Graduate Visa – what is it, who is it for and how do I get it?
The UK Graduate Visa is a new way to stay in the UK and is available from July 2021. It is designed and valid for those students who have the desire and ability to stay and work in the UK after graduation.
Opportunities for the Graduate visa holder
Graduates of a British college or university are entitled to stay in the country for up to 24 months. A further 12 additional months are available for PhD holders.
This visa does not lead to a permanent residence permit, but the time spent in the UK on this visa can be counted as legal residence for the 10-year pathway to a permanent residence permit. After two years you are eligible to apply for another type of visa.
A graduate visa does not entitle you to invite other family members who were outside of England’s borders at the time of application
Requirements for applying for a Graduate visa
In addition to an unexpired Student Visa, you must have a proven record of completion of a Bachelor’s (BA/BS, Master’s (MA/MS), PCGE or Doctor of Philosophy (Phd) programme. Students of law programmes such as: Law conversion course, Legal practice, Bar practice and Medical – Foundation in Medicine and Dentistry can also apply for Graduate Immigration Route (GR).
There are two main requirements for universities issuing a Graduate visa
A sponsorship licence is a document on the basis of which the British Home Office can certify the right of the institution to educate students who are not subjects of the British crown. The college or university must also be on the official Register of Student Sponsors on the government website.
Be a valid ‘Education Provider’. This can only be defined as a university that not only sponsors education programmes for international students, but also has passed all Home Office inspections for at least four consecutive years and meets all the basic requirements of government bodies for organisations involved in the education of foreign nationals.
Deadline for Graduate Visa Application
You can apply no earlier than after you have completed 12 months of successful study. It does not matter if you have completed an externship for a shorter period of time or if the chosen course lasts less than a year. The minimum period after which you can apply for a UK Graduate visa is 12 months.
How to apply
Firstly, you must apply while you are within the national borders of England.
The UK Graduate visa application process is electronic only and must be made no later than the expiry date of the current student visa. This procedure involves not only confirming the applicant’s identity, but also sending some other documents online. Perhaps your plans include obtaining visas for other members of the family, then the relevant applications must also be sent online.
According to the current rules, you can apply for a graduate visa as soon as your school confirms that you have successfully completed your course of study. In other words, there is no need to wait for the official completion of the course of study, diploma or certificate.
The time it takes for the Immigration Service to process an application is up to 8 weeks. In order not to waste time and money, to avoid rejection due to incorrectly executed documents, we advise you to consult professional immigration lawyers in advance
Minimum documents required to complete the application
Passport or any other document confirming the citizenship and identity of the applicant.
A UK Biometric Residence Permit is a document that an immigrant receives when crossing the UK state border on a student visa.
Proof of completion of the course you have studied on a student visa.
Documents confirming family ties of family members, if they also applied for a Graduate Visa together with you.
All documents must be submitted in English.
You do not need to provide proof of your personal financial situation.
Once the application and all the necessary documents have been submitted, the applicant must not leave the UK until official notification is received from the authorities.
Graduate Visa Application Fee
The standard fee that is made to process an application is £715. In addition the IHS (immigrant health fee) is payable. This is paid at the rate of £624 per year. So the fee is £1248 for a 2 year visa. For 3 years (for students with a dictation degree) -£1872. The whole amount is payable in full on application. If your visa application is refused, the medical fee is refunded in full.
What kind of work can a Graduate visa holder get and what are the restrictions?
During the period of validity of the graduate visa, the graduate can look for a job, do an internship, work full-time or part-time, change employers as many times as he/she wants without sponsorship. Can volunteer, start their own business. But you can’t work as a professional athlete. After 2 or 3 years you will not have the option to extend this type of visa, but can switch to any other category.
A lot of European professionals have left the UK because of Brexit. This fact has greatly increased the chances of getting a high-paying job, including for graduates. Previously, applicants for a vacancy were considered in the following order: a British citizen, a European and only then an international specialist. Now professional skills are more important than just having an EU passport.
How can a graduate find a job in the UK more easily?
First of all, we recommend that you start working while you are studying. Under current immigration legislation, you can work up to 20 hours a week on a student visa during your studies and up to 40 hours a week during student holidays.
The second most important way to find a job quickly after graduating from college or university is through your contacts. Since in England internal recruitment is very widespread, it is a way of finding new employees, which is often based on recommendations from current employees of companies and organisations. Of course, this applicant will also need to go through all the stages of interviews and tests, but already at the stage of application and CV he will have some advantages.
The third way – agencies. Today it seems to you that you will still have enough time to search for a job on your own. Now the main thing is academic level, and real experience will come later, on its own. But it is not so, and without 100% involvement in the search for a decent job remains only to seek help from professionals who will take into account all your individual characteristics, identify strengths and weaknesses, advise how to properly compose a CV and prepare for the successful passage of all stages of the interview.
Which method you choose will only matter once you receive your graduate visa
State-licensed immigration attorneys are your trusted helpers in many matters, including this one. Do not trust promising headlines of everything and at once in the ads, pay attention to reputation, study reviews.
The main advantages of preparing documents for a graduate visa together
with professionals
Immigration lawyers will represent your interests before the British Home Office. They will analyse all possible risks that could lead to a negative experience in obtaining a visa the first time. They will advise you on how to prepare all the necessary certificates, covering letters, and if necessary, help you to make a professional translation of all the necessary documents. They will fill in the application form correctly and help you to fulfil all the necessary requirements when submitting the documents. Specialists will accompany and advise you at all stages from collecting documents to receiving a positive decision on obtaining a visa.
FAQs about Graduate Visa
When exactly does the validity period of this visa start?
Regardless of the validity period of your current visa, the countdown starts from the day of the positive decision on your application. We would also like to remind you that you will need to change to any other immigration category before your visa expires, as the Graduate visa is not renewable.
How do I know if my school meets the requirements for this type of visa?
The first step is to check the official government Register of Student Sponsors. You will need to look for the Status column. Look for the mark “Student Sponsor – Track Record” (Student Sponsor – Track Record) But please note: the presence of this mark does not mean that in the foreseeable future this college or university will not lose the status you need because of any violations detected by the immigration service. And so you will need to collect in advance, as much information as possible about the reputation of the institution. After all, what is the point of spending your time and money to study in the walls of the institution, which can fail in obtaining such a visa?
If you still have questions, the way to resolve this issue would be to seek advice from immigration lawyers at the stage of obtaining a regular Student visa, or simply when choosing an educational institution.
Does a Graduate visa lead to a residence permit in England?
The answer is no. Therefore, you need to obtain another long term visa in the category you need before the visa expires. But as in Great Britain there is still a possibility to get a permanent residence permit on the basis of residence on the territory of the country for more than 10 years, the holder of the Graduate visa has the right to take into account these 2 or 3 years in his application for permanent residence.
Do EU citizens have advantages over other Graduate visa applicants?
Brexit has equalised all rights and chances for this type of visa. The only exception is for Europeans who have not had time to apply for family reunification before the end of June 2021 for a valid reason. And whose family has already been living in the UK for an extended period of time.
