Good news for Overseas Graduate students in the UK

The Government has announced today that the new Graduate route will open for applications on 1 July 2021, to allow the UK to retain the brightest and the best international students from around the world. The new route enhances the UK’s higher education offer and ensures that international students will continue to choose the UK as the destination to study and build their careers.

As detailed in the Immigration Rules laid in Parliament today 4 March, the route will enable international students to remain in the UK to work, or look for work, for two years (three years for doctoral students) after they have completed their studies. All international students who have successfully completed a degree (or other permitted qualification) at undergraduate level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, and who have valid Student (or Tier 4) permission at the time of application, will be able to apply.

The Graduate route will be unsponsored, meaning applicants will not need a job offer in order to be eligible. There will be no minimum salary requirements nor caps on numbers. Graduates on the route will be able to work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career as required.

Whilst the route will not lead to settlement, those on the route will be able to move into another work-based route, such as the Skilled Worker route - which does lead to settlement - once they meet the requirements.

Due to COVID-19, we have also put in place concessions for students unable to travel to the UK due to the pandemic. Applicants who began their studies in autumn 2020 now have until 21 June 2021 to enter the UK (updated from the previous date of 6 April 2021) in order to be eligible for the route. Students who began their studies in January or February 2021 will need to be in the UK by 27 September 2021.

The introduction of the route builds on the Government’s delivery of the new points-based immigration system which was implemented on 1 January 2021. It comes as the Government also unveiled plans at yesterday's Budget to launch another new immigration route that will help start-ups and fast-growing firms recruit the talent they need to innovate and grow as part of a range of measures for highly skilled migrants. As part of the route, highly skilled individuals with a job offer from a recognised high-growth firm will qualify for a visa without the need for sponsorship or third-party endorsement.