The Student Support Office can advise on the different options that are
available to International Students from outside the EEA who wish to
remain in the UK and work after graduation.
In February 2012 the UK government published information on the immigration changes due to be implemented on 6 April 2012.
A summary of this information follows.
Tier 1 (Post Study Work) will be abolished on 6 April 2012. This means that any student due to graduate after this point will NOT be able to apply.
Students graduating after 6 April will be expected to apply to stay to work in the UK using one of the following routes.
This is a route that came into force in August 2011. It is aimed at
individuals who are considered 'exceptional' in their field of study and
have already achieved international recognition or are considered to be
future world leaders in their field of expertise.
In order to identify 'exceptional talent' four designated bodies have been selected:
Students wishing to apply under this category must first apply to be endorsed by one of these bodies. Upon receipt of an endorsement students can then apply for Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent).
Applications for Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) can only be made from outside the UK.
Further information on the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
This is a new route that will be introduced after 6 April. Under this route Highly Trusted Sponsors will remain responsible for the student and will work with them to help them develop their business.
Places on this route will be limited to 1,000 (across the UK) in the first year and the Highly Trusted Sponsor will select the graduates they will support. Further information about this will be sent out to all students when it becomes available.
In the meantime information relating to the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
Most students will be expected to apply under Tier 2 (General) Worker. Students will need to meet most of the current requirements, except it has been confirmed that they will not be subject to the Resident Labour Market Test - which means employers will not need to show that no-one in the settled labour market could do the job before offering it to a recent international graduate.
Under Tier 2 (General) Worker students will need to be employed in a graduate level job with a minimum salary of £20,000 per annum, by an employer that holds a Tier 2 license.
Further information on the Tier 2 (General) Worker route can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
Some students may be eligible to apply to stay in the UK under the Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme).
This scheme is open to individuals aged between 18 and 30 who are nationals of the following countries:
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Monaco
- Taiwan
Further information about applying under the Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) can be found on the UK Border Agency website.