If you’ve just finished studying in the UK, you may not need to return to your home country immediately. You can keep travelling abroad by using the Graduate Trainee visa. Read on to learn how the visa functions.
For help with your Graduate Trainee visa application, get help from the expert legal team at Immigration Advice Service. Call us or visit our website today.
Understanding the Graduate Trainee Visa
If you’ve already been offered a role within a structured graduate training programme, which is a pathway to a specialist or senior management role, you could be able to get a Graduate Trainee visa. It allows you to work in the UK for the British branch of your company with a standard validity period of 12 months.
The Graduate Trainee visa is a subcategory of the Global Business Mobility visa. This visa category is designed for intra-company transfers to the UK.
The visa will allow you to enjoy almost everything that life in the UK has to offer. You will be able to work, study, volunteer, and travel freely to and from the UK. That makes the visa a perfect opportunity to use generous British annual leave legislation to explore Europe. If you have dependent children or a partner, they may be allowed to join you in the country.
There are some limitations to what you will be allowed to do while you are in the UK. For example, you will not be able to take a second job. If you want to change jobs, they will need to sponsor you for a different work visa. Finally, the visa cannot contribute towards a future indefinite leave to remain or citizenship application
Getting your graduate glow-up doesn’t come cheap. The standard application fee is £340, and you’ll also need to pay an annual £1,035 Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS), which allows you to access NHS healthcare. It is also essential to show that you will be able to support yourself in the UK without needing state support. Show this by having at least £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 consecutive days. The final day must land within a month of your application.
The Points-Based System
Before you apply for this visa, you must ensure you meet the eligibility criteria. Applications for the Graduate Trainee visa are governed by a points-based system. Only individuals earning 60 points can apply, and you can earn 20 points for each of these three categories.
Firstly, earn 20 points by having a valid certificate of sponsorship. Your employer will need to issue this document to you, requiring their UK branch to have a valid sponsorship licence.
A further 20 points are available if your job is considered level 6 (graduate) or higher on the Regulated Qualifications Framework in England and Northern Ireland, or the equivalent in Wales or Scotland. You will need to have been working in this job for at least three months before the date that you apply.
The final 20 points are earned by the job paying a minimum salary of £25,410. You may also earn 70% of the ‘going rate’ for your role, although the higher of the two values is taken into account.
In addition to the points-based system, you will also need to meet a range of eligibility criteria depending on your circumstances. For example, you will need to provide evidence of your relationship with any dependents that you are bringing with you. You’ll also need to show a clear tuberculosis test if you are coming from a high-risk country.
Completing Your Graduate Trainee Visa Application
You can access your ultimate student glow-up through a successful Graduate Trainee visa application, which includes the steps detailed below. Begin the process up to three months before you are scheduled to enter the UK:
- Confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria and have earned enough points to apply.
- Gather your documentation, which serves as evidence of your suitability for the visa.
- Download and complete the application form. You can find it on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.
- Upload the application form and your documents to the UKVI website.
- Submit your application and pay the application fee.
- Prove your identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app or with an appointment at your nearest visa application centre. Your biometric photograph and fingerprint will be taken.
- Attend a visa interview if requested.
- Await visa processing. This will usually take three weeks, but you may be able to pay extra for priority processing.
If your application was successful, you’ll receive a sticker in your passport, known as a vignette, or be told how to view your immigration status online. In both cases, the date of issuance, validity dates, and conditions of the Graduate Trainee visa will be clearly displayed. Meanwhile, if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria or have made mistakes in your application, your visa application will be refused. You may need to resubmit your application or launch an appeal.
How Can Immigration Advice Service Help Your Ultimate Student Glow-Up?
Graduating from university is a scary moment in anybody’s life. You are suddenly cast out to fend for yourself in the real world. However, you can turn this struggle into a glow-up with the Graduate Trainee visa, the perfect way to combine an adventure in the UK with the start of your career.
All UK visas have a challenging application process, but you can improve your chances of success with help from Immigration Advice Service. Our lawyers can guide you through the entire application process and ensure that all of your documentation is in order. We can also help your employer to obtain a Sponsor Licence and to assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Get started with Immigration Advice today by calling us at [tel]. We also offer services for many UK work visas beyond the Graduate Trainee visa. Visit us online to learn more.
