Switching from a Tier 4 or Student category into Tier 2


Here are some notes from you summarised by DegreeAngel UK Ltd:
- Tier 1 (Post Study) work visa closed to new applicants on 5 April 2012.
- However, new provisions are available under Tier 2 for recent graduates with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, or PhD from a UK recognised or listed body.
- As per the normal Tier 2 requirements, applicants must have a job offer and be paid at least £20,000 (which most graduate roles do) or the minimum appropriate rate set out in the relevant Code of Practice.
- A Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) will not be required and jobs will not be subject to the annual limit on Tier 2 numbers (i.e. CoS will be in the Unrestricted category) - this is an important development in your favour! It means you will not be sidelined for a home graduate!
- Tier 4/student migrants will be able to switch into Tier 2 once they have been awarded their qualification and must switch into Tier 2 before their Tier 4/student visa expires.
- As now, those who wish to switch from Tier 4 to Tier 2 may start work as a student if their Tier 4 leave is still valid and allows them to work but should not be offered a permanent contract until the Tier 2 application is approved.
- Migrants using this route will continue to be able to sponsor dependants. Please note however that dependants of Tier 4/Student migrants who switch to become Tier 2 migrants in their own right will be subject to the annual limit and will require a Restricted CoS to apply for leave.

Summary Of Key Details From The UKBA’s Tier 2 Applicant Guidance
Applicants will be awarded 30 points if they have a Certificate of Sponsorship and are applying to switch into Tier 2 (General) and have current entry clearance, leave to enter or remain in one of the following categories:
 Tier 4 (General);
 Student;
 Student Nurse;
 Student Re-Sitting an Examination;
 Person Writing Up a Thesis;
 Postgraduate Doctor or Dentist;
 An Overseas Qualified Nurse or Midwife; or
 Student Union Sabbatical Officer.

Applicants can only switch into Tier 2 if they meet the following criteria:
- have current leave which has not expired in one of the eligible categories listed above; and
- have successfully completed and passed a UK recognised bachelor or postgraduate degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Diploma of Education or have completed a minimum of 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD during their current period of leave or a period of continuous leave which includes their last grant of leave; and
- studied for the eligible award at a UK institution that is a UK recognised or listed body, or an education provider which holds a licence for sponsoring students under Tier 4 of the Points-Based System; and
- are applying from inside the UK.

Applicants must provide an original degree certificate, academic transcript or an academic reference on official headed paper of the institution must clearly show:
- their name; and
- the course title/award; and
- the course duration; and
- date of course completion unless they are studying a PhD course.

The academic reference must include all the information detailed above.

Which course pays?
Generally you should choose a course based on you career expectations here in UK and in Nigeria. But realistically many of you will want to take the route that maximises your chance of getting the Tier 2 visa after your degree and not having to go back home. So, to increase your chances of getting this work permit I have included this handy list of the top 12 degree subjects for getting a job in the UK from Telegraph:

12. Business & administrative studies - 19,800 of last year's graduates securing work or further study within just six months.

11. Architecture, building and planning - And here's more good news for architecture students - 85.2 per cent had found jobs or further study within six months of graduation.

10. Historical & philosophical studies - A perhaps surprising inclusion in the top 10 is historical and philosophical studies graduates, 85.4 per cent of whom had landed jobs or further studies within six months of finishing their degrees. However, that's down from 90 per cent the previous year - a golden era for historians, seemingly.
They still beat students of subjects which failed to make the list including physics and computer science.

9. Engineering - Experts everywhere have been making robust predictions for the growth of "Stem" jobs (science, technology, engineering and maths) - and so far they don't seem to be wrong. Engineering graduates performed well in the job market last year, with 85.4 per cent landing either a job or further education within six months.

8. Languages - Much as we Brits hate to admit it, the ability to speak another language is a highly sought-after skill in the job market these days – and 86 per cent of 2011/12 language graduates have the jobs to prove it.

7. Mathematical sciences - Mathematicians are clearly in demand – 86.5 per cent had landed jobs or further education positions within 6 months of 2011/12 graduation.

