The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), a member of UKCISA’s International Student Employability Group (ISEG), has captured the experiences of international graduates seeking employment in the UK after graduation in a series of case studies.
Who are you?
|
Name
|
Anonymous
|
|
Nationality / country of origin
|
Columbia
|
|
Current visa
|
Graduate route
|
|
Are your expectations of your Graduate Route visa being met?
|
Agree
|
|
University, level of study and programme of study
|
University in north-east England
Higher degree, mainly by research (eg. PhD, DPhil, MPhil, MRes)
Engineering
|
|
How many roles have you applied for since leaving university?
|
1-10
|
|
Current activity
|
Employed – full time (temporary contract)
|
Where do you work?
|
Job title
|
Research Associate
|
|
Employer / organisation
|
University
|
|
Region of your contracted place of work
|
North-east England
|
|
Briefly describe your role and your main responsibilities
|
Research in environmental engineering within microbiology of waste water treatment plants
|
|
Time between the end of your course and start date for your current role
|
3-6 months
|
|
How did you find your current job?
|
Through a contact (eg. Tutor, friend, previous employer)
|
Thoughts on your visa
It was not easy to get a job straight away, because it takes time for a visa to be issued, and universities will not hire you if you do not have the residence permit issued on the Graduate visa. I feel very lucky for having the opportunity to apply for a Graduate visa. The application process was easy, but I do find the costs of the NHS per year unfair, especially because we are already paying taxes through our jobs, including National Insurance. So, I feel we are paying taxes twice.
“I had a problem with the expiry date of my visa. It is very frustrating that the applicant is not allowed to leave the country during the application process.”
I also had a problem with the expiry date of my Graduate visa as it expired in two years even though I was entitled to a three-year visa, because I finished a PhD and not a master’s. So I had to apply for an admin review and finally got the correct date. It is very frustrating that an applicant is not allowed to leave the country during the application process and, in my case, I then had to send back my biometric residence permit (BRP) to get the correct expiration date. These dates can be during the Christmas break, so it is very sad not being allowed to travel back home.
I also found that, although the immigration office states that applicants are entitled to work while waiting for their BRP, companies are not willing to interview those without a valid right to work code or BRP.
Support and development
I had one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser. I had practice interviews and attended assessment centres. I also attended skills enhancement sessions.
Since leaving university, I have completed a programming course on data science while looking for a job. I also paid for a service to enhance my CV so that it didn’t look so academic, as I have an interest in working for industry.
Employer knowledge and attitudes
So far in my experience, employers are not knowledgeable about the Graduate route. I think once they know you have a visa then they are willing to recruit.
What advice would you give to current international students seeking graduate employment in the UK?
“Think about getting a driving licence.”
They should think about getting a driving licence, as many jobs require one.
