UK Post Study Work Visa for Indian Students 2024

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UK Post Study Work Visa for Indian Students 2024
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Are you aspiring to make prospering care in the UK? What are the benefits of studying in the UK as an international student? Will you be able to make a career and live in this country? Will UK universities provide equal opportunities and funding options to Indian students? How do you explore the work prospects in this country as an international student?

Suppose these questions are wandering your mind since you shortlisted the best UK universities for your undergraduate or postgraduate courses. In that case, this article can bring a breath of fresh air into your life. This one is going to highlight the UK post study work visa for Indian students and how it can benefit you all to make a flourishing career in this country. Learn about the visa, eligibility criteria, duration, application process, and more in this article.

PSW UK Visa: A Brief Introduction

A PSW visa refers to a ‘Post-Study Work’ visa. It is officially known as the Graduate Route permitting international students to complete their studies in the UK and extend their stay for around 2-3 years after completing their courses.

As per the rule, the government issues this visa or grants a two-year extension to students who have successfully completed their master's or undergraduate degrees. In the case of PhD aspirants, the visa gets extended to three years. So, this visa gives hope to international students to get hands-on experience and find relevant work in the UK even after graduation.

Importance and Benefits of the Visa for Indian Students

Why should international students be concerned about the UK post study work visa for Indian students? If you are looking for an opportunity to make a career in the UK, then knowing about this visa can be a blessing for you. The UK Government’s Immigration Policy and the New Graduate Route confirm that international students can stay back and even look for future career opportunities in the country right after completing their courses.

And the most significant advantage of this UK post study visa is that it helps international students seamlessly transition to the UK market. Also, the new point-based immigration system, which became effective in January 2021, primarily aims to assist STEM aspirants to get permanent residency status and walk right into the UK.

But the question remains the same? What are the benefits of the PSW UK visa for Indian students? Let’s get a closer look at it:

  • Work Permit and Career Opportunities

One of the primary reasons for applying for the PSW UK visa is that the Post Study Work Permit allows Indian students to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses and extend their stay for two years even after completing these courses. During this tenure, the students are allowed to work at any skill level without meeting state requirements like job sponsorship from employers. No wonder this happens to be one of the most effective ways to help students to widen their career prospects and look for better opportunities.

  • Dependent Work Rights: A Blessing for Postgraduate Students

One of the best aspects of the PSW UK Visa is the availability of dependent work rights for international postgraduate students in the UK. It gives the students full access to the UK labour market, and the dependents are all permitted to work at any selected skill level. However, the students need to be studying any postgraduate level course with at least nine months duration to be allowed this dependent work rights in the UK.

  • PSW Visa Extension for PhD. Aspirants

There have been the latest modifications to the international education strategy of the British government, which is primarily aimed at providing better post study work options to skilled professionals. This is highly beneficial to attract more talent to the country and is the extension for PhD students, which can promote its STEM sector to improve its research output. As a result, these PhD students can now be a part of the three-year PSW visa extension, which is also a part of Global Talent Drive.

How is it beneficial? It makes the UK job market more attractive for PhD professionals while the government gets to improve its customer services as well as immigration system for giving the applications for such proposed extensions.

  • Putting a Stop to the Study Time Limit

Putting a study time limit for the students can be a burdensome concept that limits the creativity and prospects of these students. However, the British government has proposed to remove this study time limit, especially for the ones completing the postgraduate courses, to help them make a career in the country. The government can extend this period from 3 to 6 months providing better career opportunities to Indian students in the UK.

  • Shortage Occupation List Jobs

Did you know that the new immigration system is all about granting additional 20 points for the job opportunities which are available on the shortage occupation list of the UK government? Yes, if an international student is studying a course relevant to the job can find it easy to secure the job. At the same time, they can apply for a residency permit as per the new point-based immigration system.

UK Post Study Work Visa: Eligibility Criteria

Initially, international students were permitted to stay in the UK for a maximum of four months after completing their bachelor's or master's degree. During this period, they tried searching for jobs, which seemed a big challenge for all.

