The British High Commission announced on Thursday a new Graduate route that will allow international students from India to work or look for work after they complete their studies. This route will be unsponsored, which means students without a job offer can apply.

"The new graduate route will help the UK government to achieve the ambition set out in the international education strategy to increase the number of international students in higher education in the UK to 6,00,000 by 2030," the release read.

UK students

According to the release, the bachelor's degree holder will be able to work for a maximum of two years and doctoral students can work for three years in the UK. The candidates will also be able to apply for jobs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There will be no minimum salary requirements or caps on numbers, allowing graduates to work flexibly, switch jobs and take career decisions more freely.

How to apply for Graduate route

Eligible students can start applying from July 1. Students who started their studies in January or February this year must be in the country by September 27 to apply for Graduate route. As for those who started in Autumn last year have till June 21 to be in the country, extended from the April 6 deadline. This is in view of coronavirus, which affected travels between India and the UK.

UK - India

"The flow of students between India and the UK makes the human connection between our countries – the 'living bridge' – ever stronger. I'm delighted that increasing numbers of talented Indian students are choosing the UK to study, and even more so that the Graduate route will allow them to work in the UK after their studies. Their presence in the heart of the new partnership between India and the UK," Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said about the new route.

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