Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, has announced the return of the two-year post-study work visa for international students.
The new immigration route announced on Wednesday will mean graduates in any subject will once again be able to stay in the UK for two years to find work after they graduate.
Currently, most international students reading bachelor’s and master’s degrees can stay and work for only four months.
The new immigration route will be available to international students who have successfully completed a course in any subject at undergraduate level or higher level at a Higher Education Provider which has a proven track record in upholding immigration checks and other rules on studying in the UK.
Students will need to have Tier 4 leave at the point the route is introduced. This includes students who start courses in 2020/21 at undergraduate level or above.
The new route enables eligible students to work or look for work, at any skill level, for two years after they graduate before needing to convert to another visa or having to leave the country.
In 2011 Theresa May, when home secretary, abolished the two-year post-study work visa that had made Britain an attractive place for international students, saying it was ‘too generous’. That led to a sharp drop in students going to Britain.
