An increased focus on genetic research and the prevention of illnesses and disease means that the Home Office is planning to increase the amount of time international students with successful degrees have to find work in the UK after graduating.

 

Students will need to have successfully completed a degree from a trusted UK university or higher education provider which has a proven track record in upholding immigration checks and other rules on studying in the UK.

 

The new immigration route announced today (11 September 2019) will mean international graduates in any subject, including STEM, will be able to stay in the UK for two years to find work in order to “unlock their potential” and begin careers in the UK, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

 

The current situation:

 

More than 450,000 international students are currently studying in UK universities.

 

Of these, almost two-thirds are from outside the EU, so will require a student visa to be in the country.

 

Between about 170,000 and 185,000 of these students graduate each year and, under current rules, they have four months to transfer to another visa – such as a work visa – or decide to continue studying.

 

A fresh take on immigration:

 

Mark Easton of the BBC sees these plans as a step in a positive direction, saying:

 

“Where Theresa May introduced what she called a hostile environment around migration rules, with an ambition to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands, Boris Johnson has promised to scrap that target and encourage the brightest and best to come and live and work in global Britain.”

 

What does Lisa’s Law make of all this?

                          

Well, it is certainly nice to see the Home Office taking an interest in graduates, and increasing the amount of time for them to job hunt to two years from four months will allow them to seek out better opportunities, benefitting themselves and the country as a whole.

 

Some possible effects of this change:

 

  • the start-up visa will become useless and may be scrapped (due to them both requiring endorsement of a higher educational facility and have a 2 year lifespan).
  • fewer people will use the Tier 5 route
  • there will be more applications for settlement based on 10-year lawful residence. It will be easier for people to stay in the UK for 10 years
  • there will be more Tier 2 applications. Once students have worked for some employers, the employers will be more willing to sponsor them.

 

However, we must remind our readers that this is only at the proposal stage. Please bare in mind that these plans have not been made laws yet and it is not a 100% guarantee that they will be. We will have to wait and see how it progresses. We will keep you right up to date with all of the latest legal changes, so keep your eyes peeled for more information from us!

 

In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us for legal information and support. You can reach us on 020 7928 0276 or email in to info@lisaslaw.co.uk

 

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