Indian students to benefit from deadline extension for UK post study visa

Indian students, one of the largest groups of international students enrolling at UK universities over the past year, are set to benefit from an extension to the entry deadline to qualify for the new post-study work (PSW) visa, a PTI report said.

According to the report,the Graduate route visa, commonly referred to as a PSW visa, allows eligible overseas students to work, or look for work, for two years after completing their courses.
It was launched by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel last year and under the application requirements, students undertaking their courses long-distance given the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were expected to be present in the UK by June 21 to qualify for the Graduate route. However, the Home Office amended its guidance last week to extend that deadline to September 27,the report said.

“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. Students who began their studies in January or February 2021 will need to be in the UK by September 27, 2021,” PTI reported quoting the Home Office updated guidance.

According to the most recent Home Office statistics from earlier this month, there was a 6,391 increase in the number of study visa grants to Indian nationals in the year ending March 2021 – marking a 13 per cent hike over the previous year. It indicates that most Indian students remain keen to take up their courses in the UK despite the constraints of the pandemic and travel requirements. UK universities are, meanwhile, preparing for the new semester in September, with a range of measures expected to be in place for overseas students, PTI reported.

Indian students arriving in the UK in the coming months will also be able to access Covid-19 vaccinations by registering with a local doctor when they arrive.