UK’s new graduate route will benefit Indian students – Times of India

On Thursday, UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel launched the applications for the new Graduate immigration route, which gives an opportunity for talented international students who have been awarded their degree to stay in the UK and work or look for work, at any skill level for at least two years.

As part of the route, successful applicants at bachelor’s or master’s level can stay in the UK and work, or look for work, at any skill level for two years while Doctoral students can stay for three years. It will also help the government to achieve the ambition set out in the International Education Strategy to increase the number of international students in higher education in the UK to 600,000 by 2030.

This change will benefit tens of thousands of students from India. In the last year, more than 56,000 Indian nationals were granted a student visa – a 13% increase on the previous year and almost a quarter of all Student visas the UK issued.

Convenient application process

In a press release, The UK high commission also said that the application process to the route is also convenient – for the first time, most applicants to the Graduate route can also apply in a fully digital way, using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ smartphone app.

“Successful applicants will be issued an eVisa, and be able to access this status whenever needed to prove their rights in the UK. This is a more convenient application process which means applicants will not have to visit a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service or re-submit their biometrics. Customers who cannot use the app can still apply online but will need to visit a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service,” the commission said.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel said: “Under the UK Government’s points-based immigration system, talented students from India and across the globe now have the opportunity to kick start their careers in the UK at the highest levels of business, science, technology and the arts.” Patel added that after receiving their qualification, the new visa will give them the freedom to fulfil their aspirations and advance their careers.

Jan Thompson, Acting British High Commissioner to India in New Delhi, said that the Graduate route will further help students who wish to stay and work in the UK, strengthening this bond between our two countries even more. “Cooperation in higher education is one of the crucial commitments in the UK and India’s 2030 Roadmap, and this is another positive step in that direction,” she said.

Barbara Wickham, Director India, British Council said that The British Council is engaging with Indian students who plan to pursue a UK education this autumn by organising webinars and Facebook lives to provide all the information prospective students need.

The launch of the new Graduate route is a major step in the UK-India 2030 Roadmap, launched by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Johnson in May 2021, which will deepen the institutional relationships between the UK and India, including between Governments, the private sector, higher education, and civil society.