The government has announced that the new Graduate route will open for applications on 1 July 2021, allowing the UK “to retain the brightest and the best international students to continue to contribute to society and the economy post-study.”
The bachelor’s degree holder will be able to work for a maximum period of 2 years while the doctoral students can work for 3 years, the UK government in its release mentioned. The route will be unsponsored, students without a job offer can also apply.
The candidates can also apply for jobs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
To qualify, international students must have completed an eligible higher education course in the UK and have a track record of compliance with the government’s immigration requirements. Students on the route will then be able to work for the mentioned time duration.
The new route will help the government to achieve the ambition set out in the International Education Strategy to increase the number of international students in higher education in the UK to 600,000 by 2030.
There have also been adjustments in concession to students who have been unable to travel to the UK because of pandemic-related restrictions. The students who started their studies in Autumn 2020 will now have until 21 June 2021 to enter the UK extended from 6 April 2021. Also, students who began their studies in January or February this year will need to be in the UK by 27 September 2021.
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