There is good news for students planning to study in the UK as two-year post-work visa is back, says ROHIT SETHI
For many years, the UK had successfully maintained its position of being the most attractive study destination for overseas nationals. The good old days for international students, however, came to a standstill in 2012 when the then-home secretary Theresa May scrapped the post-study work permit. This move also turned out to be a major setback for the domestic universities in the UK. However, in the wake of a recent announcement by the UK Government, the situation seems extremely likely to become favourable once again.
Re-launching the two-year post-study work visa: In its latest statement, the Boris Johnson Government has effectively reinstated the two-year post-study work visa policy abolished by his predecessor, Theresa May. The development is expected to pull in more international students by enabling them to seek professional opportunities.
After the completion of their studies, students would be allowed to switch onto the skilled work visa in case they find jobs, something that had been revoked by the previous regime. At present, international students pursuing Bachelor's and Master’s degrees only get the permission to stay and work for four months while those studying at 27 universities on a pilot scheme are given six months.
Benefits to Indian students: The announcement by the UK Government will significantly benefit Indian students planning to pursue academic opportunities in the 2020-21 academic year. In particular, it will give a major fillip to Indian students for whom post-study work visa is a deciding factor when it comes to studying abroad.
To avail the benefits of this visa route, students must know that it will be a separate visa and calls for a new application form to be filled, inclusive of immigration health surcharge and payment of visa fee. Graduates whose leave expires before the visa’s implementation (2020-21) will be disqualified and won’t be eligible for the benefits.
Benefits: It will have a positive impact on employers in the UK who were having a difficult time in the absence of the post-study work visa. 44 per cent of employers faced issues with recruiting new talent whereas 34 per cent experienced employee retention challenges last year, as per CIPD data.
The writer is Director, ESS Global- Study Abroad Consultant