Graduate Route 2021
What is Graduate Route? Who can apply and when? And why it is the easiest way to move to the UK permanently?
From 1 July 2021 students who graduated from the UK universities will be able to apply for at least 2 years permit stay in the UK. The only requirement for this type of route is to successfully complete an undergraduate or master’s degree in one of the universities in the UK. Students who complete their PhD will be able to stay for three years. The list of eligible qualifications is published on the gov. uk website. Except for bachelor’s, master’s degree and PhD, it also includes law conversion course approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Legal Practice Course, Bar Practice Course, foundation programme in medicine or dentistry, PGCE and PGDE. The list of eligible programmes is exhaustive.
The applicant should have had a Student Visa (Tier 4 (General) student) before applying for Graduate Route and must apply from inside of the country. There is no requirement of obtaining a job offer beforehand or proving any finances. The earliest you can apply is once the university (college) has informed you about the successful completion of the course. Please apply as early as possible in order not to overstay your current Student Visa.
What the successful candidates can do once the permission is granted?! The holders of Graduate Route Visa is not restricted to any type of work or study. They are allowed to continue their studies, look for work, start their own business or switch to a different visa before the previous permission expires.
In terms of the Student’s family, they will have an opportunity to stay with the main applicant on his/her Graduate visa provided they joined him/her in the UK as ‘dependents’ on the previous Student (Tier 4) Visa. If the child was born in the UK while the Student Visa was valid, they can also apply.
New dependants may be able to join you from outside the UK if you switch to a different visa, for example, a Skilled Worker visa.
It is important to note that the Graduate visa holders will not be able to extend the visa or apply for it again. If you intend to settle in the UK, make sure that you are aware of the requirements of the next visa you would like to switch into and you have enough time to prepare for it. The most popular routes, in this case, are Skilled Worker, Start-up or Innovator Visas. Please read their eligibility requirements in advance.