The UK Government has announced that it has wonderful plans in the pipeline for overseas students in the UK. A new immigration route will enable overseas students in the UK to stay for two years after they graduate. The UK Government hopes that these plans will enable some of the best students to stay. They also hope to attract more talent to the UK. This will, of course, offer wonderful opportunities for graduating overseas students. The plans will however only be introduced sometime in 2020.
To qualify, the graduate must have studied at a so-called trusted UK university or higher education provider. This provider must have a proven track record at the Home Office. The good news is also that there will be no cap on the number of overseas students that will qualify under these new plans.
Overseas graduates in any subject will be able to stay in the UK for two years to find work. They will be allowed to apply for jobs regardless of their skills or the subject they studied. The UK Government is hoping that the two-year allowance will increase their chance of finding long-term employment in the UK.
During these two years, graduates can then find employment that will fulfil the criteria for immigration routes leading to permanent residence, and switch to these routes. It will, of course also be possible for them to switch to other routes during this time that leads to permanent residence in the UK. Permanent residence will then, of course, lead to British citizenship.
Unfortunately, there are no definite details in place at the moment. Breytenbachs will, however, keep clients updated on any news and developments in this regard.
Overseas students and working while studying
Overseas students are always concerned whether they will be able to work while studying to supplement their income. The important thing to keep in mind is that the intention of working must only be to supplement the income of the student. The number of hours that a student is allowed to work will be determined by the type of study course the student is pursuing, and the type of sponsor they have. We strongly advise prospective students to speak to one of our consultants before assuming specific working hours. You can also read more about the rules for overseas students on the Tier 4 visa.
