A new proposal has been put forward by the UK government on the 11th of September, 2019, regarding the regulations for the student visa. It will allow international students studying in the UK to stay in the country for up to two years post-graduation for a chance to work and jumpstart their careers in Britain.

The amendments will apply to foreign students set to start undergraduate level courses and above in 2020 onwards. Students must graduate from universities or colleges known for maintaining immigration status checks. As for what sort of jobs students should pursue during the two years, no restrictions are in place. The UK student visa can easily be switched to a skilled work visa depending on the job the student is trying to land.

The current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, made the announcement in hopes that the move would help international students “unlock their potential” after they graduate from UK universities. The proposal will alter the decision first made by the former Home Secretary Theresa May back in 2012, which in the meantime forces UK international students to leave the country within four months after graduation.

The education sector in the UK has welcomed the news. Alistair Jarvis, the Chief Executive of Universities UK, the leading advocate for universities in the UK, said that the current rules made it difficult to recruit international students and that “the introduction of a two-year post-study work visa is something Universities UK has long campaigned for and we strongly welcome this policy change, which will put us back where we belong as a first-choice study destination.”

“Not only will a wide range of employers now benefit from access to talented graduates from around the world, these students hold lifelong links with the UK,” he continued.