The United Kingdom has disclosed that international students can now work in England after completing their Bachelor’s degree or above or an eligible professional qualification.
This was contained in a statement last Thursday by the second Secretary Political/Head of Communications, British High Commission, Dean Hurlock.
The statement titled ‘New UK post-study graduate route to open to Nigerian students this summer.’ presents a new opportunity to Nigerians who have been one of the main countries attending the UK universities.
According to statistics, in 2020 over 13,000 Nigerian students were granted a UK study visa, an increase of 56 per cent on the year before.
The statement read, ‘’Today, the UK government has confirmed the new Graduate route will open for applications on 1 July 2021, to international students who successfully complete a degree at undergraduate level or above in the UK. International students on the Graduate route will be able to work or look for work after their studies for a maximum period of two years (three years for PhD students). This will allow the UK to retain the brightest and the best students to continue to contribute to the UK post-study.
’The Graduate route will be unsponsored, meaning applicants will not need a job offer to apply for the route. There will be no minimum salary requirements nor caps on numbers – Graduates on the route will be able to work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career as required.
‘’To be eligible, international students must have completed a UK degree at bachelor’s degree-level or above, or an eligible professional qualification at a higher education provider, with a track record of compliance with the UK Government’s immigration requirements,’’
Commenting on the development, the UK Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, Kevin Foster said, “As we rebuild from the impact of the global pandemic, we want the world’s brightest talents to see the UK as the natural home for their aspirations. The launch of this new route will ensure those who graduate from our world leading institutions will easily be able to secure the status they deserve to continue living and working as they make our United Kingdom their home.”
Also, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, stated, “In 2020, over 13,000 Nigerian students were granted a UK study visa to continue their academic journey. This is a testament to the strengthening educational relationship between the UK and Nigeria.”
“We hope the launch of this new post-study work route will provide an exciting opportunity for Nigerian students to build their careers and discover new opportunities that the UK has to offer.”
