Study in the UK: Post-study work Visa update

The UK government has confirmed that the Post-study work rights of international students, including Indians, will not be affected if they commence online studies for the academic year 2020-21 from their home country due to Covid 19. It is welcome news for students who want to study in the UK but are unable to fly due to international travel restrictions.

The UK home office has issued guidance for Tier 4 Sponsors and Migrants and Short-term students in which it has stated: “If students are required to either continue their current studies or commence a new course by distance or blended learning due to Covid-19, they will still be eligible to switch into the Graduate route on a concessionary basis if they spent some time studying outside the UK,”. Further, the government says that “Students will benefit from this concession if they enter the UK before 6 April 2021 and complete the final semester of their studies in the UK.”

The graduate route, which is expected to be launched in 2021, is a significant policy change brought by the incumbent government in September 2019. The route will enable eligible international students to work in their field for two years and gain valuable experience after completing their studies.

By allowing international students to work for two years, the government aims to retain global talent so that they can provide breakthroughs to the country in the fields of science, mathematics, technology, and engineering.

Following the policy change, the country witnessed a sharp spike in the number of Indians aspiring to study in the UK. As a matter of fact, till March 2020, almost 50,000 Indian students received Tire 4 study visas, which is 136% more than previous stats.

4-Year Post-Study rights recommendation

Recently, UK’s former university minister, who is also the brother of prime minister Boris Johnson, Jo Johnson recommended UK universities to introduce a four-year post-study work visa and focus on doubling the Indian students to recover from Brexit and covid-19.

The purpose of increasing Indian students is to rebalance the origin of international students in the UK. As of now, a great many students come from China. India is in second place in terms of student numbers in the UK.

UK universities preparing to teach in-person in autumn 2020

In the latest survey by UK universities, it has been revealed that most of the universities are preparing to start in-person teaching by autumn 2020. In the survey, 92 UK universities participated; 89 universities said they are planning to provide in-person classes, and rest will utilize online mode.

Typically, students who want to study in the UK choose the Tier 4 visa route. The tier 4 visa applicant must have an unconditional offer letter from a recognized UK institution and funds to support studying and living in the UK. Other documents are also required to complete the application process. UK study aspirants are highly encouraged to consult with the Pyramid’s experts before filing their case. Students can call at 92563-92563 to get an appointment or directly visit any of Pyramid’s branches.