The decision may be within eight weeks. An email will be sent to you containing the decision on your application. This email will also explain what you should do next.
• If your application has been approved, you now have the right to live and work in the UK.
• With your Post Study Work Visa UK, there are things that you can and cannot do. Upon approval of your application, you will be given a complete list of those things. 

Here are some of them:

You can: 

• search for work
• work in most jobs
• be self-employed
• do voluntary work
• engage in business or any professional activity
• travel abroad and back to the UK
• continue living in the UK with your eligible partner and children

You cannot: 

• apply for benefits such as public funds, State Pension
• work as a professional sportsperson.

If you plan to apply for a Post Study Work Visa UK, you can contact our AECC Global experts. We are a study abroad consultants, and we can help you choose a course and university that is suitable for you and aligns with your interests and ambition.

When it comes to UK students visas, we consider ourselves the best. We will provide you with everything you need to know before filing your application to the authorities. We can also assist you in gathering documents and preparing for the interview. With our assistance, you are assured that you will get approval for your application.