From 1 July 2021, the new Graduate Route visa offers international students a new post-study option to work in the UK. Organisations are now wondering if this could be the answer, at least in part, to the current candidate shortage many are experiencing.
What is the ‘Graduate Route’?
The Graduate Route is a new visa option for international students who have completed their studies in the UK. If eligible, the visa will allow the student to remain in the UK for a period of two years following the completion of their degree to work, or to look for work. If the student completed a doctorate, then they would be entitled to remain in the UK for three years instead of two. This route went live on 1 July 2021.
Whilst remaining in the UK under the Graduate Route, the worker does not need to stay in the same job. They can switch between jobs and work flexibly, enabling them to utilise their time to develop their career in the way that suits them best. A graduate does not need a qualifying job offer to be eligible to apply for the visa.
Who is eligible to apply under the Graduate Route?
For an individual to be eligible to apply under the Graduate Route, they must have completed a degree at undergraduate or postgraduate level at an approved UK Higher Education Provider. There are also a limited number of other professional qualifications at degree level or above that would also be accepted as proof of eligibility.
The individual in question must also have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa at the time they apply under the Graduate Route, and they must have completed the entirety of their studies whilst being present in the UK (unless certain COVID19 concessions are applicable).
Applicants do not need to show proof of bank account funds nor are they required to pass any English language tests (as is the case with many other types of visa permissions).
How can the Graduate Route benefit your business?
Following the end of free movement for EU nationals, many UK organisations are now finding they are facing a candidate shortage. The Graduate Route offers organisations another option for recruiting non-UK, non-settled nationals who might otherwise have been unable to work in the UK.
Successful applicants under the Graduate Route visa can work in any capacity for any employer (except as a professional sportsperson). They do not require specific skills or to be employed in roles at a specific salary level, which means a great deal of flexibility for the employer. Organisations are able to recruit at all levels for a whole manner of different paid jobs, which is not the case for many other visas. In particular, this is a potential option for recruitment into roles which may be deemed insufficiently skilled or which are not paid highly enough to be eligible under the sponsored employment route.
If a Graduate worker is recruited into a job that fits the Skilled Worker requirements, however, they may be able to switch to the Skilled Worker route which is positive news for both the employer and the worker as this would provide for a longer term visa solution.
There are also greatly reduced responsibilities associated with employing workers under the Graduate visa than are typically involved with most other visa permissions. Most significantly, there is no requirement for a business to sponsor any worker they recruit under this route. As a sponsor licence is not needed, this means that all of the obligations and costs that an employer would usually incur in relation to sponsoring an employee are not relevant, significantly reducing the compliance burden on the employer and providing them with a much more convenient and less costly way to employ non-UK national workers.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of the new Graduate Route or you have any concerns regarding practical issues around the recruitment of migrant workers, please contact a member of our Business Immigration Team.
