LONDON – The government of the United Kingdom has announced to retain the Graduate Visa route, putting an end to the rumors in this regard.
The government has now confirmed that it will retain the graduate visa route, which allows international students to work or look for work for two years after they graduate (or for three years for those on a PhD).
The confirmation came after rumors swirled on social media that the government might be doing away with the visa route.
The Home Office will, however, focus on regulating agents that recruit international students and introduce strict compliance standards for institutions recruiting them.
The government has confirmed that it would accept the findings of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which had recommended that the graduate route should not be ended. It has been highlighted that the government would go after rogue agents recruiting international students.
It has been announced that universities that do not meet tougher compliance standards risk having their sponsor license revoked. In this regard, the varieties which accept international students who fail to pass visa checks, or enroll or complete their courses would face sanctions.
The government affirms that it would ensure only genuine students enter the visa system and hold universities accountable for their recruitment process.Â
It is to be noted that the government has recently introduced multiple measures to discourage immigration, In this regard, the government has raised the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visas besides banning international students from bringing dependents to the country.
Canada and Australia have also introduced similar measures to discourage international students from coming to the country.