6. Biological sciences - Studying biological sciences isn't all about field trips chasing elephants around the savannahs. Some 87.1 per cent of recent graduates have walked into jobs or more studies, with biotech and other related industries currently booming.

5. Law -If there's one degree choice which has always been seen as a near-guarantee of well-paid employment it has to be law. That appears as true today as ever, with 88.6 per cent of 2011/12's law graduates finding themselves work or study - although it is worth noting that around half of these went into some form of further study.

4. Subjects allied to medicine - This broad category encompasses degrees such as biomedical science and neurology. Across the spectrum an impressive 91.8 per cent of students were able to quickly find work.

3. Veterinary science - Treated as a separate subject from medicine and dentistry by the bods at HESA this year, veterinary science still holds its own in the employment stakes, with 91.9 per cent in either work or study six months after graduation. In fact, purely in terms of employment it ranks second, with 85 per cent of grads finding work immediately in the UK, and another 3 per cent finding employment overseas.

2. Education - we still need teachers – 92.6 per cent of all those leaving university with degrees relating to education picked up work or further study right away. Some 15 per cent were in either part- or full-time study, and just one per cent were working overseas.

1. Medicine & dentistry - A predictable number one, but the margin is still remarkable. A massive 99.4 per cent of all students graduating in medicine or dentistry landed themselves jobs or further study within six months of graduating. 92 per cent went straight into work in the UK.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/10146038/Graduate-jobs-top-12-degree-subjects-for-getting-a-job.html

My personal favourites are medicine, dentisry, education, subjects allied to medicine, biological science and engineering.

I am not as regular on Nairaland as I used to be due to increasing business and family commitments. So if you reply here and don't hear back from me within a few days, please feel free to email me at director@degreeangel.co.uk, I'm always happy to help where possible!

Wishing you all the best, my husband of several years was once in your position before we were engaged, so I understand where you are at right now and believe you deserve the best chance.

Pharmacy is another good, albeit much often overlooked, subject area for those interested in the allied health professions. A hard-working Pharmacist earns more than a GP or a Nurse if we factor in locum pay.

claremont: Pharmacy is another good, albeit much often overlooked, subject area for those interested in the allied health professions. A hard-working Pharmacist earns more than a GP or a Nurse if we factor in locum pay.

True.

Some class this as a subject allied to medicine which include amongst others:
-Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology,
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy,
- Complementary Medicine,
- Nutrition,
- Ophthalmics,
- Aural and Oral Sciences,
- Nursing,
- Medical Technology etc

The Tier 2 route provides leave to remain for three years with the option to extend for a further two years if still employed by a Tier 2 sponsor. This also benefits companies who wish to develop and retain top talent.

UK society and UK based companies have historically welcomed business and entrepreneurial talent into our country (whatever government opinions have been) and it is unlikely that this attitude will change. Indeed, companies have been lobbying strongly that they need to recruit international talent. International workers have contributed to the shape and success of the UK economy for hundreds of years, and have also influenced our language and culture.
Today many of the world’s leading companies, banks and consultancies are headquartered or have major operations in the UK, and they are always looking to recruit top quality business, management and finance talent.

Getting onto a grad scheme from TargetJobs

The majority of training schemes have application deadlines between November and December for programmes starting the following September/October. You need to do your employer research and be ready to apply early during the first term of your final year.

An increasing number of employers have ‘ongoing’ or ‘open’ recruitment processes meaning that, in principle, they take applications year round. Despite this seeming flexibility, you are still advised to apply early. While these recruiters don’t give a hard and fast deadline, they may make offers from the start of the application period and they may close their scheme once they have filled all their vacancies. Some employers do give a specific closing date, but also state that they will close their recruiting process as soon as they have filled their spaces. KPMG is an example of this.

For recruitment success, make sure you’re clued-up on the applications and interview methods used by employers (DegreeAngel UK can assist you with this as well as other online resources). Many large graduate employers use online application systems to sort prospective candidates for their schemes and training opportunities. If your application is successful you may then be invited to an assessment centre or interview. Be prepared for psychometric tests – they can crop up in online applications and at interviews and assessments.

