July 21, 2022

United Kingdom’s Home Office Conducts Early Evaluation of The Graduate Route

T The Home Office of the United Kingdom conducted a snapshot insight survey to better understand graduates' decision-making and reasons for migrating to the UK. Sources said that IFF Research, an external contractor, was hired to do the evaluation. They conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 50 graduate route permission holders to gain a better understanding of their experiences with the new visa application process and their post-graduation career goals.

During the study, researchers discovered that the flexibility of the Graduate Route was the most influential feature for deciding whether to stay in the UK or not. The evaluation results also proved that respondents were using the route to work in the UK, with all either employed, self-employed, or looking for work, with the majority now working in professional level jobs and earning between £20,000 and £30,000 per year.

…the digital application was not clear on alternative options if the process did not work or if the mobile device used was not compatible with the system…

A surprising finding was that over half of the students polled said the graduate route had no influence on their initial decision to apply to study in the UK, and only 20% said it had a "significant" influence.

The pattern was consistent among undergraduate and postgraduate respondents, with one candidate simply explaining, "I wanted to study here in the UK [regardless]." It is the best country in which to study. The standard of living is satisfactory here. " The survey found that for many students, permanent residency is clearly a long-term goal for many students, with 84% intending to switch to the skilled worker visa route to extend their employment in the UK once the graduate route expires.

When it came to information, some 56% of respondents said it was simple to find information about the graduate programme, 30% said it was difficult, and many thought the application fee and health surcharge were disproportionate and unfair. Some candidates experienced technical difficulties while using the digital app, with one responding that "the digital application was not clear on alternative options if the process did not work or if the mobile device used was not compatible with the system."

The survey comes as the Higher Education Statistics Agency has been reprimanded for failing to track international graduate career outcomes as part of the UK's international education strategy.

Posted in News and tagged News, UK, IFF Research, Graduate Route, Higher Education Statistics Agency, International Education
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