Visa Pilot Scheme for International Masters Students Extended

The Home Office has announced plans to extend the scheme which streamlines the visa application process for international Masters students wanting to study a course of 13 months or less in the UK.

The pilot scheme, previously restricted to students wanting to study at Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Imperial College London, now includes an additional 23 universities:

• Cardiff University
• Goldsmiths University of London
• Harper Adams University
• Newcastle University
• Queen’s University Belfast
• The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• University of Bristol
• Durham University
• University of East Anglia
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Essex
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leicester
• University of Liverpool
• University of Manchester
• University of Nottingham
• University of Reading
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Wales Trinity St. David (Swansea Campus)
• University of Warwick
• University of York

The scheme also provides greater support for students who wish to switch to a work visa and take up a graduate role, by allowing them to remain in the UK for 6 months after they have finished their course.

The universities taking part are given responsibility for eligibility checks, meaning that students can submit fewer documents than required in the current process alongside their visa applications.

All students will continue to require Home Office security and identity checks and applicants that do not meet immigration rules will be refused.

The 23 additional universities will be able to apply the pilot to their 2018/19 intake. The universities were selected as their visa refusal rates are consistently the lowest in their area or region.