UK’s post-study visa ‘not attracting skilled workers’

Many international students who stay in the country using two-year graduate route end up in low wage jobs, finds key government body

Published on
December 13, 2023
Last updated
December 13, 2023
A plane flying over a departures and arrivals sign, symbolising internationalisation
Source: iStock

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Reader's comments (5)

What an upsetting headline - from first hand experience, companies reject applications just upon knowing that there will be an eventual need for sponsorship after 2 years. It is unfair to say “graduate visa attracts low-skilled workers” without exposing the other dependency of how companies are NOT INCENTIVISED to hire people on this visa, even if they are highly qualified. So much investment from the student has gone onto tuition fees and visa fees after it was marketed to us as “an extra 2 years to work after study” but it is not really 2 years when you find that no one hires you for months and eventually you go for an entry level job, despite qualifying for midcareer level, just to avoid unemployment and debts from the hefty fees. So, the PSW does attract top talents but people who could influence employment are not on the same page, and instead of admitting that disorganisation, they instead say it’s the graduates/ students who are low quality. If I could only get all my money back and take back these past years. How infuriating.
This is just the plain truth..its sad but its the bitter truth u have just said..so many high skilled and talented youths come here to school and even come out with high flying colours yet the biased employment market thinks otherwise and instead goes forvone who has little or no experience just because he or she possess British citizenship..it is sad..after so much investment by the student..the govt should give it a test and relax their laws on PSWV and then give student instead a 5year stay lets see if companies will not RUSH these students..i had a recruiter telling me sometime ago that am very qualified for a positioned but the only reason is i ll have to get a sponsorship after sometime so they really cannot do anything..he was quite sad himself but thats the reality of Britain..the govt can even grow their economy more if they can only take sensible advise from some of these migrants ratger than some self centered and racist group who says they are trying to balance the economy whereas we know their true motive. Now,i can offer an advise that will grow the british economy from all ways through the post study work visa..its simple..give right to ALL companies to sponsor automatically any Masters degree student they employ and reduce the fee drastically so that all the companies can easily sponsor them..then u ll see if those companies will not take these students instead..and these students obviously ll pay their taxes thereby giving the govt good money and when people know about this system they ll be thinking of coming here..as for dependants, the govt should not place an outright ban..they should put into law that after the student has completed his or her studies and has started working..he or she ll work for straight 2 years and will be able to afford (or MUST BE STAYING IN)a 2 bed apartment FULLY RENTED BY HIM and paying his bills without stress and would be okay and have an income not less than 35k pounds per year..if the student(now a graduate and working ) can sustain a 35k pound annual job with all those requirements for 2 years straight then he or she should be eligible to file for their dependants to come join them in the UK..these are what will attract people here as what am seeing now will not..and that will be at the loss of the uk and not the students as they ll go elsewhere that is more convenient for them..
This is just the plain truth..its sad but its the bitter truth u have just said..so many high skilled and talented youths come here to school and even come out with high flying colours yet the biased employment market thinks otherwise and instead goes forvone who has little or no experience just because he or she possess British citizenship..it is sad..after so much investment by the student..the govt should give it a test and relax their laws on PSWV and then give student instead a 5year stay lets see if companies will not RUSH these students..i had a recruiter telling me sometime ago that am very qualified for a positioned but the only reason is i ll have to get a sponsorship after sometime so they really cannot do anything..he was quite sad himself but thats the reality of Britain..the govt can even grow their economy more if they can only take sensible advise from some of these migrants ratger than some self centered and racist group who says they are trying to balance the economy whereas we know their true motive. Now,i can offer an advise that will grow the british economy from all ways through the post study work visa..its simple..give right to ALL companies to sponsor automatically any Masters degree student they employ and reduce the fee drastically so that all the companies can easily sponsor them..then u ll see if those companies will not take these students instead..and these students obviously ll pay their taxes thereby giving the govt good money and when people know about this system they ll be thinking of coming here..as for dependants, the govt should not place an outright ban..they should put into law that after the student has completed his or her studies and has started working..he or she ll work for straight 2 years and will be able to afford (or MUST BE STAYING IN)a 2 bed apartment FULLY RENTED BY HIM and paying his bills without stress and would be okay and have an income not less than 35k pounds per year..if the student(now a graduate and working ) can sustain a 35k pound annual job with all those requirements for 2 years straight then he or she should be eligible to file for their dependants to come join them in the UK..these are what will attract people here as what am seeing now will not..and that will be at the loss of the uk and not the students as they ll go elsewhere that is more convenient for them..
The experience of most international graduates in the UK pre graduate visa era is that you started work at the bottom, not mid level career, and worked your way to the top over several years. So in this sense, nothing has changed. However, promising graduates a mid-high level career job via a graduate visa knowing the reality to be very different for international students/staff is misleading to put it mildly.
The companies reject international graduates after knowing we are on a graduate visa. The only option for us graduates is to take the less competitive low wage roles. Ideally speaking of course we want high wage roles. Not our fault. Uk companies' fault

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