From 1st July 2021 the Government is opening a visa application route for International students who have completed their degree, termed the Graduate Route. This means there are significant changes that will affect scientists studying and working in the UK from abroad. The aim is to retain highly skilled talent and to move towards a points based system.  A brief summary of the differences are outlined below:

Longer time period to remain in UK

International students will be able to work or look for work after their studies for a period of 2 years after completing their undergraduate degree, or 3 years for Doctoral students. This is great news for organisations who are hiring when it can take months to complete training in highly skills roles.

Visas will be un-sponsored

This means applicants will not need a job offer to apply. There will also be no minimum salary requirements and no caps on numbers. I think this change means the visa charge will be applied to the applicant rather than the company sponsor, although the initial guidelines are unclear.

The Graduate Route should enable graduates to be able to work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career as required but please don’t take our word for it and read the Gov website here for up-to-date information.