UK Work Visa Rules Relaxed: Indian Students Can Stay Longer After University Study

London: The UK government under Boris Johnson on Wednesday reinstated the two-year post-study work visa route for all international students who came to British Universities for their higher studies, that was earlier scrapped by Theresa May seven years back.

Boris Johnson said that reinstatement of this policy would allow students to unlock their potentials to begin careers in the UK.

The new "Graduate" route, to be in place by next year, will be open to all overseas nationals who have valid UK immigration status as a student and have successfully completed a course of study in any subject at undergraduate level or above at a government-approved UK higher education institution.

The visa will allow eligible students to work, or crucially look for work, in any career or position of their choice, for two years after completing their studies.

Priti Patel, Home Secretary and the senior-most Indian-origin member of Johnson's cabinet, was quoted saying by a leading daily, "The new Graduate Route will mean talented international students, whether in science and maths or technology and engineering, can study in the UK and then gain valuable work experience as they go on to build successful careers."

"It demonstrates our global outlook and will ensure that we continue to attract the best and the brightest," she added.

"The most impacted were Indian students, who repeatedly told us that they needed this post-study work visa for a number of reasons... We, therefore, were running the post-study work visa campaign for the last five-plus years and this marks the conclusion of a long and hard battle that has found its due justice," said Sanam Arora, founder, and chairperson of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU).

Indian student groups in the UK also expressed their support for the reinstatement of a visa route they had been long campaigning for.

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