8 Things Graduate Recruiters Need To Know About UK Immigration
As employers prepare to take more graduates on in 2019, there’s a few things they need to take into consideration. Here’s a look at 8 things graduate recruiters should know about UK immigration:
- EU Nationals Have The Right To Work In The UK
EU nationals who’ve resided in the UK will be able to stay before the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. If there is a Brexit “deal” in place, then freedom to move for EU nationals should be continued until December 2020.
- Work Permit Sponsorship Is By No Means Impossible
There are a number of sponsorship opportunities for graduates to take advantage of, making it easier to provide a Tier 2 Visa. When you provide work permit sponsorship to a graduate you are exempt from the Resident Labour Market Test. This means that you don’t need to give justification as to why you’re offering employment to a non-EEA national.
- Switching Tier 4 General Student Visa to Tier 2 General Employer Sponsored Visa
A recent change was made whereby Tier 4 General student visa holders no longer need to have “successfully completed and passed a degree level course” to switch to a Tier 2 Visa. Now, they only need have “completed” the course.
- The Tier 1 Visa May Not Come Back
Until April 2012 graduates from UK universities were able to apply for a two-year work visa – Tier 1 Post Study Work. For those who are looking to apply for British Citizenship , this chance meant they were one step closer. However, it’s unlikely that this visa will be re-introduced in the near future, largely due to the effects of Brexit.
- Good Visa Fee Exemptions
Recent graduates are able to take advantage of visa fee exemptions when a company sponsors a graduate. This means that the previously costly charges, including an Immigration Skills Charge for £1,000 per year, will be significantly less.
- Graduates Applying For Tier 2 From Outside The UK
If a company recruits graduates who studied outside the UK, or those who studied in the UK but took a gap year, there is a different process for Tier 2 Visa sponsorship. Immigration solicitors will be able to best advise students moving forward. The main difference is that there is no exception from the RLMT mentioned above.
- Changes That May Effect Immigration
Following Brexit, the UK have been clear about ending the freedom of movement from the EU. There are going to be big changes to the UK immigration policy within the next few years, but as of now it’s difficult to predict what will happen. The uncertainty surrounding this has put off some students from overseas applying to study in the UK. This could mean some Tier 2 requirements becoming more lenient.
- Internships And Work Placements
Tier 4 General student visa holders are usually more eligible to take on internships, placements and vacation schemes. There are some restrictions, including that a student can only work full-time on an internship outside of term time.
