Staying in the UK after you graduate

Important note:  if you are sponsored by your government or employer then they will need to give their permission for you to remain in the UK once your studies are completed in order for the Home Office to consider your application.  

If you have completed your studies and wish to remain in the UK for a few weeks or months to attend your graduation ceremony then you will need to apply for a visitor visa.  You can do this on an FLR(O) form.  You can extend your visa this way for up to six months but please note that it is different from a student visa in that it prohibits you from taking paid employment.     

If you are coming to the end of your studies, you may be looking for ways of spending some extra time in the UK to gain some work experience.  There are a variety of schemes available to graduates. 

For a full list of the schemes and work permits available please click on the following link for the UK Border Agency (Home Office) website :

UK Border Agency 

For details of some of the categories in which you are most likely to apply for leave to remain/entry clearance, see below.

Tier 1-Post Study Work (PSW)

Please note, this scheme is brand new and is subject to change if problems are identified.  We will update this page regularly and you should always check for the most up to date information before you make an application.

If you wish to remain in the UK after you complete your course, to use the qualification you have achieved and gain some work experience, then you may apply for a 2 year visa under the Post Study Work sub-category of Tier 1 (Highly Skilled Migrants) of the Points Based System.  This system has replaced IGS and SEGS.

To be eligible to apply you must:

• have successfully completed one of the following courses in the UK: bachelor's degree, Master's degree, PhD or Post-graduate certificate or diploma

   

• have completed this course within the last 12 months (date of completion taken as date the institution first notified you of your award.)

   

• have current leave as a student or a dependant. If you are applying from overseas and your student leave has expired then the last leave you had should be as a student or dependant. If you are in the UK as a dependant and you wish to switch into being the main applicant for PSW then you must leave the UK and apply for entry clearance from overseas.

   

• be able to maintain and support yourself and dependants without recourse to public funds. You must have at least £800 available to you if you apply from the UK and £2,800 if you apply from overseas.

   

• intend to take up paid employment during your stay (though you do not need to have secured employment before you apply for the scheme).

   

• intend to apply for leave to remain under another permitted category as soon as possible or leave the UK at the end of your work experience.

The policy guidance demands that you have and have had the required maintenance amount available to you for the three months previous to your application.  It is not sufficient to credit your account with £800 prior to application. However, for students who make their application before 31st October 2008, transitional arrangements are in place and it will be sufficient to have £800 at the time of application, not in the preceeding 3 months.

Please note, to begin with, you will not be able to make Post Study Work applications in person at the Public Enquiry Offices.  You must make applications by post. 

If you have already been granted 12 months' leave to remain under SEGS or IGS and that leave expires after 30th June 2008, you will be eligible to apply for an extension of your leave under the new scheme. 

If your results are unavailable before your current visa expires you are not eligible to apply for Post Study Work.  You must have received your award before you can apply for PSW.   Please seek advice from the International Adviser in the Advice and Support Centre, or the International Office if this describes your situation. 

Please see the UKCISA information sheet for further information about completeing your application. 

We will regularly update this page with information about this category.  Please see the UK Border Agency's website for further information.

Work Permits

If you intend taking a permanent job, your employer will have to make an application for a work permit so that they can employ you. If the job is a 'shortage occupation' as defined by the Government then your employer should not find it difficult to obtain a work permit.

If the job is not a shortage occupation then it may be difficult for an employer to obtain a work permit for you and the application can take several months to be processed.  If they are successful though, once the Home Office have given your employer permission to employ you, you will be able to make an application for your leave to remain to be extended and your immigration status altered in line with the work permit.

Highly Skilled Tier-General Category

On 29th February 2008, a new system will be introduced for people wishing to apply to remain in the UK under Highly Skilled categories. It will be rolled out to people applying to enter the UK throughout 2008. The Highly Skilled Tier encompasses several previously existing types of working visa and those who would have in the past applied under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme will now apply under the General sub-category.

The system is points based and you will need to score 75 points over categories including, qualification, previous earnings, and whether your previous earnings or qualifications were gained in the UK. You will also need to demonstrate a certain level of English.

The Highly Skilled General sub-category gives you permission to work in the UK in your own right. Unlike with a Work Permit, where it is the employer who obtains the permit and you are granted leave to remain to work in that particular job, with this visa, you are entitled to remain in the UK to find employment or take up self employment, regardless of whether you have a job offer. A visa granted in the Highly Skilled General sub-category will be initially granted for three years but as long as you are economically active, you can apply for an extension of two years at a time. 

If you currently have a valid student/IGS or SEGS visa, you can make an application from within the UK to remain here under the Highly Skilled Tier. There are other categories of visa, such as student, from which you can switch into the Highly Skilled Tier. If you are unsure whether you can switch into this category from the UK, please ask the International Adviser in the Advice and Support Centre or check the Government website www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk.   

The Highly Skilled General sub-category is very appealing to a lot of graduates but some recent graduates will struggle to score highly enough to qualify.  The Post Study Work sub-category may be an appropriate route for such students to gain work experience and improve their score.  

As this system is very new, further information about it may become available and the information on this website may be subject to changes. We will endeavour to update this page as soon as possible. Always check the Government website below for the most up to date information before you make an application.

Please see www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk   or the UKCISA guidance notes in the Advice and support Centre or at www.UKCISA.org.uk for further information.

Other schemes allowing you to work in the UK

There are various schemes allowing graduates to remain in the UK for specified periods, to gain work experience or train in the UK. Rather than list them all here we suggest you look at our booklet "Working in the UK after your studies" or the UKCISA website, especially designed for International Students.

Take the following link directly to information about other schemes.

Working After Study PDF