The United Kingdom Home Office on July 1 formally opened its new post-study work visa route especially for international students (Indian and others) that will allow them to apply for the right to stay on for job experience once they complete their university courses.
Earlier in 2020, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel had announced that the Graduate route visa, which is now open for applications from this week is designed to benefit the Indian students in particular. Notably, the Indian students who study in the UK choose the degree courses in correspondence to the career prospects.
In a statement, Patel said: "Under the UK Government's points-based immigration system, talented students from India and across the globe now have the opportunity to kick start their careers in the UK at the highest levels of business, science, technology and the arts."
She further added, "UK in 2020 granted more than 56,000 visas to the Indian students."
Who can apply?
To begin with the application process, the applicants who
started their studies in last year or 2021 spring will need to be in the UK on
a student visa by September 27, 2021. However, other students who would start
their course by the end of this year or early next year will need to be
physically present in the UK by April 6, 2022.
Also Read:UK adds India to travel 'red list' amid unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases
Pertinently, to attain the post-study work permit, the International students must have completed their undertaken studies program at
a recognized UK higher education provider at an undergraduate, post-graduate or
higher level.
Under this Graduate route, the students will be able to stay in the UK on the work experience for a maximum of two years, or three years or for Doctoral Ph.D. students. Another added benefit of the new route is that students will not have to possess any job offer letter to apply thus, they can utilize this two-year period to stay on and look for a job.
Moreover, the government has kept no bar on salary requirement, hence, allowing graduates to work flexibly, switch jobs and establish their career as required.
Furthermore, a Covid-19 concession has also been extended by the UK govt which enables the students, who have had taken admission in 2020 and are unable to travel due to restrictions imposed, to enter the UK to later apply for the new Graduate route.
How to apply?
For the first time ever, the applicants will be able to
apply for the post-study work visa in a fully digital manner. The applicants
will have to use a specific application on their mobile phone “UK Immigration:
ID Check.”
Those applicants who will succeed in submitting their application will be issued an eVisa, and be able to conveniently access this status whenever needed to prove their rights in the UK.
The online process will prove hassle-free for the applicants as they would not have to visit a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service or re-submit their biometrics. However, if in case graduates will not be able to access their application status online will still have to visit a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service.