Applying for PSW using exceptional assurance

Hi everyone! I graduated in December 2020 and my student visa expired in March 2021. I obtained exceptional assurance to stay in the UK until 8 July 2021 as there is no direct flight back to my home country. I would like to enquire if I can apply for PSW as it is stated in the email from the Home Office althogh exceptional assurance is not an extension of my visa, but the condition of my previous grant of leave (Tier 4 student visa) will continue until the expiry of my exceptional assurance. Thank you.

It depends whether your university will be notifying the UKVI of your successful completion. My understanding is that universities will only be doing this for 2021 graduates, but you will need to ask them direct.

sah10406 wrote: ↑

Mon May 10, 2021 5:58 pm

It depends whether your university will be notifying the UKVI of your successful completion. My understanding is that universities will only be doing this for 2021 graduates, but you will need to ask them direct.

Thank you for your reply! I will write an email to them.

Hello,
From what I understood, an exceptional assurance is just a temporary protection from being an overstayer. It does not count as a visa extension. So if your visa expired in March 2021, it is very unlikely that you will be eligible for the PSW unless you manage to get your student visa extended.
Hope this helps.

Leila10 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 08, 2021 1:57 pm

So if your visa expired in March 2021, it is very unlikely that you will be eligible for the PSW unless you manage to get your student visa extended.

This is wrong. Someone with an exceptional assurance can apply for permission to stay, as explained in the "Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance: visa applicants and temporary UK residents":

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus ... -residents

You are also able to apply for permission to stay to remain in the UK if you have been issued with an ‘exceptional assurance’. You must submit your application before the expiry of your ‘exceptional assurance’.

The issue is that the university needs to confirm successful completion of the course to the Home Office before someone can apply under the Graduate route, and they may only be doing this for summer 2021 graduates. See my previous reply suggesting to check directly with the university.