Here are a selection of employers with graduate training schemes and programmes with deadlines this year
Accountancy and financial management graduate schemes and programmes
Suttons Transport Group Limited graduate management programme 23 September
Catlin Group Limited finance and accountancy graduate scheme 1 November
KPMG opportunities for graduates in audit, tax and consultancy 31 December

Banking and investment graduate schemes and programmes
RWE Supply & Trading graduate programme 16 October
Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst graduate programme 31 October
M&G Investments investment graduate scheme 15 November

Consulting graduate schemes and programmes
The Boston Consulting Group associates/junior consultants training programme 3 November
LEK Consulting LLP associate training programme 10 November
Oliver Wyman entry level consultant graduate scheme 10 November
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants junior consultants training scheme 15 November

Engineering graduate schemes and programmes
Dialog Semiconductor Ltd graduate development programme 17 September
Ford Motor Company Ltd Powertrain product development graduate scheme 19 September

Financial services graduate schemes and programmes
Lane Clark and Peacock trainee actuary graduate programme 15 November

Marketing graduate schemes and programmes
WPP Fellowship graduate programme 7 November

Quantity surveying and building surveying schemes and programmes
Bouygues UK Ltd graduate development programme 12 September

This list is by no means exhaustive and you can apply for roles with any sponsor as listed on the UKBA register here:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/pbsregisterofsponsors

If they are not on the list but a company you would like to apply for consider applying anyway and including information on how easy it is to become a UKBA work permit sponsor for Tier 4 graduates as opposed to any other category. You can use the information gathered from this thread or contact DegreeAngel for such assistance.

Summary of HighFliers Report on the Graduate Recruitment Market
• Despite optimistic initial targets for the 2011-2012 recruitment season, the UK’s leading employers recruited fewer graduates than expected in 2012 – entry-level vacancies decreased by 0.8% compared with recruitment in 2011. Employers had increased their graduate recruitment by 2.8% in 2011 and 12.6% in 2010, following sharp falls of 17.8% in 2009 and 6.7% in 2008.
• The biggest cuts in graduate vacancies in 2012 were at the accounting & professional services firms and the investment banks – employers in these sectors reduced their graduate intake by more than 1,200 places, compared with their original recruitment targets.
• The outlook for the current recruitment season has improved and employers are expecting to increase their graduate recruitment by 2.7% in 2013.
• Almost half of employers expect to recruit additional graduates in 2013 and a further third plan to maintain their intake at 2012 levels – employers in eleven out of thirteen key industries and employment areas are expecting to take on more new
graduates than in 2012.
• The biggest growth in vacancies is expected at public sector employers, retailers and engineering & industrial companies which together intend to recruit almost 400 extra graduates in 2013 – graduate recruitment has increased significantly in all three sectors over the last three years.
• Whilst the total number of graduate vacancies is set to increase in 2013, recruiters have confirmed that over a third of this year’s entry-level positions are expected to be filled by graduates who have already worked for their organisations – either through internships, industrial placements or vacation work – and therefore are not open to other students from the ‘Class of 2013’.
• The largest recruiters of graduates in 2013 will be Teach First (1260 vacancies),
Delottie (1,200 vacancies) and PwC (1,200 vacancies).
• Benchmarking graduate vacancies in 2013 with those available six years ago shows that recruitment is still well below pre-recession levels – across all the organisations featured within the research, the number of vacancies on offer this year remains more than 10% lower than in 2007.
• Just three sectors have increased their vacancies significantly since the start of the recession – graduate recruitment at the leading public sector organisations,IT & telecommunications firms and at high-street retailers has increased by
more than 50% since 2007.

