UK post-study work visa rights of international students are safe amid COVID-19 pandemic
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A ray of hope in these tough times for international students! The UK Home Office has confirmed that international students will remain eligible for post-study work rights upon graduation if they start or continue their studies online in the academic year 2020-2021.
International students will be eligible to access the graduate immigration route as long as they are in the UK by 6th-April-2021 and complete their final semester in the UK. The announcement will help the UK maintain its status as a preferred study abroad destination among international students.
‘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,’ states the guidance issued by the Home Office.
It further states ‘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,’ it says.
The UK Home Office said the Graduate Visa route, commonly known as post-study work visa and designed for overseas students to be able to work or look for work for two years after completing their studies, will apply to the 2020-21 intake as long as they are physically present in the UK by 6th-April-2021.
The graduate route was announced in September 2019 by the UK government to adjust the immigration system as it was leaving the European Union.
As the social distancing rules are in place, a number of UK universities have indicated plans for incorporating online as part of their studies along with in-person classes. University groups have been lobbying the UK government to address the impact of the COVID-19 on the country's higher education sector.
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The closing of language testing centers and embassies have caused concern globally about delays in processing the plans of students planning to study abroad. Post-study work visa rules play an important role in attracting international students.
Also Read: UK Post-Study Work Visa Rules Relaxed for International Students
New post-study work visa for international students in the UK
International students studying at the UK universities will be able to apply with the new Graduate Immigration Route from this autumn. This will allow them to stay and work in the UK for a period of two years. The newly announced Graduate Immigration Route will be available to students who completed their degree at an authorized higher education institute and have a valid Tier 4 visa at the time of application.
Successful applicants applying through this route will be able to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for two years. Also, graduates who found skilled jobs and who qualify for skilled work visas will be able to switch visas to continue working in the UK.
The new visa rules announced in September 2019 will be open for candidates from the summer of 2021. So, students who are starting their degree this autumn and also have a valid Tier 4 visa will be eligible to apply to the new category.
Earlier there was confusion about the new visa, so, recently the UK government published updated guidance confirming those studying through distance learning because of the pandemic will be eligible to apply for the Graduate route provided they will be in the UK by 6th-April-2021.
Due to current restrictions, there are students who are not able to come to the UK as per the normal schedule, whereas most of the UK universities have announced that term will start approximately on the usual time this autumn. Considering this, it is an important piece of information for prospective students.
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Commonly asked questions
The application process at the University of Manchester can change depending on course chosen and level of study. The steps to apply for undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the university are given as follows:
UG Application Process:
- Student must apply through the UCAS common application portal.
- They can go to the website and select the course that they are interested in.
- Students are required to meet the eligibility requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
- Once they have decided on the course, the important documents are to be submitted such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
- You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
- Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
- The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
PG application process:
- Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
- Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
- Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
- Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
- If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.
International students whose first language is not English must meet the English language requirements. Students can submit their IELTS/TOEFL/PTE test score to meet the English language proficiency. Bedfordshire accepts overall IELTS score of 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each element.
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3 years ago
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Reply to Onyeanusi Stella ezinne
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3 years ago
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Please refer to this link for your query: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/post-study-work-permit-in-uk-applycontent5977
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5 years ago
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Reply to JIBIN JOHN
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5 years ago
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