Home Office extends ‘graduate route’ visa deadline

FOREIGN students from India are among those who will benefit from an extension to the entry deadline to qualify for the UK’s new post-study work (PSW) visa.

Launched by home secretary Priti Patel last year, the graduate route visa, commonly called a PSW visa, allows eligible overseas students to work, or look for work, for two years after completing their courses.

Students undertaking their courses long-distance due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were previously expected to be present in the UK by Monday (21) in order to qualify for the graduate route.

However, the Home Office last week amended its guidance to extend that deadline to September 27.

“Applicants who began their studies in autumn 2020 have until September 27, 2021, to enter the UK with permission as a student (updated from the previous date of June 21, 2021) in order to be eligible to apply to the graduate route,” the updated guidance from Home Office said.

“Students who began their studies in January or February 2021 will need to be in the UK by September 27, 2021.”

While Indian students with a valid UK student visa are among those permitted to fly to the country despite India being on the UK red list, many have had to postpone their plans in the face of India’s second wave.

The additional cost of around £1,750 associated with a compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine on arrival in Britain has also impacted their decision.

According to the most recent Home Office statistics from earlier this month, there was a 13 per cent hike over the previous year in the number of study visa granted to Indian nationals in the year ending March 2021.