Work after Education: Options for Students in the UK

The United Kingdom is known for its fast-paced business environment and favourable economic conditions. This is why it continues to be the second-most popular education destination for international students.

Back in 2018, 20% of the student population in the UK comprised international students. They chose the UK because of the expansive employment opportunities and work-life balance it gives them.

Let’s dig deeper into the matter and take a look at the different visa options for students who choose to work after studying in the UK:

Tier-2

Most international students opt for this route. You’ll only be eligible if you are able to find a job that pays you at least £20,800 per year. The employer must first place a job advertisement to prove that they tried looking for a native recruit.

The government only offers this type of visa if they’re sure the employer was unable to find a UK applicant and hence gave the offer to an international student.

To increase your chances of qualifying for a tier-2 visa, you can:

1. Look for part-time job opportunities while you’re working to improve your credentials
2. Hone your entrepreneurship skills by playing an active role in student clubs and societies
3. Improve your language proficiency

Start-up visa

The old Tier-1 scheme that helped graduate entrepreneurs has been replaced by the start-up visa.

To acquire this visa, you need a unique and financially viable business idea to begin with. This idea has to be approved by one of the UK’s higher education institutes. This option is only feasible for those who wish to start their own entrepreneurial ventures. There are no requirements to find a well-paying job.

Other than that, you can also apply for the Sirius Programme. The duration for this programme is 12 months and it helps young entrepreneurs from all over the world to start up their businesses in the UK. The program can support a maximum of 65 visas per year.

To best way to get a work visa for the UK is to get in touch with an immigration solicitor in London. At Wembley Solicitors, we guide international students through the visa process and help them apply. More details on the website.