The Graduate Route Visa, which was introduced in 2021, allows international graduates of UK universities to remain and work in the country for a period of two years without the need for employer sponsorship.
Some international students plan for this from the beginning when choosing where to study, and many of those currently pursuing graduate degrees may have been hoping for this. If they find a company to sponsor them during this time, they can then apply for the skilled worker visa and remain in the UK.
The government raised the minimum salary requirement for a foreign worker to qualify for a skilled worker visa from £26,200 to £38,000 in December. More information about the policies is anticipated to be released in the upcoming months. The changes will take effect in the spring of 2024.
When the Higher Education Statistics Agency last conducted its Graduate Outcomes research in 2020–2021, it found that the majority of graduates in the UK fell into the salary range of £24,000–£26,999, about 15 months after finishing their studies. The Home Office reports that in the year ending in September 2023, over 100,000 people received visas for the graduate route.
International students may find it more difficult to obtain employment in the UK because they may not be aware of the graduate route. Only 3% of employers had used the route, according to research from the Higher Education Policy Institute published earlier this year, and more than half were unaware of its existence.
In order to stop “abuse” of the visa, the government has also announced that the graduate route will be reviewed and updated in September 2024. It’s feared that the new regulations will make it harder for companies to learn about hiring recent graduates from other countries.