Tier 1 (Post-study work)
This section
explains how you can apply to switch
into Tier 1 (Post-study work) of our points-based system, if you are already
here in a student immigration category. See 'More information' below to find
out whether you can switch from your current immigration category.
Before you apply, you should read the Can
you apply? pages and use our points calculator to find out whether
you will score enough points for a successful application.
If you think you are eligible to apply, you can download
the application form
and policy guidance
from the right side of this page. You must read the policy guidance before you
make your application.
You should only complete the sections of the application
form that are relevant to you. The application form contains help text which
explains how to complete each section.
How
to apply
You can apply by post, by courier or in person at one of
our public enquiry offices.
If you are applying by post or courier, you must send
your application to the address on the cover of the application form. Your
application must arrive during normal business hours (08:30 to 16:30, Monday to
Friday, excluding public holidays), or receipt cannot be guaranteed.
If you are making any applications for your family
members ('dependants') to stay in the UK at the same time as your own
application, you should send all the applications together in the same
envelope. We will then consider your dependants' applications at the lower
application fee. If a dependant's application is sent later than or separately
from your application, it will be considered in its own right and will be
subject to the full application fee.
There are special application requirements if you are
currently in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man - see 'More information'
below.
When
should you apply?
You should apply as soon as possible, and before your
current permission to stay expires. We encourage you to apply 1 month before
your permission expires.
The date of your application depends on whether you apply
by post or by courier. For details, see 'More information' below.
To find out how long you will need to wait for a decision
on your application, see the Processing
times page.
Biometric
residence permit
As part of your application, you will need to enrol your
fingerprints and facial image (known as 'biometric information') in order to
obtain a biometric residence permit. The Biometric
information page explains how to do this.
More information
Can you
switch into Tier 1 (Post-study work)?
If you already have permission to stay in
the UK under any of the following categories, you can apply to Tier 1
(Post-study work) from inside the UK:
- student (under the Immigration Rules in force until March 2009)
- student nurse
- student re-sitting an examination
- student writing up a thesis
- student under Tier 4 of the points-based system
- postgraduate doctor or dentist
- Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme (SEGS) *
- International Graduates Scheme (IGS) *
- Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme (FT: WISS) *
If you are in any other immigration
category, you will need to leave the UK and make your Tier 1 (Post-study work)
application from abroad.
If you have recently studied in the UK as
the dependant
of a migrant with permission to stay in the UK, you may be able to apply under
Tier 1 (Post-study work). However, you cannot
switch into this category - you must leave the UK and make
an application from abroad.
* If you are in one of these categories,
you can apply to extend your stay under Tier 1 (Post-study work) if your current
permission to stay was granted for less than 2 years. Your total stay in the
UK cannot be more than 2 years.
What is the date of your application? (Applying by post
or courier from inside the UK)
If you send your application form and
application fee by post, the date of application is the date of posting. This
is decided by the postmark. If the postmark is illegible or missing, the date
of postage is taken as being at least 1 day before it is received by
us.
If you send your application form and
application fee by courier, the date of application is the date when it is
delivered to our payment handling service.
What is the date of your application? (Applying in
person inside the UK)
If you are applying in person at one of our
public enquiry offices, your application date will be the date when you attend
the public enquiry office to make your application and pay your application
fee.
Withdrawing your application
When the payment handling service has received your
application, the application fee is charged. The fee cannot
then be refunded if
you withdraw your application.
Duplicate
applications
If you send more than one application, you will be
charged the application fee for each application.
How to
pay your application fee if you are inside the UK
If you are applying online, you must pay
your fee online as part of your application.
If you are applying by post, by
courier or in person, you can choose how to pay your application fee:
-
By cheque
in sterling on a UK bank account. The application form will tell you who
to make the cheque payable to, you should write your full name and date of
birth on the back, and attach the cheque to the front of the completed
application form.
- With a UK postal order. You should write your
full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the postal order to the
front of the completed application form.
- With a credit or debit card - American
Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro
(including Solo). We can accept any Maestro card if you are applying in a
person at a public enquiry office, but only Maestro cards issued in the UK if
you are applying by post. You must include the card number, the amount paid,
the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates,
the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the
date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards. If you are
applying in person at a public enquiry office, the cardholder must be present
in order for the payment to be taken.
Payment by any other method is not accepted.
You must send the full amount to cover the
total cost of your application. If you do not do this, your application will be
invalid and will not be considered. We will return your application and part
payment to you.
We start considering the application when
the payment has cleared. Payments are cleared:
- after 5 working days for cheques
- after 1 working day for credit or
debit cards
- immediately for postal orders
Please note that, if you are making
numerous payments using your credit card, the anti-fraud measures that banks
operate sometimes stop the payment being taken. This may be because you
have exceeded the maximum limit on a single transaction or the number of
transactions allowed in a given period of time. You must ensure that you
contact your bank in advance, so that the bank will allow the full payment to
be taken without any such problems when you submit your applications.
Payment information on the application form
It is very important that you complete the
payment section of the application form correctly. If this section contains
errors, we will not be able to process your payment. This will mean that your
application is invalid.
Applying from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
The Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey,
Herm, Sark and Alderney) and the Isle of Man have their own immigration laws
and policies. For immigration control, we consider that these islands
are outside the UK.
If you are living in the Channel Islands or
the Isle of Man, and the island authorities have given you permission to enter
or stay there (also known as 'entry clearance' or 'leave to remain'), you cannot apply directly
from the island for permission to enter the UK.
To apply for permission to enter the UK,
you have 2 options:
- you can return to the country where you are
normally resident (your 'home country') and apply from there for a visa to
enter the UK; or
- if your permission to stay on the island is
still current, and if UK immigration law allows you to 'switch' from your
current immigration category on the island into this category, you can travel
to the UK and apply from here. We will treat your current permission to stay as
if it had been given by the UK authorities. You must apply to switch before your current
permission to stay on the island expires.
You may need to apply for a visa before you
come to the UK from the islands. For more information, see section 2 of our Immigration directorate
instructions, Chapter 1.