TALENT HuNT . Reinstate post-study work visa: Varsities body to UK Govt

The body that represents British universities has urged the government to re-introduce a post-study work visa, whose withdrawal it believes has impacted the number of students from countries such as India.

In 2012, the Conservative government dropped the post-study work visa, which enabled students from outside the EU to work in Britain for up to two years after completing their Masters degree.

‘Prioritising talent’

“The tightening of the eligibility rules for post-study work opportunities in the UK may have had a significant impact on prospective applicants from certain countries, including India,” warned Universities UK at the start of its annual conference.

“I remember as an ex-international student the only struggle was getting time on your side,” said Tripti Maheshwari, co-founder of London-based start-up Student Circus, which identifies jobs and internships offered by tier-II sponsor companies willing to hire graduates already in Britain on a valid student visa.

“After launching Student Circus, we have seen that companies are increasingly prioritising talent over colour of one’s passport. With this change in perspective, there can’t be a better time to revive the post-study work visa and make UK the most promising education destination again.”

The move will particularly benefit small and medium businesses, which currently struggle to recruit non-EU workers with the skills base they need because of the costs of obtaining a tier-II sponsorship license. Under Britain’s tough immigration rules, employers wishing to hire non-EU workers under the most common visa route — tier-II — must obtain a licence to do so. The government maintains a list, continually updated, of firms that are able to hire workers. Fees range from £536 for a small business or charity to £1,476 for a medium or large organisation.

Challenging system

The system is also challenging for students who must find a job paying at least £20,800 a year at an employer with one of these licenses within four months of completing their course, or alternatively find the necessary sponsorship as an entrepreneur. After the government changed the regime in 2012, the number of students moving to working visas fell from 46,875 to 6,238 within the space of a year.

The move will also help British universities keep competitive with institutions abroad: the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are among the countries to allow students to work for several years after graduation, Universities UK, noted. Also, while these countries had seen a high growth in international demand for student, the UK had stayed flat, losing market share.

“The ability to work in a skilled job for a limited period after graduating is, for many prospective international students, an important part of the overall package when deciding where to study,” said Jane Beer, President of Universities UK.

“This improved post-study visa would put us on a par with what is offered by countries such as the US, Canada and Australia. It will send a more welcoming message to international students and signal that the UK is open to talented individuals from around the world.

“As Brexit discussions continue, the UK needs an ambitious immigration policy that helps boost our regional and global competitiveness.”

Students have been at the centre of a heated immigration debate in Britain, with the government firmly opposing moves to ease restrictions.

Students remain in the country’s net migration figures despite calls, including from Cabinet members, for them to be removed from the figures, even after a new system of exit checks found that a mere 4,600 students had overstayed their visa in 2016, against the 100,000 that had previously been estimated by the government.

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