3 visa options for hiring
international graduate
talent
4 April 2024
New immigration rules coming into effect from April this year mean it will soon be more challenging and more expensive for British businesses to recruit workers from overseas.
The changes are being made as part of the government’s plan to cut down on net migration and encourage employers to invest in resident workers instead of being over reliant on overseas labour.
From 4 April 2024, the minimum salary requirement for people coming to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa will rise from £26,200 per year to £38,700. The ‘going rates’ for individual occupations are also being adjusted based on the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) pay data.
Additionally, the government is scrapping the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) and removing the 20% discount for shortage occupations, replacing the SOL with a new Immigration Salary List (ISL).
These changes mean that in most cases, employers will need to pay significantly higher salaries if they wish to sponsor skilled workers from overseas.
Many employers are concerned about the impact these changes will have on their ability to fill critical vacancies with overseas workers and fear they will be ‘priced out of the market’, particularly when it comes to entry level and graduate roles, which typically pay well below the new £38,700 threshold.
However, there are several visa options that allow employers to bring in international graduate talent on a lower salary. If your business is keen to tap into a new talent pool to address ongoing skills shortages, you may wish to explore the following options.
New Entrants
Under the Skilled Worker route, employers can sponsor workers on a salary that is lower than the general threshold if the worker is a ‘new entrant’ to the UK labour market.
To qualify as a new entrant at the start of their career, the applicant must meet one or more of the following requirements:
- The applicant is under the age of 26 on the date of application.
- The job for which the applicant is being sponsored is a postdoctoral position in any of the following SOC 2020 occupation codes:
- 2111 Chemical scientists
- 2112 Biological scientists
- 2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists
- 2114 Physical scientists
- 2115 Social and humanities scientists
- 2119 Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2162 Other researchers, unspecified discipline
- 2311 Higher education teaching professionals.
- The job for which the applicant is being sponsored is in a UK Regulated Profession and the applicant is working towards a recognised professional qualification for that profession.
- The applicant is working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for the job for which they are being sponsored.
- The applicant’s most recent permission (other than as a visitor) was as a Student, and if that permission has expired, it must have expired less than 2 years before the date of application.
- The applicant’s most recent permission (other than as a visitor) was as a Graduate, and if that permission has expired, it must have expired less than 2 years before the date of application.
Under the new salary thresholds, new entrants must be paid a salary that equals or exceeds £30,960 per year and 70% of the going rate for the occupation.
A lower salary can be paid for new entrants in certain health and education occupations where going rates are based on national pay scales. In this case, new entrants must be paid a salary that equals or exceeds £23,200 per year and 70% of the going rate for the occupation.
International Graduates
The UK’s Graduate visa allows international students to stay in the UK and work, or look for work, at any skill level after completing an eligible course at a UK institution. Undergraduates and master’s degree students can stay for up to 2 years on a Graduate visa, whilst PhD students can stay for up to 3 years.
The route is unsponsored, meaning applicants do not need to hold a job offer to apply. This means employers do not require a Home Office sponsor licence to recruit workers on a Graduate visa.
However, a Graduate visa cannot be extended when it expires. This means if an employer wishes to continue employing the worker after their Graduate visa expires, they will need to apply to sponsor them under an alternative route, such as the Skilled Worker route, if they meet the requirements.
As part of its five-point plan to reduce net migration, the Home Office has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the Graduate route, to ensure it is operating in the best interests and priorities of the UK and that steps are being taken to prevent abuse.
The MAC is expected to report on its findings in May 2024, and the government will consider the MAC’s analysis with a view to implementing any changes in due course.
International Students
On a Student visa, most international students are permitted to work alongside their studies in limited circumstances.
The main purpose of the Student route is for students to come to the UK to study, so any work carried out should be to supplement their income whilst studying, or as part of a work placement.
There are limits on students’ working hours that depend on when they applied for permission to come to or stay in the UK, the type of course they study and what type of student sponsor they have.
As a general rule, students studying a full-time course at degree level or above are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations.
Students studying a course below degree level can usually work up to 10 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations.
In both cases, students must be sponsored by a higher education institution with a track record of compliance.
No work is allowed for students studying part-time courses at post-graduate degree level or above, or for students studying courses at any level with a higher education provider which does not have a track record of compliance.
Join our free webinar on hiring international graduates
Smith Stone Walters is delighted to be teaming up with Step Recruitment this month to co-host a FREE webinar on hiring international graduate talent.
“Demystifying Visas: Navigating the Journey to Hiring International Graduate Talent” is taking place on Wednesday 17 April 2024 at 10:00 – 11:30 BST, online via Microsoft Teams.
SSW immigration specialists Alastair Mason and Devisha Patel will join Tamsin Millns and Laura Fisher from Step to discuss how employers can tap into a new stream of talent for their business by recruiting graduates from overseas.
This session aims to demystify the visa process and showcase the value international graduates can bring to your team whilst addressing skill shortages. You will gain knowledge from data driven insights, visa route clarity, expert guidance, talent pool breakdown and sponsorship made simple.
To register your free place on our upcoming webinar, please click here.
If you have any questions or if you would like to speak to an immigration advisor, please call us on 0208 461 6660 or email info@smithstonewalters.com.
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