PostStudyWorkVisaNow is calling on the UK Government and the Prime Minister to bring back Post Study Work Visa to enable international graduates to stay in the UK to find work and kick start their career for two years rather than treating them as cash cows only.

Please stand with us in solidarity by signing and sharing this petition that demands for Post-study work visa .

Here is why:

According to the UK Council for International Student Affairs there are 442,375 international students in the UK. As it stands international students pay staggering amounts of money in tuition fees, visa costs, and NHS bills, while their contribution to the UK economy strongly outweighs their costs.

London Economics estimated that the total net economic contribution of international students starting in 2015/16 was £20.3 billion. Never mind the cultural diversity, global outlook, internationally relevant skills and soft power they bring to the UK.

Yet, most of these students are being forced to go home, unable to find a job, despite having built their lives in their cities of study, and despite making the UK richer culturally, socially, intellectually and financially stronger.

This lack of opportunity makes International students feel unwelcome, making the UK it a less attractive study destination. 19% of non-EU students would not recommend the UK as a place to study for a friend or relative (this is as high as 34, 36 and 38% for students from India, Nigeria, and Pakistan respectively).

The post study work visa scheme was an idea initially born and championed in Scotland, under the name Fresh Talent Scheme from 2005-2008. It was soon integrated into a UK wide system, becoming the post-study work visa as we know it.

The number of non-EU international students finding employment after graduation has fallen by 7.5 times after the UK scrapped Post Study work Visas in 2012. Post Study work Visa  has continuously been recommended and demanded by Scottish representatives.

Despite Scotland’s continuous efforts to support a post-study work visa, we are left with hostile environment policies and net-migration targets from the immigration office and ministers in Westminster!

We urge you to support our international students and sign Post Study Work Visa Now’s petition and unite across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to bring a strong campaign to Westminster.

PostStudyWorkVisaNow demands:

1.  Government to reintroduce a post-study work visa that allows graduates to work in the UK for at least 2 years after graduation.      A lower, regional salary threshold.
2. No restrictions - a post-study work visa should be offered to anyone who graduates from a FE or HE programme that lasts for 11 + months.
3. Healthy ecosystem – the government must support FE and HE institutions in offering opportunities to enhance employability, build capacity and engage with the job market while in education.
4. FE & HE institutions to include employability and local as well as overseas job opportunities in their internationalization strategy.
5. Students to be removed from the net migration target

• Your next steps:

• Sign this petition and share them. Let us know if you want us to include your organisation in our petition .   

• Contact your MP and MSP. Get post study work visas on their agenda (elections) and get them to sign this petition.
•  Get your institution, workplace,  Friends & Family to sign, share and support this petition. Encourage everyone to join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & through signing the petition.

Thanks & Solidarity
Manish Khatri 
Titi Farukuoye 
Elena Semple 
Franklin Jacob                                                                                                                

On behalf of the Post Study Work Visa Now Campaign.
Follow us on: Twitter: @poststudyvisa / Facebook: @Poststudyworkvisanow                                                                                    or contact us via email poststudyworkvisanow@gmail.com