The British Government has said that international students will
henceforth be able to stay and work in the UK after graduating in a
policy change that had previously restricted the period to four
months.
There will be no cap on the number of students who can apply, as
those with student visa will be able to apply to switch to a skilled
worker visa if they find a job which meets the relevant criteria.
The new policy ends one of ex-Prime Minister Theresa May’s most
controversial immigration policies which critics argued would deter
international students from applying to British institutions and would
lead to the loss of bright students who could contribute to the UK after
being educated there.
The Guardian UK added that, from next year, all international
graduates could qualify for a two-year period to work in the UK,
increasing their chances of finding long-term employment after studying.
“The measure goes further than the Home Office’s latest
immigration white paper, which proposed extending the four-month limit
to six months and the limit for those with doctorates to a year,” Guardian stated.
It is a return to the policy that was scrapped by the coalition
government in 2012 when Theresa May, as then home secretary, said the
two-year post-study work visa was “too generous.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new immigration route for international students was part of making Britain “open to the brightest and best from across the globe.”
It will also be seen as a move to show that Britain is still an outward
facing nation as the government pushes ahead with its Brexit plans, the
medium added.
Under the new plans, graduates will be able to stay and work or
look for work for two years after completing their studies. The new
post-study work visa will come into effect for students starting courses
at undergraduate level or above in 2020, and is open to graduates in
any subject and for jobs in any sector.
The government said students will need to have successfully
completed a degree from a trusted UK university or higher education
provider with a track record of upholding immigration checks. In a
joint statement, the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and the Home
Secretary Priti Patel said the government intends to increase the number
of international students coming to the UK by 30 per cent by 2030.
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