A new scheme has been unveiled by the UK Home Office to streamline the international postgraduate student visa application process.

After trialling the scheme at four universities (the University of Bath, Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London), it has been revealed that a further 23 universities will be involved in rolling out the new visa plan – creating a list of 27 institutions that will be able to offer the new visa process.

The new procedure is attempting to make the visa application process more straightforward, and quicker to apply for.

As well as having to submit fewer documents, there will be a greater amount of support given in the UK for postgraduate students who wish to pursue work in the country once they have finished their degrees.

There will be further assistance in switching types of visa, and a six-month period will be given to the student after graduation, so that they can remain in the UK to search for a job. 

Dan Stephenson, Associate Director of International Recruitment at the University of Liverpool (featured in the new scheme), said:

“News of the University’s inclusion in the new pilot scheme has been received extremely positively by our students and overseas partners alike. We are aware that return on investment and exposure to industry are massive considerations for international students when making their decisions on where to study. The 6 months leave to stay in the UK beyond their course end date now afforded to our master’s students, will allow them more time to leverage exciting post study opportunities, whilst minimising the number of checks they have previously had to navigate during the visa application and admissions’ process.”

Students will need a sponsor from a higher education institution in the UK, and those that can provide this are listed below:

• Cardiff University
• Goldsmiths University of London
• Harper Adams University
• Newcastle University
• Queen’s University Belfast
• The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• University of Bristol
• University of Bath
• University of Cambridge
• Durham University
• University of East Anglia
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Essex
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• Imperial College London
• University of Leicester
• University of Liverpool
• University of Manchester
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• University of Reading
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Wales Trinity St. David (Swansea Campus)
• University of Warwick
• University of York

Have a look at our article with job search platform Student Circus for more top tips on how to apply for a post-study visa in the UK.

For more guidance on which countries can utilise this streamlined visa process, have a look at the UK government website.