What Can I Do After Finishing PSW

PSW elaborately which is called a post-study work visa also known as the graduate route visa. A post-study work visa allows you to stay in the UK for at least two years after completing a course. But if you are a PhD you will get a graduate route visa for up to three years. 

This type of visa is only for students who have a UK degree or other relevant qualification from an approved UK higher education provider. International students who have started their study in 2021 or later, will be eligible to apply for a graduate route visa now. 

However, many students in UK are already on their graduate route visa and some of whose visa is about to expire. Nowadays the most searched question in Google is “What can I do after finishing PSW?” or “What comes after a graduate route visa?” 

In this article, we will discuss what an international student can do after the PSW expires. So, if you are already under this type of visa, or currently studying in the UK, hopefully, this article will help you a lot. 

What to do after the PSW in UK?

The post-study work visa for the UK allows a graduate to work and stay at least up to two years and look for work. But once the PSW in the UK expires, the students who want to stay longer in the United Kingdom need to apply for a skilled worker visa, general worker visa or any other relevant visa.  However, to get a skilled worker visa, the candidate must earn at least £30,960 annually or 70% of the ‘going rate’ for your job. To apply for a general worker visa, you must have a confirmed job offer.

Can you switch from a graduate route visa to a UK student visa?

Yes, you can apply under PSW once but you can switch back to the student route if you want to pursue another degree in the UK. This means if your graduate route visa expires and you can’t switch your visa to a general worker visa, but if you still want to stay longer in the UK, you can pursue another degree.

For example, you can apply for a master’s if your previous degree is undergraduate level or you can apply for a second master’s by switching your graduate route visa into a student visa again. You can only apply for the Graduate route once but you can switch back into the Student route if you want to pursue another course in the UK.

Can you apply for a graduate route visa outside the UK?

According to the UKVI, to apply for a graduate route visa you must be in the UK

and you must have an undergraduate, post-graduation or other relevant degree for a minimum time. Those who apply for a PSW outside of the UK will be rejected or refused entry into the UK and could lose their eligibility to apply for the graduate route as a whole. 

Can you study with a post-study work visa?

Yes, you can study with your PSW only if your chosen course is not eligible for a student visa. But if your chosen course is eligible for a UK student visa, you can extend your visa instead. You may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if your selected course is related to research or a sensitive topic. 

Can you extend my PSW in the UK?

No, you can’t extend your post-study work visa (PSW). You will get  2 years of work and staying permit with your graduate route visa. But if you have a doctoral degree you’ll get 1 more year with your graduate route visa. You can’t extend this time limit but if your PSW expires you can switch it to another relevant visa like a skilled worker visa or a student visa again. 

Can you Switch from a post-study work visa to a spouse visa?

In general, Post-study work visas can be transferred to a general worker visa or a student visa but you can apply for a spouse visa (5 years route) if you marry a UK Citizen and you meet all the requirements for switching to a spouse visa. 

Can you apply for PR after the PSW expires?

No. You can’t apply for PR after the PSW expires. Legally you can apply for PR in the UK after 10 years of continuous residency. But you can apply after 5 years of residency if you are under a skilled worker visa, health and care, innovator, startup or global talent visa. 

Does PSW count for PR in the UK?

No, under the current immigration rule the graduate route visa does not count towards indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under 5 years work route. However, the two years should be counted under the 10 years continuous residency route.

Final Words

Studying abroad in UK is a dream for international students. Every year a huge number of students visit the UK for education purposes and apply for a Post-study work visa after completing their education. So, in this article, we tried to cover what a student can do after finishing the PSW or Graduate route visa. But if you still have any confusion regarding this topic you can always contact AIMS Education. 

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