UK Post Study Student Worker
What is Tier 1 (Post-study work)?
The Tier 1 (Post-study work) category allows the UK to retain the most able international graduates who have studied here. It also enhances the UK’s overall offer to international students. During their permission to stay here, post-study workers can look for work without needing to have a sponsor. The category provides a bridge to highly skilled or skilled work. If we give you permission to stay as a post-study worker, we expect that you will switch into another tier of the points-based system as soon as you can.
Who can apply as a post-study worker?
You can apply under Tier 1 (Post-study work) if you are:
- in the UK with permission to stay under the Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme, the International Graduates Scheme or the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme; or
- in the UK as a student (which includes students, student nurses, students resitting examinations and students writing up a thesis).
Important!
To qualify for Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) of the Points Based System you must be able to demonstrate that you have funds to support yourself and any dependants. For the main applicant this is £2,800 with a further £1,600 needed for each dependant accompanying you or planning to join you within 12 months of your arrival in the UK. These amounts must be held in your personal bank account for a minimum period of 3 months immediately preceding and dated no more than 1 month prior to the date you submit your application. The balance should not fall below the required minimum at any time during the 3 month period.
What do you need to apply ?
- Your passport or travel document;
- The application forms VAF9 and Appendix 4 with all mandatory sections completed;
- The fee as published on the visa fees page on this website. This cannot be refunded and you must pay in local currency;
- Your biometric details (see below);
- A recent passport sized photograph
Please note: photographs should measure 45mm x 35mm and be:- in colour taken against a white background;
- clear and of good quality and not framed or backed;
- printed on normal photographic paper;
- full face and without sunglasses, hat or head covering (unless it is worn for cultural or religious reasons but the face must not be covered).
(If the application is successful, the photographs provided will be reproduced on the visa vignette).
- All documents as specified in the Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) Guidance as stated in the Immigration Rules. If you do not submit relevant documents, your application is likely to be refused as we will be unable to award the relevant points.
Points scoring – Attributes
Qualification [20 points available]
- United Kingdom recognised degree at bachelor or postgraduate level – A United Kingdom recognised body is an institution granted degree awarding powers by a Royal Charter, Act of Parliament or the Privy Council. Further information can be found on the website of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
- United Kingdom postgraduate certificate or diploma or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education – It is not necessary for the awarding body to be a United Kingdom recognised body.
- Higher national diploma (HND) from a Scottish institution – The qualification must be at HND level. You must have studied at a Scottish institution. We will use the address of the institution to confirm this.
- Qualifications not acceptable – Foundation degrees; honorary degrees; qualifications awarded in the United Kingdom by overseas awarding bodies, including overseas campuses of United Kingdom institutions; and professional and vocational qualifications (unless they are of a type listed above).
Institution [20 points available]
- United Kingdom recognised or listed body – A recognised body is described above. A listed body provides full courses that lead to the award of a degree by a United Kingdom recognised body. Further information can be found on the website of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). The bodies on the DIUS website are also set out in statutory instruments available on the website of the Office of Public Sector information (OPSI).
- Scottish institution – The institution does not have to be a recognised or listed body. However, you must have studied at a Scottish publicly funded institution of further or higher education, or at a Scottish bona fide private education institution which maintains satisfactory records of enrolment and attendance. A ‘bona fide private education institution’ is defined in paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules. The Scottish institution must be on the Register of Education and Training Providers list which is available on the website of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
- Tier 4 sponsor licensing register – After the launch of Tier 4 during spring 2009 students will need to be sponsored by an institution that is on the sponsors licensing register. Institutions can begin to register from summer 2008. From summer 2008 Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) applicants can meet this requirement of the attributes points scoring section by providing details of an institution that is held on the Tier 4 sponsors licensing register.
Immigration status in the United Kingdom during the period of study and/or research in the United Kingdom [20 points available]
You can claim 20 points if you can establish that the whole of your period of study and/or research in the United Kingdom was completed whilst you had leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as a:
- student (paragraphs 57 to 62 of the Immigration Rules);
- student nurse (paragraphs 63 to 69 of the Immigration Rules);
- student re-sitting an examination (paragraphs 69A to 69F of the Immigration Rules);
- student writing up a thesis (paragraphs 69G to 69L of the Immigration Rules); or
- dependant of someone with leave in any category that allows dependants to join them in the United Kingdom.
You do not need to have lived in the United Kingdom throughout the entire period of your study. For example, you may have undertaken periods of overseas study and/or research whilst obtaining your qualification.
Date of award of qualification [15 points available]
You can claim 15 points if your qualification was obtained or your Foundation Programme (United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office affiliated Foundation Programme as a postgraduate doctor or dentist) was completed within 12 months immediately before your application for entry clearance under Tier 1 (Post-Study Work). The date of your obtaining your qualification is the date you were first notified in writing, by the awarding institution, that they had awarded your qualification, not the date of graduation.
Controls
English language ability [10 points available]
There is no specific English language assessment under this category. If you successfully achieved 75 points in the attributes section you will automatically satisfy the English language requirement.
Maintenance (Funds) [10 points available]
Even if you have attained the pass mark of 75 in the Attributes section thereby satisfying the English language requirement, your application will be refused if you do not pass the Maintenance (Funds) requirement.
You must be able to support yourself for the entire duration of your stay in the UK without needing any help from public funds. In order to qualify under Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) you must be able to demonstrate that you have £2,800 for yourself and (where applicable) £1,600 for each dependant accompanying you and that you have held these amounts for a minimum period of 3 months immediately preceding and dated no more than 1 month prior to the date you submit your application. The balance should not fall below the required minimum at any time during the 3 month period.
