The International Advice Team, part of the Student Advice and Wellbeing team, are here to provide specialist support and guidance to our international students during their time at Liverpool John Moores University. They provide advice on a wide range of visa and immigration issues, such as advice on the new Student Visa route, visas for dependants and Short term study visas. 

Due to Covid-19, the team are currently operating remotely and have advisers available to offer email and telephone support. Please email if you have any questions. You can read more about how the Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can support you during your time at LJMU here and there is also a lot of useful for information for our international students on our microsite.

We’ve already had lots of questions from international students about the new Post Study Work Visa and have asked the International Advice Team to answer your frequently-asked questions:

What is the new Graduate Route Visa?
In their Points-Based System Immigration System document, the UK government have published a proposal to introduce a new Graduate Route Visa in 2021. The Graduate Route will allow successful applicants to stay in the UK for a period of two or three years after completing studies to work and to look for work.

How do you get the Graduate Route Visa?
It is not automatically granted. To obtain the Graduate Route Visa, you will need to meet all the requirements and apply for the visa in the UK once the visa route opens. The UK Government has stated that they aim to open the route to application from summer 2021. We expect full details to be announced in Spring 2021.

How much will the Graduate Route Visa Cost?
As yet, the government has not announced the exact fee for the Graduate Route visa. However, we would expect the cost to be announced in Spring 2021. The government has announced that applicants will also have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for each year of the visa to be issued. The IHS will be at the normal, higher rate and not the reduced student rate.

What are the requirements to apply for a Graduate Route Visa?
From the information available so far, the following are the main requirements to be able to apply for the Graduate Route Visa.

• You must have successfully completed an undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degree at Liverpool John Moores University (or any other higher education provider with a track record of compliance with the student sponsorship requirements)
• Your studies must have been completed in full while you were in the UK (except for periods of permitted, required study abroad or distance learning due to Covid-19)
• Your studies must have been the same as that for which your most recent Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) was issued
• You must have completed your studies in summer 2021 or later
• You must apply in the UK, and have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa at the time of application.

There will be no financial or maintenance requirements for the Graduate Route Visa application, and satisfactory completion of your studies will be evidence of your English language ability.

How long will the Graduate Route Visa be for?
The Graduate Route Visa will be issued for two years for successful applicants who completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, and three years for successful applicants who completed a doctoral degree (e.g. PhD).

What kind of work can you do with a Graduate Route Visa?
You can do most kinds of work with a Graduate Route Visa. There is no minimum qualification or income requirement for the work. You do not require sponsorship from an employer, and you will be free to change jobs as and when necessary.
You will not be able to work as a doctor or dentist in training, nor as a professional sportsperson.

Can you bring your family as dependants with the Graduate Route Visa?
Only graduates who already have their family members with them in the UK as dependants will be able to have their dependents apply. Dependants must apply at the same time as the graduate.

Can you study with a Graduate Route Visa?
Study at a Student Route Sponsor institution will not be permitted. This would exclude studying for example, a master’s degree at most UK universities while in the UK with a Graduate Route visa. Other study at non Student Route Sponsor institutions will be permitted.

Is there anything else you need to know?
If you have been in receipt of Official Financial Sponsorship from a government, you will need to obtain a letter confirming permission from that government for you to apply to the Graduate Route. You can only have the Graduate Route visa once. It is not possible to extend the visa, but it will be possible to switch to another type of visa from the Graduate Route.

If you later wish to apply to switch to the new Skilled Worker Route visa (which will replace Tier 2 in 2021), you can do so if you have a Skilled Worker Route employer who offers sponsorship to you. As with holders of the Student Visa, holders of the Graduate Route visa applying to switch to the Skilled Worker Route can be considered as ‘new entrants’ for Skilled Worker sponsorship, which means the minimum salary offer to be sponsored can be the lower minimum salary new entrants’ rate.

Disclaimer
Please note: The information available here is based on the current information available from the UK Government. We will update our website when full details are announced.