New UK Rights to Work - International Students
From 2020, international students starting university in the UK will be able to stay in the country for two years to find work. The new immigration policy was announced this week by the UK government to help recruit and retain the best and brightest global talent.
The UK is one of the most popular study destinations for both local and expat college students at international and government schools across the Middle East and South East Asian countries including the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam. According to the UK government, international students make up half of the UK's full-time postgraduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
Universities in the UK have a global reputation for offering a high quality education – and four UK universities, including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London and Imperial College London, are once again in the QS World University Rankings' top 10. However, QS also reported that international student ratios at UK and US universities have consistently fallen, while 69% of Australian universities have seen improvements in their ranking.
UK education secretary Gavin Williamson said:
"It is a testament to our world-leading universities that so many students from abroad want to study here.
"The important contribution international students make to our country and universities is both cultural and economic. Their presence benefits Britain, which is why we’ve increased the period of time these students can remain in the UK after their studies."
Students will need to have successfully completed a degree in any subject from a trusted UK university or higher education provider to qualify for the two-year work right.
