Study abroad: Most employers in the UK don’t even know about the Graduate Route visa

The HEPI conducted a survey for 656 members from the Institute of Directors, which is an organisation for entrepreneurs and senior business leaders. The survey found that more than 27% of them aren’t even familiar with the Graduate Route visa scheme. 

Half of them said that they know about the Graduate Route visa but haven’t used it. Only 3% of them said that they have used the Graduate Route visa scheme. 

This fact is true even in times when the UK is facing a labour shortage. The HEPI’s director, Nick Hillman stated that the shortage of widespread kills in the UK is visible in both the public and private sectors. This shortage can only be filled by international students who have study abroad plans from UK universities. 

He also said that he was shocked after seeing the lesser number of employers who know about the Graduate Route visa, which would help them recruit more talented employees. 

Between 2021 and 2022, more than 83,000 Graduate Route visas were approved by the UK government, which is aligned with the expectations of the government. 

The managing director of Kaplan International Pathway also said that tax benefits and extensive financial benefits are provided to the international students so that they can pursue higher education from reputed universities in the UK. 

Unlike the other types of employment-related visa options, the Graduate Route visa scheme is free to employers. This means that there will be no bureaucracy. International graduates can also stay in the UK and work for two or three years before coming to any long-term commitment. 

However, the success of this great initiative might be hindered by the lack of awareness from the different employers. When the employers were asked about their lack of awareness of this visa scheme, they simply stated that it wasn’t effective as per their needs. 

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