Graduate jobs in the UK: international students

Realistically, only a small number of graduates are able to switch into a Skilled worker visa after their studies.

The Graduate visa has made it possible for more students to stay in the UK for post-study work for two years: in 2023 Graduate route: permission to stay was granted to 114,409 graduates (UKCISA). Applications for the Graduate route visa are likely to be successful, but there is an upfront cost.

Do you have valuable skills, experience and knowledge that make you competitive in the UK job market? Read on to find out what you can do to give yourself the best chance of success.

British Council Study UK blog: Building your career in the UK

UK employers are interested in your skills and experience as well as your academic qualifications. You have already taken the big step of coming to another country to study, so make the most of your time here, step out of your comfort zone and get involved in activities and experiences that will help you develop your skills further. 

Look at job ads and requirements to see what skills are needed. If you need to gain new skills or enhance existing skills, try to use your time here to do this before applying for jobs.

Develop your skills and strengths

UK employers are interested in extra-curricular experience as well as your degree, so look beyond your course. Completing our development programmes, joining societies or volunteering are great ways to broaden your skills, get to know people, experience a different culture, and will give you opportunities to practise your spoken English. 

• Make the most of all the University of York has to offer you:
  • our development programmes - York Strengths, York Award and York Leaders - will help you to understand yourself better, identify your personal strengths, reflect on your experiences, and stand out in future job applications.
• Get involved in sports and university societies, or activities in your college
• Take part in volunteering - there's a range of projects, so find one that appeals to you. 
• Find an online course to help you develop your employability skills, for example with FutureLearn (free short online courses on a range of topics from universities around the world, including York).

Find work experience

• Work experience at home or in the UK is very valuable. You could consider part-time work, a summer internship, or possibly a placement year.
  • Check your visa restrictions before you take a job or if you would like to switch into a placement year programme.

English language skills

A high standard of English is essential if you want to get a job in the UK. Using these resources will help you to become more confident:

• The BBC has a series of short podcasts (around 6 minutes long) to help you learn English for work 

The British Council offers online courses:

• English for the workplace (free access for six weeks from registration) covers English for job hunting, interviews and starting a job
• Study UK: Preparing for work
• Business English

You can also read news sites and business stories in English - and watch Netflix in English too!

• Use the Writing Centre, which offers guidance and workshops on academic writing.

Make sure you understand what UK employers are looking for - keep up with business news, read job descriptions and company websites carefully to check your meet their requirements. Do not waste time on lots of applications where you are not clear that the job is suitable for you; instead spend your time on a few good quality, targeted applications.

• Use the University of York careers website as a starting point to research and plan for your career, and come and talk to us to discuss your plans and questions. If you're a Masters student, see also our page for taught postgraduates for advice on applying and timescales.
• GoinGlobal country guide for the UK has job search resources, industry trends, and tips for applying for work in the UK (UoY log-in needed for access).
• Make a LinkedIn profile, and start making connections (Prospects guide)
• Tell the employer about your international experience in a relevant way; you could mention cross-cultural communication, flexibility in adapting to a different culture, confidence to work in global business, knowledge and understanding of your home culture - and don't forget your language skills.
• Apply only to companies you really want to work for - not just because they are a visa sponsor. The recruitment process will test whether you are genuinely motivated to work for them.
• Applying for jobs has advice on CVs, applications and the UK recruitment process, including how you can get feedback and practice.

After you have completed your degree, you are likely to have four months left on your visa before it expires. You can use this time to work (eg on a temporary project) and to look for a longer term job.

Visa restrictions

Make sure you let prospective employers know you don't need a new visa to work during this period: you can include this information on your application/cover letter.

Remember that during this time the work regulations for Student visa holders still apply to the type of work you can do, so you cannot accept a permanent job at this time.

When to start

• Graduate jobs explains the difference between graduate schemes (structured graduate training programmes with larger organisations, early application deadlines) and direct entry graduate jobs (variable deadlines).
  • These timescales and deadlines are especially important for Masters students 
  • See also the TARGETjobs Guide to job hunting for international students.

