Posted on June 17 2015
The Scottish National Party, which won a landslide 56 seats from Scotland in the UK elections and is now the third-largest party in the British lower house of Parliament, is urging the UK government to reintroduce the post-study work visa for non-EU overseas students.
A group, which includes representatives of all major political parties in Scotland, has been set up to work towards the reintroduction, with Scottish minister for Europe and international development Humza Yousaf leading the effort to look at how the visa can best work in Scotland. The post-study work visa, which was abolished by the UK government in 2012, allowed international students to remain in the UK for two years after graduating from a UK university, and had a track record of attracting and retaining world-class talent to Scotland.
Now a cross-party group is taking forward the work of the post-study work working group, formed in August last year, which recommended the visa be reintroduced in a report issued in March this year. To start with, Mr Yousaf last week wrote to James Brokenshire, the UK immigration minister, again calling on him to take Scotland’s needs into account and drawing his attention to the cross-party support this issue has in the Scottish Parliament.
“I have, once again, written to the UK government, asking them to work constructively with the Scottish government and our stakeholders in Scotland’s best interests and allow us to reintroduce the post-study work visa,” Mr Yousaf said last week.
In an email response to ET, Mr Yousaf said: “The Scottish government opposed the closure of the post-study work visa and we have consistently argued for its reintroduction. The post-study work route has strong cross-sectoral and cross-party support in Scotland. It is an important lever for attracting the brightest and best international student talent, ensuring global competitiveness and securing essential income streams for Scottish higher education institutions and colleges.” The minister added that he was working with the UK government to explore all possible avenues regarding the re-introduction of a post-study work route as soon as possible in Scotland.
Scotland had first introduced the Fresh Talent – Working in Scotland Scheme, which was later subsumed into the UK-wide Tier-1 post-study immigration route, under which 3,000 Indian graduates remained in Scotland post-study, working under a dedicated Scottish visa.
“Scotland had introduced this scheme as far back as 2005 and the rest of the UK followed. So, there’s no reason why they may not start it again even if the rest of UK doesn’t do it,” said Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and the chancellor of the University of Birmingham. He, however, warned that there may be difficulties since immigration laws will have to be uniform for the whole country.
“So far, the UK government is not seen to be easing its immigration policy and international students are still being included in the stringent targets that the government seems to have set. If Scotland reintroduces the poststudy work visa both Indian and other international students and the Scottish universities will benefit,” added Bilimoria, who has been critical of the Conservative government’s immigration policies, which, according to him, are damaging to UK’s universities and businesses.
Minister Yousaf believes that the post-study work visa will help Scotland grow the workingage population to support and strengthen the economy.
“Scotland must be able to attract and retain world-class talent to fill vacancies which cannot be filled by our resident workers. A post-study work visa is an important lever that would help us attract the best international student talent, securing essential income streams and allowing talented graduates to continue contributing to Scotland after their studies end,” he said.
http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/globalindian/post-study-work-visa-scotland-may-hold-the-key/Tags:
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What is the process to get a work permit after studying in Canada?
In Canada, you need a work permit to work and stay as legal resident after completing your studies. International students who completed their graduation from certain DLI or designated learning institutions are eligible for a Canada post-graduation work permit. Canada PGWP allows graduate students to stay and work temporarily in the country. However, if you are not eligible for a PGWP, you can still work in Canada after graduation by applying for a Canada work visa.
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Work permit alternatives for international grads ineligible for PGWPs
Canada issued more than 105,000 post-graduation work permits in the first half of 2024. In 2025, Canadian government is about to approve more than 430,000 study permits to the international students. There are currently one million+ job vacancies for international students willing to migrate and settle in Canada.
*Want to work in Canada? Y-Axis is here to help you with all the support you need!
You can apply for a post-graduation work permit after completing your graduation. To apply for a post-graduation work permit in Canada, you must have graduated from a certain Canadian designated learning institute. The students can be eligible for a 3-year PGWP in Canada. The students who are applying for PGWP in Canada after 1st Nov 2024, must show a proof of language proficiency of CLB7 or equivalent. College graduates should have minimum language proficiency of CLB 5 to be eligible for PGWP. However, the length of the work permit completely depends on the level of the program, the duration of the study program, and the expiration date of the passport.
The table below showcases some of the important details about Canada PGWP:
Category |
Detail |
Eligibility criteria |
·Completed a full time program at Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada. |
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·The duration of the program must be 8 months in DLI |
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·After receiving the completion letter, you must apply for PSWP within 180 days ·Must have language proficiency of CLB 7 or equivalent ·College graduates should have minimum language proficiency of CLB 5. |
|
|
Duration |
·Depends on the duration of the study program |
|
|
Work Rights |
·In Canada, as long as the permit is valid, you can do full-time work |
|
|
Application timeline |
·Must apply within 180 days after obtaining the final grades |
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·The processing time usually takes 2 - 3 months |
|
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Application Fee |
$255 |
|
|
Documents Required |
·Proof of study completion |
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·A valid passport and its copy |
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·Previous permit details |
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·Recently clicked passport photographs |
|
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The following are the steps to apply for the Canada Post-graduation Work Permit:
Step 1: Check your eligibility
Step 2: Collect all the required documents
Step 3: Complete the work permit application form
Step 4: Pay the application fee
Step 5: Await for your approval\
*Are you looking for step-by-step assistance with Canadian immigration? Contact Y-Axis, the world’s No.1 overseas immigration consultancy, for end-to-end support!
Can my spouse work while I am studying in Canada?
Yes, your spouse is allowed to work in Canada while you are studying. Your spouse can apply for Spousal open work permit before or after arriving in Canada. However, your partner does not need any job offer to register for an open work permit in the country. Spousal open work permit allows the common law partner or spouse of a temporary Canadian permit holder to work in Canada. Every year, around 485,000 international students migrate to Canada to study. The Canadian government allows the spouses to join their families and work in Canada with a SOWP.
*Want to apply for a Canada Spousal Open Work Permit? Y-Axis is here to help you with all the necessary assistance!
In Canada, a spousal open work permit is issued to the spouse or common law-partner of a temporary Canadian permit holder. This permit allows the spouse to stay and work in Canada. A dependent spouse or common-law partner can also apply for the open work permit under LMIA exemption code C41 only if the main worker holds a work permit for 6 months and is employed in a job which comes under the National Occupational Classification. It takes around 3 to 5 months to process the spousal open work permit. The fee of the spousal open work permit in Canada is $255.
The following are the benefits of Spousal open work permit in Canada:
The following are the required eligibility criteria to apply for a Canada Spousal Open work permit:
The steps to apply for the spousal open work permit in Canada are:
Step 1: Check your eligibility
Step 2: Collect all the required documents
Step 3: Apply for the work permit and pay the fees
Step 4: Wait for your approval
*Are you looking for step-by-step assistance with Canadian immigration? Contact Y-Axis, the world’s No.1 overseas immigration consultancy, for end-to-end support!