Universities Targeted by the Largest Number of Top Employers in 2012-2013
Warwick
Nottingham
Manchester
Cambridge
Bristol
Durham
Oxford
Birmingham
Bath
Leeds
Sheffield
London Imperial College
Loughborough
Edinburgh
London School of Economics
University College London
Southampton
Newcastle
Strathclyde
Exeter
York
London King’s College
Liverpool
Cardiff
Aston

Why is Lancaster University not on the list? Ahhh, after paying that much money to study there. Is it not a good University? Advice needed ooooo.

azpunpin: Why is Lancaster University not on the list? Ahhh, after paying that much money to study there. Is it not a good University? Advice needed ooooo.

Hi azpunpin, this is just a list of universities most actively targeted by employers. It has no bearing on your ability to secure a good role, this depends on previous work experience, your course of study, grades and ability to impress during the application stage.

This list was compiled for the sake of those who have not yet chosen their university. For those applying for university places, if you want a university whose graduates are sought after, another option is to look at the Russell Group universities, or institutions that are consistently in the top 20 of most league tables (Guardian, Times, etc). azpunpin , Lancaster is consistently in the top 10. Some employers will actively state in adverts they only accept applicants from Russell group or top 20 universities especially investment banking and related sectors who generally have high starting salaries, so your funds were likely a good investment.

Forbes at a point ranked the MBA program 7th in the world and 3rd in the UK in its rankings of non-US 1-year MBA programs. Equally, the Financial Times had the course ranked 3rd in the world for value for money. Accounting and Finance at undergrad is currently ranked 2nd in the country by the Times. Essentially the management school has an exceedingly good reputation. The physics department also receives similar sorts of praise. Because of the strength of the management school, businesses will take a high level of interest in employing graduates there. Equally, the strength of the research means that outside academic institutions will be very interested in recruitment from the university. I have heard reports of students there being hired for summer internships at the US Library of Congress, due in large part to the reputation of the University both here in the UK and overseas.

Hope this answers your question.

ell77:
There are many Nigerians who successfully stayed in UK when PSW was still in place and even more before this. Personally, though I have not seen anyone stay back since the new UKBA changes. But maybe its too new to tell. Or perhaps we should create a thread inviting people to share their stories?

Anybody with Good news on changing to a Tier 2 work visa

Hello ella,

A Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) will not be required and jobs will not be subject to the annual limit on Tier 2 numbers (i.e. CoS will be in the Unrestricted category) - this is an important development in your favour! It means you will not be sidelined for a home graduate! smiley

Could you provide the link for this on ukba or ukcisa website? my university's website says the same thing but it doesn't provide the links, some of my classmates need this to prove to some employers oh. I checked the policy guidance and it still refers to the restriction limit.

salsera: Hello ella,

A Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) will not be required and jobs will not be subject to the annual limit on Tier 2 numbers (i.e. CoS will be in the Unrestricted category) - this is an important development in your favour! It means you will not be sidelined for a home graduate! smiley

Could you provide the link for this on ukba or ukcisa website? my university's website says the same thing but it doesn't provide the links, some of my classmates need this to prove to some employers oh. I checked the policy guidance and it still refers to the restriction limit.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/points/sponsoringmigrants/employingmigrants/residentlabourmarkettest/

Do I need to complete a resident labour market test?
You must complete a resident labour market test before sponsoring a migrant under the Tier 2 (General) category, unless you qualify for one of the exemptions below.

Shortage occupation list

You do not need to complete a resident labour market test if the migrant will be doing a job which is on the shortage occupation list.

Existing employees and switching immigration categories

You do not need to complete a resident labour market test if the migrant currently has permission to stay in the UK under:

Tier 1 (Post-study work);
the International Graduates Scheme;
the Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme;
the Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme;
Tier 4 as a student and they have received final results confirming that they have passed and will be (or have been) awarded a UK recognised bachelor's or master's degree;
a UK Postgraduate Certificate in Education, or
they have completed a minimum of 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD.

You also do not need to complete a resident labour market test if:

the annual salary package for the job is £152,100 or above; or
the migrant has been issued a scientific research award or fellowship by an external organisation; and
that award is not transferrable and the role would not be filled by anyone else if the migrant withdrew from the project; or
the award or fellowship has ended but you are continuing to sponsor the migrant so that they can continue to undertake the same research