U.K. offers two-year work permit for students

Applicable only in Scotland till last year, it is valid now across the U.K.

Enhanced educational opportunities and transparent visa procedures on one side, education in the United Kingdom has an added advantage now — a two-year work permit on completion of degree, a scheme which till last year was applicable only in Scotland.

This, in fact, has become one of the factors for increase in the number of students seeking admission to educational institutions in the U.K. The two-year work permit programme, called International Graduate Scheme, allows students to apply for an extension in the U.K. after completing their degree, said L. Dhanasekaran, Head of Education U.K., South India, British Council division.

Minimum balance

“The two-year work permit was available in Scotland till last year. It has been made uniform across the U.K. now. Students who complete their undergraduate course, postgraduate diploma or degree and researches can apply for extension in the U.K. after showing a balance of £800 in their account as this is essential for maintenance until they get placement. Once they apply for extension, they will be switched from student visa to work permit visa,” he said.

Mr. Dhanasekaran, along with a team from Education U.K., was on a three-day visit to several educational institutions in Puducherry and also conducted a public seminar for students on ‘Study Opportunities in the U.K. and IELTS’ last week.

Courses

Among the undergraduate programmes in the U.K., the most sought-after courses among Indian students were applied sciences, especially biotechnology, bioinformatics and microbiology, as only a few colleges in India offer these specialised courses at the undergraduate level, he said.
“Many students are going in for business administration, finance and accounts and sports science too,” he added.

As regards postgraduate courses, the in-demand courses are computer science followed by information technology, biotechnology and other areas of applied sciences.

The U.K. has more than 113 universities and 600 colleges offering undergraduate and higher level programmes. Currently, more than 27,000 Indian students are studying there.

Admission

Students in the final year of school should apply before June 30, 2009. The applications are available from September 15. At the undergraduate level, students should go through a central agency — UCAS — and can apply to a maximum of five universities at a time, Mr. Dhanasekaran said.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the world’s most recognised English language competency certifications. “The advantage of IELTS is that it tests all skills — reading, writing, speaking and listening. The students can take the test proactively as it enables to assess them and identify areas in which they need to improve. It gives them an opportunity to get free coaching in English at the universities,” he said. Apart from U.K., the score obtained in IELTS is accepted in Australia, the U.S. and Singapore. In fact, there has been an approximate 36 per cent increase in IELTS candidates over the last year in south India in the first half of this year.

Visa procedure

He said the visa procedure is quite transparent and there are a number of measures to help students get visas based on the papers submitted. “Very few students are called for an interview. The British Council and British Deputy High Commission have been conducting student visa seminars right from June to September. We had a series of seminars at Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram,” he added.

More specifically, they have brought in strict rules in case students produce forged documents. “The students who submit forged documents will be banned for 10 years from applying in the U.K. As a result of this, the visa rejection rate has come down,” Mr. Dhanasekaran pointed out.

In fact, the number of students seeking overseas education in the U.K. from south India has increased. Last year, there was an increase of 38 per cent and this September, a 50 per cent increase in number of visas is anticipated. Availability of educational loans has increased the number of students from middle-income families opting for overseas education.

Scholarship

He said there was a general misconception that U.K. does not offer scholarships. “On the contrary, there are a few scholarships including full scholarships. Universities give partial grants to students who get good scores wherein a part of the tuition fee is waived at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. At the undergraduate level, scholarships from £1,000 to 3,000 or 4,000 are given for the first year. If the student studies well, it is continued for the second and third year as well,” he said. For postgraduate students, partial grants from £500 to 2,000 pounds are available.

For information on education opportunities in the U.K. and expert advice, visit the website www.educationuk-in.org.

Biotech seminar

If students are interested in participating in a biotechnology seminar organised by the British Council in partnership with Anna University on October 17 and 18, they should register with the Anna University by visiting its website. The forms can be downloaded and sent through the colleges. The seminar will deal with health biotechnology, bioprocessing, plant biology, biofuel, stem cells, genetics and pharmaceuticals, he said.

For information on education opportunities in the U.K. and expert advice, visit the website www.educationuk-in.org