UK’s new visa rules make it easier for international students to study and work now

• The UK government is all set to introduce a new student visa route on October 5.
• The new student visa will make it easier for international students to get visas and look for work after finishing their education.
• Under the new system, students will require a total of 70 points to be granted a visa.

The Boris Johnson government, earlier this week, announced new student visa routes that will allow international students to get visas more easily and stay in the UK post-study. The new visa route for international students will open on October 5 and will replace the previous Tier 4 visa route.

UK universities have seen record admissions despite the COVID-19 pandemic. And this influx of international students stands testament to the popularity of the UK as their destination choice.

Moreover, the new UK post-study work (PSW) visa allows students to live and work in the UK for up to two years after Masters and three years after PhD

“The government has already gone on record to say that the 2 years PSW could be made 4 years. Combine that with the demand for young talent that Brexit has left — and you have in front of ourselves, one of the most tectonic shifts of this century about to happen, between the emerging world led by India, and the UK,” Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder, LeverageEdu told Business Insider.

Under the new system, students will require a total of 70 points to be granted a visa. They will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their studies in the UK.

Gaurav Tyagi, Founder of Career Xpert believes, this is the best opportunity for the students to gain exposure, and it’s also one of the best countries for studies. This new route is feasible and easy immigration for the Indian students amid the Covid-19 situation.

Here are the highlights of the ‘simplified’ visa rules:

• The Student Route and Child Student Route — for students aged 4-17 who want to study at an independent school in the UK — will open on 5 October for international students.
• Students will require a total of 70 points to be successful. Points are non-tradeable and will be awarded for meeting the requirements set out here.
• Students who were issued an offer for study under the Tier 4 system and make an application before 5 October will be considered against the current rules for that route.
• Those applying from 5 October will be considered against the new, simplified rules.
• Students will require an appropriate level of English to engage with their course, as they do under the current Tier 4 system. The level of English required will remain the same.
• Students will also now be able to make a visa application up to 6 months before their course starts (up from 3 months under Tier 4), and they will not be required to resubmit proof of academic qualifications with their visa application.
• There will continue to be no limit on the number of international students who can come to the UK.
• The Graduate Route for international students will open in summer 2021. This will allow eligible international students – including those from India – who have completed undergraduate and master’s degrees to stay for two years and those who have completed a PhD to stay for three years to work or look for work.

“India accounts for one of the UK’s largest groups of international students and our world-leading education system has always been a key part of our bilateral relationship. Last financial year, nearly 50,000 Indian nationals were granted a study visa – they are the ambassadors of the Living Bridge that connects our countries, ”Jan Thompson, Acting High Commissioner to India, said.

“The new student route also simplifies the application process for international students who will be applying to study in the UK. It will be bonus points for them if they can show as a proof that they have an offer letter from an accepted educational institution, know how to speak English, and are going to be self-dependent during their UK studies and this may be the reason why more and more Indian students will choose the UK for postgraduate programs in the near future,” Geeta Jain, Founder of Mediconation told Business Insider.

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