MACES held discussion on the reinstatement of UK’S Two-Year Work Permit after graduation

"Study Abroad with MACES" held a discussion about the reinstatement of United Kingdom's two-year work permit after graduation at their office at Navana Tower on Tuesday, 1 September 2019.

Previously, the work permit allowed international students to stay and work in UK for two years, gaining vital "on-the-job" experience. This changed around April 2012, when the then British Home Secretary Theresa May reduced the permit's duration to just six months. Last month however, UK announced that they have revised their stand on the matter and will now once again offer the previous two-year permit. MACES is confident that students graduating in 2020-2021 will be able to use that permit, with the possibility of students being able to apply for an extension.

Rouham Manzoor, Managing Partner of MACES, believes that the reintroduction of work permit provides a unique opportunity for international students to both study and gain work experience abroad. 

"The practical experiences gained through working abroad are vital to any international student's career," Manzoor said. "Although other countries like US and Canada provide similar permits, the lower living and tuition costs in UK make studying there much more affordable and practical."

 "Moreover, it takes three years to graduate from an UK university as opposed to four years in other countries, giving the students more time to accumulate work experience," he added. He further said, "The permit also gives students who wish to migrate an advantage as it gives them more time to upgrade their Tier IV visa to a Tier II visa, a requirement for long term residency."

When asked about the effect of Brexit on international students, they speculated that Brexit is partially responsible for the permit's re-introduction as UK wishes to replace the soon-to-leave EU member workforce with immigrants. They argue that this is good for international students as it will provide better job opportunities and might result in lower living costs.

MACES was established in 2007 with a goal to provide honest consultancy to students who wish to study aboard. Initially starting with a single university contact in UK, they have expanded greatly and now provide access to dozens of universities across six different countries. In 2010, MACES became an approved partner of British High Commission and enjoys a strong relation with them. Tina Salem Manzoor, founding partner of MACES, claims that their desire to provide good and reliable service over profit is the key reason for their success.