Post-study work visas

The University of Buckingham is an ideal place for international students to study. With students from over 80 nationalities, our campus is full of opportunity for anyone looking to forge lifelong friendships with people from all over the world.

In an exciting development for international students, the Home Office has announced it is creating a new immigration route which will enable international students to apply for a two year post-study work visa. Full details have not yet been confirmed and therefore the information contained on this page may be subject to change.

Our unique two-year degree and January start options allow international students to take full advantage of the post-study work visa and the chance to start their careers a year earlier than many of their peers. Find the right course for you.

The post-study visa will be available to international students who have completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at any Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, and who have a valid and existing Student visa at the time of application.

The visa allows you to work or look for work in any career for up two years after graduating from university.

The new route is planned to be launched in the first half of 2021. This means that any eligible student who graduates in the summer of 2021 or after will be able to apply for the route. This includes students who have already started their courses.

You can apply for the visa in the months before you graduate at your university. You must graduate from summer 2021 onwards to be eligible for the new post-study work visa.

Most UK universities only offer a September start, but we’re different. We have a wide range of two-year undergraduate degrees that are available for you to start in January.

If you start studying with us in January you will graduate after the summer of 2021, allowing you to be one of the first people to apply for the new visa and putting you ahead in the competitive job market.

If you are looking to study a one-year postgraduate degree then in order to apply for the post-study work visa, you will need to start your degree in September 2020 so you will graduate after the summer of 2021.

International students who began their course in 2020 and who are due to complete in summer 2021 will still be eligible for the Graduate route provided they arrived on or before 21 June. This June deadline also includes international students in their final year on an articulation or transnational education course. For those on one-year masters courses beginning in spring 2021, the existing date of 27 September remains.

Visit the government website to get more information about the post-study work visa.