New Regulation Makes the UK a More Attractive Place to Study
The new immigration rules will allow eligible students to work or job hunt at any skill level, and they will be able to switch to the Skilled Work route if they find a work that meets its requirements.
The UK education sector is pleased that post-study work (PSW) rights are set to be introduced and offered to foreign students for two-year post-graduation. The new PSW immigration rule is set to benefit all students graduating in the 2020/21 academic year.
Foreign students account for half of all full-time postgraduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects. The new visa rule will mean international students who graduated in any subject, including STEM, will be able to stay in the UK for two years to find work. This will be beneficial for UK’s need for expertise, especially in STEM fields.
Enrolments from Indian students were particularly affected by the post-study restrictions and lead to a corresponding growth in Indian enrolments in Canada.
The announcement of the new policy caused an enormous press and student interest in India in recent weeks and the UK is hopeful in a bounce of interest from Indian students. Evidence reveals that international students bring positive social outcomes to the UK as well as £26 billion in economic contributions. The UK has lost for a long time the interest of those students due to the lack of post-study work opportunities and the restrictions set by the visa requirements.
The new post-study work rights is goiong to be available to students who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at a UK higher education institution that has a proven track record in upholding immigration checks.
There will be no limit on the number of applications.
The new immigration rules will allow eligible students to work or job hunt at any skill level, and they will be able to switch to the Skilled Work route if they find a work that meets its requirements.
A Home Office spokesperson informed that graduates of the 2020/21 academic year are expected to be the first graduating year to benefit.
This new regulation makes the UK a more attractive place to study and it is good news for ELT sector as well as it enhances its competitiveness on the global stage.
It is likely to mean that more young people and their families will choose the UK’s ELT sector to start their educational journeys or enrol for a course to prepare them for university study. Knowing that they can get a valuable two extra years of experience and using their skills in the workplace will be the main attraction to choose UK as a place to study to other countries.
The policy change has been necessary and many sector stakeholders actively engaged in lobbying for the past few years. The policy argument has been discussed times and times over with minister after minister. Finally, thanks to many university ministers and sector representatives pressing for years to get the government to make the visa system welcoming, rather than off-putting, to international students, the policy has been reintroduced.