Student visa (formerly called Tier 4) is to come and study in the UK. If you study at a degree level at a UK university, you can work part-time 20 hours a week during the term, full-time on vacation and full-time for 4 months after completion of the course. 

Study – Work – Settlement 

You can switch to the new Skilled Worker visa after completion of a degree course, or even within 3 months before that! There are benefits for employers to hire Student graduates – they can offer a New Entrant salary, which makes it more affordable for the employers and makes sponsorship more likely for the migrants. Employers are also exempt from Skills Charge (another Government fee) when sponsoring graduates. After 5 years on this visa you can qualify for settlement.

If you are a business, looking to hire and sponsor migrant workers, including graduates, please visit our page for UK Employers here.

Study – Graduate route – Work – Settlement   

Graduate route visa: available to graduates from UK universities, who have completed a degree course, ie minimum Bachelor level. A visa for 2 years (3 years for PhD students), allowing to work for any employer at any skill level without sponsorship, as well as to set up a business in the UK.  You can come to study for a UK degree, then get a 2-year visa to look for work, then switch to the above – mentioned Skilled Worker visa. After 5 years – settlement. Graduate visa won’t count towards settlement, so if you are able to find Sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa sooner, you could start ‘your’ 5 years sooner too. It is also a useful visa to buy time to complete 2 years of living together to qualify for an Unmarried Partner visa, which also leads to settlement. 

What’s next after Student visa?