Experiencing the UK Graduate route: India, PhD

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?

Where do you work?

Thoughts on your visa 

I don’t have full clarity as to whether I will be sponsored. I do feel much better now I have a job. Plus, I do think the Graduate visa has been beneficial since it has allowed the company to put me on probation before giving me the full-time visa. It was a very quick process, albeit a bit costly.

“The Graduate route visa has allowed the company to put me on probation before giving me the full-time visa.”

Support and development 

While at university, I had one-to-one appointment with a careers adviser. I received CV feedback. I had practice interviews and attended assessment centres, and gained access to job vacancy listings.

Employer knowledge and attitudes  

My employers were very knowledgeable and knew about the options. There were several big companies that did advertise that they accepted applications from non-British/Non-EU nationals. However, some smaller companies were unaware of the new Graduate visa.

Since I had more than a year and a half left on my Graduate visa, some were very receptive to the idea that I could prove myself in this time. However, there were also several relevant jobs advertised as being only for people with the permanent unrestricted right to work in the UK. I was not able to apply for these, sadly. 

I found several employers were hesitant to recruit graduates that require a visa. Some jobs would not mention anything about nationality, but, after I submitted my application, would respond that I was not eligible for the role as I am not on a permanent visa. This was frustrating as I put a lot of effort into an application only to have it rejected at the first hurdle.

“I found several employers to be hesitant in recruiting graduates that require a visa.”

What advice would you give to current international students seeking graduate employment in the UK?  

Apply as much as you can. Try going to careers fairs and speaking to recruiters and HR personnel from companies.