LS Legal News Bulletin
Two-year post-study work visa is back!
Thursday 12th September 2019
Thousands of international students studying in the UK are happy to hear that the two-year post-study work visa has returned. Specific visa route was introduced in 2004 and canceled by Theresa May in 2012 as Home Secretary. She considered the two-year post-study work visa was "too generous". Afterward, that decision was blamed for a drop in the number of international students. This April Boris Johnson tabled an amendment to the immigration bill calling for two-year work visas. After discussion and multiple statements from the Prime Minister, the Business Secretary, the Department for Education and the Home Office have announced the resurrection of the two-year post-study visa.
According to the announcement, the extension is expected to be available to students starting in the next academic year, September 2020. It is still unknown whether current students already on courses in the UK will also benefit from the rule update.
Currently, graduates with bachelors or master's degrees are allowed to look for work for only four months. As this period will be extended to 2 years, it will increase a student's chances of finding long-term employment after studying. Under the new policy, the visas would have no limits on numbers and would allow graduates to apply for jobs regardless of their skills or the subject they studied. The visa will allow eligible students to work, or look for work, in any career or position of their choice, for two years after completing their studies, and allow them to apply for longer-term work visas later.
For the record, last year UK universities educated around 460,000 international students, not including those from within the EU. The government aims to increase this number to 600,000 students over the next 10 years. This rule change will make a positive contribution to the UK as evidence shows that international students bring significant positive social outcomes to the UK.
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