Each year, a horde of students from all parts of the world go to the United Kingdom for their higher studies. The universities in the UK are quite famous and hold the biggest values among the world students who prefer UK universities for their higher education goals. World’s top-rated and highly popular universities and institutions are located in England. The Government of the United Kingdom offers post-study work visas to international students so that they can seek employment there post their graduation. Do you understand your rights under the graduate visa UK government offers you? Let’s find out.
Brief Information on the Graduate Visa UK Government Offers
If you are an international student and have completed your studies in the United Kingdom (UK), you could be thinking about extending your stay in the UK. It should be noted that there are various visa options available to you, depending on your goals. Whether you like to start your career, gain work experience, or launch a startup, there are different UK visa options (routes) available to international graduates. You just need to find the best one out of those.
Time to Understand Your Rights as a Student Visa Holder
If you really like to better understand your options for post-study visas, it turns out to be important to first know your rights as a holder of a student visa. As a full-time degree-enrolled student, you can typically work up to 20 hours per week during your term time and full-time outside of term time. On the contrary, if you have completed your studies and your student visa is still valid, employers in the United Kingdom can hire you on a temporary contract. However, it is vital to understand that you are not able to get a permanent contract while holding a student visa.
All About the Graduate Visa Route
For the students, who complete their studies in the UK go for the best option called ‘The Graduate Visa’. With this visa, you will be able to reside and work in the United Kingdom for up to 3 years (depending on individual circumstances) after you earn your degree in the UK.
Features of the Graduate Visa UK Government Offers
The main features of this attractive visa option include:
No Sponsorship Required – Under this visa – The Graduate Visa you do not require sponsorship from an employer with a sponsor license. This way, the application process will become more straightforward and flexible.
No Minimum Salary Requirement – The most attractive benefit or feature of this visa is that it does not have a minimum salary requirement as some other visa categories do. If you earn at least the national minimum wage of the UK, you are entitled to work under this visa.
Freedom of Work – The Graduate Visa UK gives you complete freedom to work in a wide range of jobs, including self-employment and voluntary work. In addition to this, you also have the freedom to change jobs as the visa does not limit you to a particular employer.
Limited Visa Duration – It should be noted that the majority of the graduates can only stay in the UK for a maximum of two years with this Graduate Visa. On the other hand, PhD graduates are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for up to three years. It is essential to keep in mind that the Graduate Visa UK cannot be extended beyond the allotted time.
Options for Switching – While the Graduate Visa does not grant you Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or permanent residency in the United Kingdom, the best thing is that it is possible to switch to a different visa category like the Skilled Worker visa.