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.
