Copyright timesnownews
The UK government has decided to shorten the graduate visas (post study work visas) by six months under new legislation passed last month. The changes will affect the time international graduates can stay in the country reduced from two years to 18 months. This is being done to ensure graduates contribute effectively to the economy, and will be brought into effect from January 2027. This was introduced in the UK Parliament after data showed that many holders had not transitioned into graduate-level employment as intended. "In 2023, under the previous government, inward migration exploded to over a million people a year – four times the level compared with 2019. This was a political choice that was never put before the British people. In fact, quite the opposite – the previous government repeatedly promised inward migration would be brought under control. Instead, Britain became a one-nation experiment in open borders. "The damage this has done to our country is incalculable. Public services and housing access have been placed under too much pressure. Our economy has been distorted by perverse incentives to import workers rather than invest in our own skills. In sectors like engineering, for example, apprenticeships have almost halved while visas doubled. "But arguably even worse is the wound this failure has opened when it comes to trust in politics. It is a wound, as I said on my first day as Prime Minister, that can only be healed by actions not words," the UK PM, Keir Starmer, said in a Foreword of the government’s White Paper on immigration. Starmer also stated that since this government came to power, visa applications are down nearly 40 per cent. In her foreword, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper sets out: “This government is determined to bring net migration down and restore control and order to the immigration system.” Through this change, the government believes that this change will ensure more graduates effectively contribute to the UK economy. An impact assessment released by the Home Office suggests: “The Graduate route changes are expected to have a modest impact on Student visa demand. It is provisionally estimated a long-term reduction of approximately 12,000 Student visa applications per annum.” The shorter 18-month post-study period, effective from January 2027, applies only to future applicants. Therefore, those completing eligible courses before the end of 2026 will continue under the existing two-year arrangement, maintaining a transition window for current students in the UK. Graduate visa holders are permitted to work in most roles, seek employment, or be self-employed in the UK. They can also reside with eligible family members and travel internationally during their visa validity. Unpaid voluntary work is allowed if carried out with a registered charity, voluntary organisation, or statutory body. However, the visa does not grant access to public funds or state pensions, nor does it allow work as a professional sportsperson.
