International students will be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after graduation to find a job, under new proposals announced by the Home Office.

The move reverses a decision made in 2012 by then Home Secretary Theresa May that forced overseas students to leave four months after finishing a degree, unless they had found a skilled job with an employer with a licence to sponsor overseas workers.

International students who have successfully completed a course in any subject at an institution with a track record in upholding immigration checks will be able to benefit from the measures. They will apply to students who start courses in 2020-21 at undergraduate level or above. It is unknown at this stage whether current students already on courses in the UK will also benefit from the rule change.

Under the proposals, there is no restriction on the kinds of jobs students would have to seek and no cap on numbers.

The new immigration route will enable eligible students to work or job hunt at any skill level, and they will be able to switch to the Skilled Worker route if they find a job which meets its requirements.

I have given a number of talks to advise students on their options to remain in the UK after their studies in recent years, and due to the current immigration rules many of them had little hope of securing employment within the proscribed time limits. An additional burden was that the employment had to be highly skilled and they had to find an employer with a licence to sponsor overseas workers.

This left them with no option other than to return home after their studies.

There is stiff international competition to attract overseas students, and an estimated 14% of all university income is from the substantial fees paid by foreign students.

The move to resurrect the post study work visa is a positive step which makes the UK a more attractive place to study and can benefit the economy, universities and students themselves.

For expert advice in relation to post-study visas/settlement in the UK, please contact our Immigration team by calling us on 0151 227 1429  request a callback at your convenience or message us your enquiry.