However, the new Graduate Route visa was a blessing for all international students, allowing them to stay for two years and look for better career opportunities even after completing their education in the UK. With the sole aim of finding a relevant skilled workforce to contribute to the growth of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics related fields, the government made it easier for international aspirants to make a flourishing career here.

So, in this regard, if an international student is enrolled in the bachelor's or master's degree program, approved by the UK government, and has a Tier 4 visa while their session started post September 2020, then they are eligible to stay back in the country for two years following the completion of their courses, as per the Post Study Work Visa UK.

If one is applying for a Tier 2 visa, the international students must find a job with a minimum salary of £20,800. The essential eligibility criteria to consider here include the following:

  • The type of course provider, which includes the university or college where the student has enrolled for the higher-level education course
  • The type of course
  • The duration of the course and how long will the individual study in the country
  • He needs a valid student visa and hasn’t been granted a PSW visa before
  • Pass all the required identity, security, and criminal checks
  • Pay due application fees along with the Immigration Health Surcharge

Suppose the student is on a scholarship from their government (home country). In that case, he needs to fulfill another requirement: the permission granted by the home government to the UK to allow the student to continue in the UK under a PSW visa. However, there is no requirement for English language proficiency or financial proof for a PSW visa.

Duration And Conditions of the UK Post Study Work Visa

The Graduate visa is approved for two years, which commences after the completion of the course, in case the student is pursuing an undergraduate or master's degree course. However, the visa is available for three years for PhD students. Also, the visa starts from the date of application approval. Also, one cannot extend their Graduate visa. In that case, get a skilled Worker visa or any other relevant type of visa to extend your UK stay.

Application Process for the UK Post Study Work Visa

The Post Study Work Visa issued is temporary, enabling international students to look for jobs after completing their courses. One thing to remember is that the student needs to apply for the PSW visa right before the Tier 4 or Student visa expires. Also, the education provider needs to convey to the Home Office that the student has successfully completed the course before filing the visa application.

Students must submit all the relevant documents, identity proof, and other paperwork to submit the application successfully. Also, always remember that the process can be lengthy if done through appointments.

The decision regarding the UK PSW visa will be conveyed within eight weeks of completing all the required formalities. The applicants are allowed to stay in the country during this tenure. Also, it is mandatory to pay the charges for the visa, which include two and three-year Graduate route application fees of £715 and an Immigration Health Surcharge of £624 per year.

Post Study Work Visa and Job Prospects

One of the fundamental reasons for amending the visa status of international students by the UK government lies in the fact that the majority of these aspirants choose STEM fields for their higher education. And these students tend to invest a lot of hard work and knowledge in enriching STEM fields in this country.

So, what job opportunities are waiting for the PSW UK visa students? Here are a few to consider:

  • Degrees like engineering have seen salaries starting from £59,900/ year, which includes titles like Civil Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Engineering Project Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, and Product Development Engineer. The top employers here include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Arup, Accenture, Barclays, Bloomberg, IBM, J.P. Morgan, etc.
  • For healthcare aspirants, the salary seems to range from £167,000/ year for titles like Neurologist, Physician, Clinical Psychologist, Nurses, Paediatrician, Optometrist, etc.
  • Pursuing MS in the UK can be a blessing for those aspiring to become HR Officer, HR Manager, Personnel Manager, Recruitment Manager, etc. The average salary is around £67,100/ year, offered by top employers like the Department of Education, Network Rail, Barclays, Transport for London, J.P. Morgan, GlaxoSmithKline, PwC, NBCUniversal, etc.
  • For students making a career in finance and accounting, the average salary starts from £73,100/ year for titles like Account Manager, Financial Manager, Financial Analyst, CA, Investment Banker, and Corporate Treasurer. The top employers include KPMG, PwC, EY, Deloitte, Smith, and Williamson.
  • If you are a marketing enthusiast, the top employers here waiting for you include Google, Voxpro Communications, Nest, Microsoft, Accenture, American Express, and Unilever, offering an average salary of £79,600/ year.
  • Titles like MSc Cyber Security, MSc Information Systems, MSc Software Engineering, MSc Advanced Computer Science, MSc Business Information Systems, etc. can get an average salary of £70,300/ year from employers like Adobe, KPMG, Microsoft, Tesco, Google, etc.
  • Job opportunities for advertising and PR studies are vast in the UK, where the average salary ranges from £71,400/ year. The students can apply to brands like AKQA, Awin, WPP, Mindshare, Merkle, Digitas, Edelman, etc.
  • The job opportunities for MA Education, MSc Education, are pretty lucrative here, with an average salary of £75,300/ year.
  • Interested in making a career in the legal field? The average salary here is £85,600, with titles like Lawyer, Court Judicial Assistant, Legal Consultant, Legal Advisor, Attorney, Associate Attorney, Barrister, Immigration Executive, etc. The top employers are Allen & Overy, Google, Herbert Smith Freehills, SAP, TLT, Salesforce, etc.
  • For art and design, the average salary starts from £55,000/ year from companies like Cognizant Technology Solutions, Google, AND Digital, Meta, Framestore, AKQA, Gensler, IBM, etc.
  • The top jobs available here are Software Developer (£47,900), ), Chief Executives and Senior Officials (£67,300), Aircraft Pilot and Flight Engineers (£60,800), Legal (£49,700), Financial Managers (£43,600), Health Services and Public Health Managers (£68,400), Marketing and Sales Director (£54,900), IT and Telecommunication Directors (£56,100), Advertising and PR Directors (£45,400Brokers (£46,900), etc.

Some giants offering jobs to international students in the UK include Salesforce, Microsoft, Abcam, Softcat, Google, KPMG, GTB, Apple, Accenture, Bella Italia, SAP, Meta, PwC, and Deloitte. Companies offering fair opportunities for postgraduate students are American Express, Dell Technologies, J.P. Morgan, EY, Johnson and Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Siemens, AstraZeneca, The Body Shop, Goldman Sachs, etc.

Post Study Work Visa US: Basic Requirements

Following the prerequisites to apply for a PSW visa in the UK is essential.

  • The primary criterion here is to get a degree from any recognized university, be it an undergraduate, graduate, diploma, master's, or even a doctoral degree.
  • Also, the students need to look for job opportunities that are directly related to their courses with a duration of twelve months right after completing their degrees.
  • One should be financially independent and not require monetary help while applying for this visa.
  • The candidates must submit the visa applications within 12 months of completing their courses.
  • As the UK government has already highlighted, one must provide a proper funding source.
  • In the case of a degree in the English language, if the students do not have one, they must appear for the IELTS Examination and score within the 6.5 IELTS band score.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the cost of applying for PSW UK (Graduate Route Visa UK)?

Ans: £715 is the cost of applying for PSW UK. However, one must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is £624, each year you plan to stay in the country.

  • Can I extend my UK post study work visa?

Ans: Technically this visa tends to last for two years if the student completes the masters or undergraduate degree successfully. If the student is pursuing a doctorate, he can apply for the PSW visa, which is available for three years. In both cases, the visa is non-extendable, meaning that the student needs to apply for leave under a different visa category if he wants to retain lawful status beyond the approved leave period under the Graduate Route.

  • Can dependants apply for Graduate Visa UK?

Ans: Your dependents, children, or partner can continue to stay as per the same status as on your Graduate visa. However, if your kid was born in the UK during your tenure with a Graduate visa, they can also apply. Their visa will also end per your agreed timeline if it gets approved. Also, to get the visa approved, your child needs to be dependent on your Tier 4 or student visa, live with you and be financially dependent on you, not be married, and be able to furnish all the required documents for the application, like a bank statement, driving license, credit card bills, NHS registration document, etc. for the application.

  • When can I submit my Post-Study Work visa UK application?

Ans: One needs to apply for the PSW visa before the Tier 4 or student visa expires. One needs to apply after the education provider has informed the Home Office about the student's successful course completion. In this case, the student does not have to wait to receive the graduation certificate. However, in this case, the student must submit all the required documents to prove their identity.