Graduate Route Visa- with scholarship 12 months ago

[kkpp]

I applied to Graduate route visa. I graduated September 2020, have been staying in the UK under exceptional assurance. I have completed my degree, and I was fully sponsored by a scholarship while I was studying, which means it was beyond 12 months before the date of my application.

So one requirement from UKVI is i'f an applicant has, in the 12 months before the date of application, been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency, covering both course fees and living costs for study in the UK (for example a Chevening or Marshall scholarship), it is a validation requirement that they must provide written consent from the financial sponsor to the application for permission to stay in the UK as a Graduate.'

So I think I am eligible to apply for the Graduate visa and I completed the application to UKVI.

As a standard process, UKVI contacted my university to verify whether I've completed my programme. Then my university emailed me to fill in a form to provide the information they need for the verification, during which they asked a different question: 'During your previous studies under your Tier 4/Student visa, were you fully financially sponsored for your studies?' If yes, I need to upload the consent letter to the form designed by my university.

As this is not the requirement from the UKVI (they removed the 12-months time frame), I spoke to one staff from immigration advisory at my university today, they said this is the process for the university, no matter my scholarship was past 12 months or not, I still need to provide the consent letter. I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

I have friends in similar situation, but their university didn't ask them for the consent letter. ( I also told the immigration staff at my university, but they seem didn't care at all.)

It's very unlikely my sponsor will give me the consent letter. So my question is how should I proceed with the verification process from my university? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

[sah10406]

I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

You need to keep pursuing this question until the university realises they are wasting your time and theirs by asking for this. If the outcome of the discussion is that they still ask for this consent letter, speak to someone as senior as possible at the university, for example the Head of International or the Vice Chancellor. Tell them that the university is blocking your Graduate visa application due to their own misunderstanding of the requirements, and ask them to investigate.

To be reluctantly fair, it's an outcome of the pandemic and exceptional assurance. The university will have never seen a situation where their recent graduate is still in the UK more than 12 months after the end of the course, having not yet made a further immigration application. However that is no excuse for adding this pointless and nonsensical requirement before they will endorse your application.

Which university is this? There must be other students having the same problem.

[kkpp]

I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

You need to keep pursuing this question until the university realises they are wasting your time and theirs by asking for this. If the outcome of the discussion is that they still ask for this consent letter, speak to someone as senior as possible at the university, for example the Head of International or the Vice Chancellor. Tell them that the university is blocking your Graduate visa application due to their own misunderstanding of the requirements, and ask them to investigate.

To be reluctantly fair, it's an outcome of the pandemic and exceptional assurance. The university will have never seen a situation where their recent graduate is still in the UK more than 12 months after the end of the course, having not yet made a further immigration application. However that is no excuse for adding this pointless and nonsensical requirement before they will endorse your application.

Which university is this? There must be other students having the same problem.

Thank you very much for your comment!! I've written email to my university, hopefully they'll come to sense soon, which I highly doubt. But I'll keep pursuing this as you suggested. My friend in the exact same situation, only studied at a different university, has got her visa approved Friday.

[kkpp]

I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

You need to keep pursuing this question until the university realises they are wasting your time and theirs by asking for this. If the outcome of the discussion is that they still ask for this consent letter, speak to someone as senior as possible at the university, for example the Head of International or the Vice Chancellor. Tell them that the university is blocking your Graduate visa application due to their own misunderstanding of the requirements, and ask them to investigate.

To be reluctantly fair, it's an outcome of the pandemic and exceptional assurance. The university will have never seen a situation where their recent graduate is still in the UK more than 12 months after the end of the course, having not yet made a further immigration application. However that is no excuse for adding this pointless and nonsensical requirement before they will endorse your application.

Which university is this? There must be other students having the same problem.

BTW, I've also booked an initial appointment with immigration lawyers. Do you think they can be helpful? It's my first time to deal with this kind of issue, have no clues. Thanks!!

[sah10406]

BTW, I've also booked an initial appointment with immigration lawyers. Do you think they can be helpful?

No. It's not a legal matter, it's just a weird university error. Best get help from the Students union.

[Naylas]

I applied to Graduate route visa. I graduated September 2020, have been staying in the UK under exceptional assurance. I have completed my degree, and I was fully sponsored by a scholarship while I was studying, which means it was beyond 12 months before the date of my application.

So one requirement from UKVI is i'f an applicant has, in the 12 months before the date of application, been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency, covering both course fees and living costs for study in the UK (for example a Chevening or Marshall scholarship), it is a validation requirement that they must provide written consent from the financial sponsor to the application for permission to stay in the UK as a Graduate.'

So I think I am eligible to apply for the Graduate visa and I completed the application to UKVI.

As a standard process, UKVI contacted my university to verify whether I've completed my programme. Then my university emailed me to fill in a form to provide the information they need for the verification, during which they asked a different question: 'During your previous studies under your Tier 4/Student visa, were you fully financially sponsored for your studies?' If yes, I need to upload the consent letter to the form designed by my university.

As this is not the requirement from the UKVI (they removed the 12-months time frame), I spoke to one staff from immigration advisory at my university today, they said this is the process for the university, no matter my scholarship was past 12 months or not, I still need to provide the consent letter. I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

I have friends in similar situation, but their university didn't ask them for the consent letter. ( I also told the immigration staff at my university, but they seem didn't care at all.)

It's very unlikely my sponsor will give me the consent letter. So my question is how should I proceed with the verification process from my university? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

@kkpp. Hi. I am interested in knowing how your application went. I am facing a similar situation at the moment. Thanks!