Where to look

• Some graduate employers advertise on Handshake. Others rely on their own websites and other jobs boards. See the graduate jobs page and our job hunting toolkit for more details.
• Student Circus is a jobs board for international students and graduates. Employers advertising on Student Circus are positive about recruiting international candidates and offer visa sponsorship. Sign up using your York email and create a new password (do not use your University password).
• Visa Sponsor Jobs (based in Australia but advertising UK jobs) indicates which jobs advertised are eligible for visa sponsorship
• Careers events and fairs are a good way to meet employers and learn more about their company culture and what they are looking for in their recruits.
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) recruit a large number of graduates each year and can be a good option for international students. KTP Associates manage a project in collalboration with a business and a university: KTP jobs are available in a wide range of sectors and types of business.
• For more specific vacancy sites see individual job sector pages and the Science careers page.

What to find out

• Research industry news and the companies you are interested in. Keep up with current affairs and labour market information (LMI) that could affect your job search.
• Use LinkedIn, alumni networks and York profiles and mentors to find previous international students who have found jobs in the UK; see where they are working and consider contacting them for advice.
• Make sure you understand the timescales for applications, and the terminology used in job ads. The Job hunting toolkit will help you with this.
• The government's Skilled Worker visa: immigration salary list can give you an indication of jobs where you are more likely to be successful. Check if the job is at the right skill and salary level, by using the eligible occupation codes. If it's not, it won't be possible to get sponsorship. 

Presentation slides and resources

• Understanding the UK job market (March 2024)
  • Understanding the UK labour market: useful resources and links
• Applying for jobs in the UK (April 2024)
  • Applying for jobs in the UK: useful resources and links
• Student Circus: Navigating the UK job market (PDF , 2,777kb) (June 2023)

• At the start of your job hunting, make an application for a National Insurance Number which your employer will expect you to have in place either when you start work or shortly afterwards.
  • See your rights at work for instructions on how to do this.
• Your NI number is a unique personal reference number for your tax/employment affairs - everyone working in the UK needs to have one, issued free of charge.
• It can take several weeks to get your National Insurance Numbers but you should be able to start work while you are waiting for it to arrive.

Some job vacancies state that you must have a work permit or permission to work in the UK. You may want to check with the employer exactly what they mean.

• Employers are legally required to check that their employees have the right to work in the UK; some jobs have nationality requirements (eg national security, civil service).
• Some employers do not realise that you cannot change your visa status from a student visa until after successful completion of your course. Y
• Employers should not use this type of wording to stop international students from applying for positions for which they meet the specified job criteria.
• If you are completing an online application form and are unable to proceed, contact the company for advice. 
• If you are planning to apply for a Graduate visa, you could mention to the employer that you should be able to obtain the right to work without any cost or bureaucracy for the employer.
• The information for employers in Recruiting International Graduates 2024 (PDF , 1,291kb) can be useful to help you understand some key issues.
• We provide information for employers on our website on Recruiting international talent. You can provide this link to employers to help them understand the rules too.

Careers and Placements staff are not immigration advisers and are not permitted to give individual immigration advice, but we might be able to answer your initial queries about this issue. If you have any questions please talk to us. 

Employers may ask you to include how many UCAS points you have on your application.

• UCAS points are awarded to some post-16 UK qualifications, which are used for entry to UK Higher Education. Universities can require a specified number of UCAS points for a place on a course.
• If you are unable to complete an online application when it asks for UCAS points the best thing to do is contact the company's graduate recruitment team and ask for their advice. 
• If it is possible in the notes part of the application, list your qualifications as obtained with the percentage mark achieved. Add comments to indicate level of qualification, for example "equivalent to UK A level Grade A" or "equivalent to UK honours degree". The University of York's study pages for international students (country-specific information) may also help with this.

Check out the information provided by:

• Our Immigration Advice Service
• UKCISA
• UK Visas and Immigration

You can also talk to us in Careers and Placements. We cannot give you specific individual immigration advice, but we may be able to answer your initial questions, provide general information and signpost you to sources of help.

If you need specialist immigration advice you can contact a solicitor through the Immigration Law Practitioners Association.

The Graduate route visa introduced in 2021 should make it easier to stay and work in the UK when you have finished your degree.

However, it may be challenging to find a longer term graduate job with Skilled worker visa sponsorship and you may need to consider working in another country or returning home to look for work.

Start exploring the possibilities as early as you can, research the job market and plan to make the best use of your UK experience. See the section on Working in your home country for more help, as well as our pages on international work and GoinGlobal.