What Can I Do After Finishing PSW?

PSW elaborately which is called post-study work visa. It is also known as the graduate route visa. This type of visa is only for the students who have a UK degree or other relevant qualification from an approved UK higher education provider. A post-study work visa gives you the permission to stay in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing a course from a British university. But if you are a PhD graduate you can apply for a graduate route visa for up upto three years. 

International students who have started their study in 2020 or later, will be eligible to apply for a graduate route visa. But there are also many students who have already applied for a Post-study work visa or their visa is about to expire. And nowadays the most searched question in google is “ what can I do after finishing PSW?” or “what comes after a graduate route visa?” 

In this article we will discuss what an international student can do after the PSW expires. So, if you are already under this type of visa, hopefully this article will help you a lot.

What to do after expiring the PSW in UK?

The post-study work visa for the UK allows a graduate to work and stay at least upto two years and look for work. But once the PSW in UK expires, the students who want to stay longer in the United Kingdom need to apply for a skilled worker visa or general worker visa or any other relevant visa.  However, to get a skilled worker visa, the candidate must earn at least £25,600 annually or £10.10 per hour (whichever is higher). In order to apply for a general worker visa, you must have a confirmed job offer.

Can I switch from a graduate route visa to a UK student visa?

Yes, you can apply under PSW once but you can switch back to the student route if you want to pursue another degree in the UK. Which means if your graduate route visa expires and you can’t switch your visa to a general worker visa, but if you still want to stay longer in the UK, you can pursue another degree. For example, you can apply for a master’s if your previous degree is undergraduate level or you can apply for a second master’s by switching your graduate route visa into student visa again. 

Can I apply for the graduate route visa outside the UK?

According to the UK immigration rule, to apply for a graduate route visa you must be in the UK and you must have an undergraduate, post graduation or other relevant degree for a minimum period of time. Those who apply for a PSW outside of the UK will be rejected or refused entry in the UK and could lose their eligibility to apply for the graduate route as a whole.

Can I study with a post-study work visa?

Yes, you can study with your PSW only if your chosen course is not eligible for a student visa. But if your chosen course is eligible for a UK student visa, you can extend your visa instead. You may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if your selected course is related to research or a sensitive topic. 

Can I extend my PSW in the UK?

No, you can’t extend your post-study work visa (PSW). You will get 2 years of work and residence permit with your graduate route visa. But if you’ve a doctoral degree you’ll get 1 more year with your graduate route visa. You can’t extend this time limit but if your PSW expires you can switch it to another relevant visa like a skilled worker visa or a student visa again. 

Can I Switch from a post-study work visa to a spouse visa?

In general, Post-study work visas can be transferred to a general worker visa or a student visa but you can apply for a spouse visa (5 years route) if you marry a UK Citizen and you meet all the requirements for switching into a spouse visa. 

Can I apply for PR after the PSW expires?

No. You can’t apply for PR after the PSW expires. Legally you can apply for PR in the UK after 10 years of continuous residency. But you can apply after 5 years of residency if you are under a skilled worker visa, health and care, innovator, startup or global talent visa. 

Does PSW count for PR in the UK?

No, under the current immigration rule the graduate route visa does not count towards indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under 5 years work route. However, the two years should be counted under the 10 years continuous residency route.

Final Words

The United Kingdom is the top-chosen study destination for international students. Every year a huge number of students visit the UK for education purposes and apply for the Post-study work visa after completing their education. So, in this article we tried to cover what a student can do after finishing the PSW or Graduate route visa. But if you still have any confusion regarding this topic you can always contact AIMS Education.

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