1. Working after studies Advice and Counselling Service
Careers & Enterprise

2. We’re in the Geography building behind the Queens building
We provide confidential service.
There are two parts of our service
Welfare advice – we provide advice on a range of practical and legal issues (including immigration)
Counselling – for help with personal and emotional issues (e.g. if you have anxiety, etc.)

3. Topics EEA and Swiss Nationals Tier 2 Doctorate Extension Scheme
Other common options for graduates

4. Nationals of countries within the European Economic Area:
*We don’t yet know anything about Brexit. Here are the rules as they are now…*
So that’s nationals of EU member states plus Lichtenstein, Iceland Norway
If you are in these countries you can stay and work in the UK
Although Switzerland isn’t in the European Economic Area, there are treaties which confirm similar rights of free movement and Swiss nationals are not normally treated and differently.
There is one exception…

5. Croatia joined the European Union on 01 July 2013
Croatia joined the European Union on 01 July A number of countries including the UK put in place transitional labour controls on workers from Croatia. These controls are due to expire in July 2018.
The good news is that, while you are studying at QMUL, you will be able to work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full time in vacations. You can also work without restriction if you graduate with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from QMUL.
The bad news is that you will need to apply for a registration certificate before you can undertake any employment.
More details in our advice guide “Part Time and Vacation Work”

6. The reset of this presentation concerns those from outside the EEA/Switzerland

7. Tier 4 switching stats (2016)
Tier 2 (General) 5,013
Tier 4 DES 1,208
Tier 5 (GAE)
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) 291
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) 31
Tier 1 (Investor) 22
Plus people who went home, then came back with a work visa
Plus: no stats for them.
Plus people who switched into a family visa, eg spouse or dep of someone with one of these visas. Over 3000 Tier 4 switched to family visas in 2015.
People who apply overseas – no record of how many of them were previously in the UK as students.

8. Switching to a work visa
Tier 2 (General)
Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme
Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)
More Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 5 options
Other types of visa
No such thing as a work visa to do whatever work you want. Does not exist. Did exist for a few years as Tier 1 Post Study Work and predecessors, but now gone. Only way to do any work you want, including freelance work, is if you have a non-work visa. Not our expertise, but will mention.
Tier 2: 5946 switched to Tier 2 – over 80% of those who switched to something.

9. Tier 2 (General): basics
Sponsored by employer to do specific job
Minimum skills level (degree level or higher)
Minimum salary: for most jobs £20,800, higher for some jobs
Employer issues Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
Maintenance: £945 for 90 days
The UK Government have introduced some concessions under Tier 2 (General) for graduates:
- There is no RLMT – employers can issue a CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) immediately without having to advertise the post
- No cap on numbers. Currently the UK Government caps the number of CoSs that can be issued. CoSs assigned for recent graduates do not count towards this cap.
In exchange for the concession, there are some additional requirements that students must meet:
- the job must meet a skills level
- the job must pay a minimum of £20,800 or a specified minimum (whichever is higher).
Example 1, the new entrant rate specified in appendix J for an Ecologist is £18,700 so if you wanted to work as an ecologist you’d have to find a roll that paid at least £20,800 (roughly £2,100 more than the typical starting salary)
Example 2, the new entrant rate for an Analyst Programmer is specified as £24,000, so you’d need to find a job that paid at least £24,000

10. Tier 2 (General): applying in the UK
No Resident Labor Market test
No immigration skills charge
No cap on Certificates of Sponsorship
Employer can only issue CoS after you have your degree result
Can start your job after you have made the Tier 2 application
Can only benefit from these graduate rules if you are in the UK
RLMT – explain
ISC – new charge for employers bringing foreign workers to UK:
Larger employers: GBP 1000 for first 12 months, 500 per additional 6 months, capped at 5 years Smaller or charitable: GBP 364, then 182
PhD level job – no charge

11. Tier 2 (General): Law graduates
Law degree: Tier 4 sponsored by QMUL
LPC: Tier 4 sponsored by provider
Training contract: Tier 2 sponsored by employer
Tier 2 application will still meet UK graduate rules (no RLMT, no cap on CoS), as long as you have had continuous visas in UK
QMUL degree can continue to provide exemption, but your immigration permission after your degree must be continuous.

12. Tier 2 (General): some common problems
Degree awarded after start date of job
Employer is not a Tier 2 sponsor
Employer is waiting for Tier 2 sponsor license
Ad or job spec says you need permission to work in the UK
Application asks if you have a “work permit”
Degree awarded after state date of job
Employer cannot issue CoS – either job start date needs to be brought forward, or you need to apply in home country – means different issues for sponsor, eg RLMT, immigration skills charge, bother of going home and coming back
No license
Too bad. Nothing you can do about that. If you are going to need sponsorship for a Tier 2 visa, don’t waste your time (and employers’ time) applying for jobs if they don’t have a license.
Waiting for license
If your Tier 4 visa runs out before they get their license, you will need to go home and when they do get their license, apply at home. That application will not benefit from graduate switching rules: will be RLMT and limited CoS.
Need permission to work in the UK
Just a generic statement of fact. When you start work, you need to show HR you can work legally. Not saying you need permission to work in order to apply, or be interviewed. If they are, would be breaching employment law.
“Work permit”
“Work permit” is old name for Tier 2 visa. So they don’t mean work permit, because you don’t come with a work permit, they sponsor you for one. Probably sloppy wording, meaning do you have current permission to work in the UK, because we will need to check when you start work. Advise contacting employer asking what they are asking – likely to be generic. Answer would be currently have Tier 4, would need sponsorship under Tier 2.

13. Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme
573 in first quarter of 2017
PhD students: 12 months to find work.
Apply before you are awarded your degree, within last 60 days before date of completion
Comes under Tier 4
Start work when degree awarded
After 12 months, switch to Tier 2 (etc.)
When we talk about being awarded your degree we are talking about the date of the board that occurs after you have handed in the final bound copy of your thesis (after viva and all corrections are done). Talk to your supervisor and the RDO about when this date will be.
573 in first quarter of 2017.

14. Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange
There are lots of Tier 5 schemes. Some are generalist and allow work in any sector other are focused on specific sectors or are run by specific companies. Check the list on Gov.UK for more info, and contact scheme.
Like Tier 2, visa is to join the specific scheme.
These can be useful if you want to gain work experience in the UK, but don’t plan a career in the UK.

15. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)
64 in first quarter of 2017
QMUL is taking part
QM can assign up to 10 places per year
Stay for one year (extendable to two)
Possibility of switching into Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) if business succeeds
Application form and guidance on the Careers & Enterprise website
Engage with the Careers & Enterprise Centre early. They can help you plan your business. Note: you can’t start business until you have submitted your Tier 1 GE immigration application.

16. Some less common options for switching within the UK
Tier 1
Entrepreneur
Investor
Tier 2
Minister of Religion
Inter Company Transfer
Sportsperson
Tier 5
Charity, Religious, Creative/Sporting
International Agreement
Tier 1 E – You have a spare £200,000 to invest in the UK, you will receive £50,000 in seed funding for your business in the UK from a UK Government recognized source, or you are switching in from Tier 1 GE
Tier 1 I – You have £2,000,000 to be spent on UK investments
No sponsor, only yourself
Tier 2 ICT – If you are on a graduate training program at a non-UK based company, but your company has a UK office, you may be able to work in the UK using this route.
Tier 2 S – If you are a professional sportsperson, you may be able to apply in this category.
Tier 2 MoR – If you are a minister of religion, you may be able to apply in this category.
All sponsored by an employer
T5 Temp - A bit of a junk category: Artists, Sportspersons, Charity workers, Religious Workers and Exchanges (E.g. Visiting Researchers)

17. Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme: apply in home country
Not possible to apply in UK
Restricted to specific nationalities
Maximum age 30
No dependants on the visa
No dependant children
Two years, no switching or extending
Call out nationalities:
Australia
Canada
Japan
Monaco
New Zealand
Hong Kong
Republic of Korea
Taiwan
BOC
BOTC
BNO

18. Other types of visa Student Union Sabbatical Officer UK Ancestry
Turkish Workers
Family in the UK
Husband/wife
Same sex civil partner
Unmarried Partner
Long residence
There are rules outside of the Points Based System for:
You can stay in the UK as a sabbatical officer at the Students’ Union for up to two years - you will need to be elected (can be at QMSU or ULU).
UK Ancestry - Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the British Isles
Turkish Workers - Self employed Turkish nationals
Family in the UK - if your family member can stay in the UK ‘in their own right’ you may be able to stay as their dependant. Note: UK does not recognise opposite sex civil partnerships as there is no equivalent in UK law, but you may qualify as an unmarried partner. Unmarried partners would normally have to demonstrate that they’ve been in a relationship for two years.
Long residence
10 years or more in the UK
20 years or more if not all of that stay was legal
If under 25 has spent half of life in the UK
Armed forces and diplomatic staff (E.g. United Nations and employees of embassies) are exempt from UK immigration control.
This is not an exhaustive list, it’s worth doing your research.

19. Make the most of your Tier 4 visa
Max 20 hrs/week during term time
No limit in vacations
Dissertation period is term time
No time limit between formal end date of course and end of your visa (2 or 4 months
No self-employment or business activity
Formal end date of course: whatever was on your CAS
Dissertation period: any work or internship undertaken before formal end date of course can be maximum 20 hrs/week

20. Make the most of your Tier 4 visa
No self-employment or business activity
No permanent full-time job
No professional sports
No work as an entertainer
No work as a doctor or dentist in training
Do not try to re-enter the UK on your Tier 4 visa after your course has finished

21. ! Always check that you are using the most up-to-date guidance!
Immigration rules and guidance change frequently. And we know that they are likely to change before you graduate.
Always check that you are using the most up-to-date guidance!

22. https://qmulintadvice.wordpress.com/
How to stay up to date:
@QMULIntAdvice
facebook.com/QMACS
Follow us on Twitter and ‘like’ us on Facebook for updates.
We also have a blog where we discuss international student issues.

23. welfare.qmul.ac.uk