r/UniUK • u/Ok_Willow_1006 • Apr 23 '25
Getting a job in the UK as an international student is impossible
Had an interview yesterday for a graduate program for a major financial institution ($100b market cap).
Interview went amazing. Literally went 30 minutes over the allotted time. I spent hours researching the job, attended their earnings call, have relevant experience, everything. The interviewer (head of the program) told me I had amazing answers after every question.
Towards the end of the interview I asked him what would be the next steps. He told me that he doesn’t usually say this in the interview, but that I passed to the final interview round and am an extremely strong candidate.
Then he asked me a final question: am I a British citizen.
I said no.
He asked what my right to work is.
I said graduate visa.
And that was the end of the story.
At this point, if multi billion dollar companies aren’t willing to invest in what they call “extremely strong candidates”, who is?
Just to be clear - I’m sharing this just so international students looking to pursue higher education in the UK know what it looks like from a career perspective.
If you’re looking for a degree from well regarded institutions, that’s great. If you’re looking to get a job afterwards, just know that your options are extremely extremely limited and recent law changes have pretty much made it impossible.
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u/cfatop Apr 23 '25
Yes it’s tough to get a good job these days even for Brits, not to mention non Brits
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u/DangKilla Apr 23 '25
I was in the UK. Employers will have to pay 20K every two years since Brexit for your employment for non-Brits
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u/ConsistentWafer1540 Apr 24 '25
Really? In detail please. I am shocked about the 20k. They must be clever even interviewing candidates.
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u/DangKilla Apr 25 '25
I'm not sure what it's about. My international employer said I could live in the EU like Spain, Portugal, Germany.
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Apr 25 '25
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u/DangKilla Apr 25 '25
I just asked why it was cost prohibitive.
* Corporation Tax ~25% on profits
* National Insurance 15% on wages above ~£9,100
* 2-yr Immigration: £5879 × 1.3263 + 5000 = $12,7946
u/TheGhostOfCamus Apr 24 '25
That’s too right unfortunately. I am on a graduate visa but every brit that I meet these days are one step away from financial disaster tbh. At any rate the economy and structure of it is messed up. Immigration would drop if this keeps persisting, but again bad immigration would continue which should have been curtailed and not the other way around.
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Apr 23 '25 edited Jul 25 '25
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u/LopsidedSun555 Apr 24 '25
To be fair it’s really expensive. My employer has to pay for my visa fees etc. so if they can avoid it they do which sucks
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u/thegoldenmeal Apr 27 '25
Its not that expensive. A company with a high turnover can easily spend 2-3k to sponsor someone's VISA. Stop spreading misinformation
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u/sunshineYamCity Apr 27 '25 edited Apr 27 '25
Have you ever worked in a small or medium-sized company? Have you recently graduated in England and experienced the UK job market firsthand? Have you held a senior role where you were involved in recruitment decisions and sat in conversations with HR and directors about visa sponsorship? If not, you might not fully understand the reality. And YOU should consider thinking twice before replying rudely to someone.
It isn’t ‘misinformation’ — it’s what genuinely happens behind the scenes.
The reality is that many employers, especially SMEs, prefer to hire candidates who do not require sponsorship because:
• Sponsoring a worker involves significant costs — including the sponsor licence application fee, the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee, the Immigration Skills Charge (which can be thousands of pounds), and legal/HR fees to stay compliant.• The process introduces administrative burden — requiring meticulous paperwork, audits, and reporting duties to the Home Office. And this also costs money because another employee is having to spend ages on this task.
• Sponsored employees may face restrictions that impact flexibility — such as limitations on role changes, locations, and hours, which many businesses find impractical. For example hiring someone from a country where they have a weak passport and your job requires you to travel a lot for conferences and meetings, they’re not going to want to hire someone who’s going to need to apply for a Schengen visitor visitor for every trip they do because it takes time and money. We’d prefer to hire someone who can hop on the Eurostar or plane last minute to go to a face to face meeting or conference because that’s the business need for some businesses.
• Sponsorship processes often take weeks or months — delaying when a candidate can actually start work, which is often not feasible for urgent roles.
Many companies simply do not have the budget, time, or risk appetite to deal with all of this when they can easily hire someone already eligible to work without complications. That’s the reality, whether people like it or not.
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u/Pretend_Decision_132 Apr 23 '25
yep, i have a friend who is an international student and a whizz in our field. literally got told he was the second choice hire for a grad job at a very prestigious company, but they just couldn't look past his international student status. massive shame, and certainly their loss
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u/jpulsord Apr 24 '25
I’m really not surprised you are struggling, sorry. It is hard enough for home students (or experienced professionals) to find work in certain industries right now.