[Naylas]

I applied to Graduate route visa. I graduated September 2020, have been staying in the UK under exceptional assurance. I have completed my degree, and I was fully sponsored by a scholarship while I was studying, which means it was beyond 12 months before the date of my application.

So one requirement from UKVI is i'f an applicant has, in the 12 months before the date of application, been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency, covering both course fees and living costs for study in the UK (for example a Chevening or Marshall scholarship), it is a validation requirement that they must provide written consent from the financial sponsor to the application for permission to stay in the UK as a Graduate.'

So I think I am eligible to apply for the Graduate visa and I completed the application to UKVI.

As a standard process, UKVI contacted my university to verify whether I've completed my programme. Then my university emailed me to fill in a form to provide the information they need for the verification, during which they asked a different question: 'During your previous studies under your Tier 4/Student visa, were you fully financially sponsored for your studies?' If yes, I need to upload the consent letter to the form designed by my university.

As this is not the requirement from the UKVI (they removed the 12-months time frame), I spoke to one staff from immigration advisory at my university today, they said this is the process for the university, no matter my scholarship was past 12 months or not, I still need to provide the consent letter. I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

I have friends in similar situation, but their university didn't ask them for the consent letter. ( I also told the immigration staff at my university, but they seem didn't care at all.)

It's very unlikely my sponsor will give me the consent letter. So my question is how should I proceed with the verification process from my university? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

@kkpp. Hi. I am interested in knowing how your application went. I am facing a similar situation at the moment. Thanks!

[Naylas]

I applied to Graduate route visa. I graduated September 2020, have been staying in the UK under exceptional assurance. I have completed my degree, and I was fully sponsored by a scholarship while I was studying, which means it was beyond 12 months before the date of my application.

So one requirement from UKVI is i'f an applicant has, in the 12 months before the date of application, been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency, covering both course fees and living costs for study in the UK (for example a Chevening or Marshall scholarship), it is a validation requirement that they must provide written consent from the financial sponsor to the application for permission to stay in the UK as a Graduate.'

So I think I am eligible to apply for the Graduate visa and I completed the application to UKVI.

As a standard process, UKVI contacted my university to verify whether I've completed my programme. Then my university emailed me to fill in a form to provide the information they need for the verification, during which they asked a different question: 'During your previous studies under your Tier 4/Student visa, were you fully financially sponsored for your studies?' If yes, I need to upload the consent letter to the form designed by my university.

As this is not the requirement from the UKVI (they removed the 12-months time frame), I spoke to one staff from immigration advisory at my university today, they said this is the process for the university, no matter my scholarship was past 12 months or not, I still need to provide the consent letter. I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

I have friends in similar situation, but their university didn't ask them for the consent letter. ( I also told the immigration staff at my university, but they seem didn't care at all.)

It's very unlikely my sponsor will give me the consent letter. So my question is how should I proceed with the verification process from my university? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

@kkpp. Hi. I am interested in knowing how your application went. I am facing a similar situation at the moment. Thanks!

[ANISHATHO1731]

Hi, I am a student on my Tier 4 visa. My visa is expiring on January 30th, but my results are on 28th March after which I can apply for my graduate route. If I go back to India I cannot apply for my PSW. Please can anyone advice me on how to stay legally so that I will be eligible for graduate route and also won't have any problems in future to apply for USA. I did not get the corona virus exceptional assurance grant. Please help me!

[sah10406]

Please can anyone advice me on how to stay legally so that I will be eligible for graduate route

It seems highly unlikely that you will be able to stay, but UKCISA covers the limited options in their guide to the Graduate route:

https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information-- ... layer-6885

It is probably time to forget about the Graduate route and look at the Skilled worker route instead.

[as11234]

I applied to Graduate route visa. I graduated September 2020, have been staying in the UK under exceptional assurance. I have completed my degree, and I was fully sponsored by a scholarship while I was studying, which means it was beyond 12 months before the date of my application.

So one requirement from UKVI is i'f an applicant has, in the 12 months before the date of application, been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency, covering both course fees and living costs for study in the UK (for example a Chevening or Marshall scholarship), it is a validation requirement that they must provide written consent from the financial sponsor to the application for permission to stay in the UK as a Graduate.'

So I think I am eligible to apply for the Graduate visa and I completed the application to UKVI.

As a standard process, UKVI contacted my university to verify whether I've completed my programme. Then my university emailed me to fill in a form to provide the information they need for the verification, during which they asked a different question: 'During your previous studies under your Tier 4/Student visa, were you fully financially sponsored for your studies?' If yes, I need to upload the consent letter to the form designed by my university.

As this is not the requirement from the UKVI (they removed the 12-months time frame), I spoke to one staff from immigration advisory at my university today, they said this is the process for the university, no matter my scholarship was past 12 months or not, I still need to provide the consent letter. I asked them why they have extra requirement on top of the requirement from UKVI, they didn't answer me directly, just asked me to write them emails to discuss this matter.

I have friends in similar situation, but their university didn't ask them for the consent letter. ( I also told the immigration staff at my university, but they seem didn't care at all.)

It's very unlikely my sponsor will give me the consent letter. So my question is how should I proceed with the verification process from my university? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Does that mean the following requirement is now removed?
"written consent for your application from your financial sponsor if you’ve received sponsorship for your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months"

[ywlgy]

Does that mean the following requirement is now removed?
"written consent for your application from your financial sponsor if you’ve received sponsorship for your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months"

The rule hasn't changed.