New rules will come into force on 6^th April which will close the Tier 1 (Post-Study) category.  This therefore requires graduates to find a UK company or organisation that has a Sponsor Licence to offer them a skilled job and sponsor them under the Tier 2 (General) category.

The salary level must be at least £20,000 p.a. or the minimum required by the Code of Practice for the role whichever is the higher.

The UKBA says that the new rules are part of a radical overhaul of the student visa system, which will:

• encourage growth - a new Graduate Entrepreneur route will open, with up to 1,000 places for students working on world-class innovative ideas who want to stay and develop them but do not meet the requirements of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route;
• boost the economy - young entrepreneurs or small company directors will get the chance to stay on in the UK after their studies if they have £50,000 to invest in their business;
• ensure that students can support themselves - for the first time since 2008, there will be an increase in the amount of money that students and working migrants (and their dependants) must prove they have to support themselves financially during their time in the UK; and
• tackle abuse - restricting work placements to one-third of the course for international students who are studying below degree level will ensure that those coming to the UK are here to study, not to work (as was often the case in the past). Additionally, the time that can be spent studying at degree level will be restricted to a general limit of 5 years.