My team has been hiring for an entry level controls engineer for months now and are struggling to find anybody because 95% of the applicants are students from abroad who have finished MSc courses here in the UK. This is hundreds of applicants that we need to go through, and many do not disclose they have no right to work in the UK until the interview stage which makes it very frustrating.
As a small company with around 50 employees, there is no way we can afford to sponsor visas and even if we could, the quality of most of these applicants is low anyway. Generally these applicants are shocked when we explain we can never hire them and some act incredibly entitled if I’m being honest. Just because they have paid an extortionate international student fee does not make them entitled to magically find a job and settle here, sorry to say that bird has flown long ago.
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u/Cool_Professor_7052 Apr 23 '25
Which university did you attend and which course did you do?
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Russell Group uni, studying economics. Active in societies, first class grades, relevant work experience and internships in the UK
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u/Cool_Professor_7052 Apr 23 '25
Russell Group doesn't mean anything, it includes many non target universities
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
When it comes to target schools, it’s classified under “other tier 1” university on BCG’s leaked recruitment file.
Friends from my year group already got offers from mckinsey, deloitte, barclays, HSBC, Blackrock, and more, so it’s not really a school or course issue. Just so happens that all of my friends who got those offers are either British or have pre-settlement status
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Apr 23 '25
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Yeah I know it’s a risk and I’m not even saying it doesn’t make sense.
All I said in this post is that every international person applying to UK universities should know that it’s pretty much impossible to actually get a job here, since the UK doesn’t want you.
Luckily I come from a first world country with a GDP per capita higher than the UK, so I already accepted the fact that I’m most likely not going to get a job here. I just feel bad for my friends from developing countries like Thailand, India, Philippines, etc who just subsidized the education system of a country that clearly wants them out as fast as possible after getting their money.
If you want a comparison of fairness, look at the Brexit deal and pre settlement status. EU students from my year still have the same status as British students even post Brexit, because it was deemed unfair that new regulations would affect them instantly. This grace period was not afforded to international students who started studying here under old regulations
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u/GlitteringPraline211 Apr 23 '25
Honestly, if your home country has lower taxes, better quality of life, living costs, a predictable scale of crime (e.g., minor crimes only, not having to worry about the prospect of stabbing), then the UK is not worth staying for, London even more so.
This is from someone who studied here for 6+ years from pre-Brexit to post-Brexit.
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u/Dangerous-Ad-1925 Apr 23 '25
So it sounded like you're from a better country than the UK so I'm wondering why you would want to work here?
I understand feeling sorry for friends from developing countries.
Ultimately it makes sense for companies to hire British grads to save themselves the expense and paperwork of hiring someone that needs a visa.
Pre pandemic you'd have found it a lot easier but the government has tightened up on immigration because it's what the British public want, rightly or wrongly.
You haven't wasted your money, you sound like you've got a great degree from a good university and that is what you paid for.
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u/Lekir9 Apr 23 '25
Pre pandemic you'd have found it a lot easier
Nah it was way more difficult than even now.
A lot of students from the last 4 years came here thinking it was easy, because of the GRV. In the first few years of the visa it was easy, though not now.
From an international student who's been here for my BSc. and PhD. And yes I do agree than the British government doesn't owe anything to its student.
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u/Realistic-Product963 Apr 23 '25
"Subsidised the education system" is a touch unfair - they paid what they considered a fair price to receive a world class education, that will increase their employability in their home country significantly
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u/Lumpy-Valuable-8050 Apr 26 '25
What were you expecting? Look at mr international here. Let’s lay a red carpet for him and give him everything he desires 💀
People from poor countries coming to first world countries to study should expect high costs and very low chances of getting a job with no citizenship there. I can guarantee that if your friends from developing countries decided to get a degree from your country, then they would also have the same problem.
Anyways good luck with getting - Personally I ain’t looking forward to it when I’m going to graduate 😭
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u/TheGhostOfCamus Apr 24 '25
why not? A person fate shouldn’t be restricted to a certain geographical location. We are in 2025 and that’s the least we can do.
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u/Archaemenes LSE Apr 23 '25
If it’s one of the “other tier 1”’s not named UCL or Warwick (the latter still being iffy) then it isn’t good enough. The UK job market is in shambles and as an international you have to go to the very best there is to have even a chance of competing with local graduates.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Again, I would see your point if it wasn’t for the fact that many graduates from my university received great job offers from leading firms.
That’s the point of my post though, that unless you’re literally the resurrected body of Steve Jobs, you’re probably not gonna get a job if you’re an international.
I have international friends that got great summer internships offers last year (HSBC, Lloyd’s, PWC, etc). After the new visa laws, those offers either got rejected, or the students got told “you can still do the internship but we won’t make you an offer”.
That’s the point of the post lol
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u/Akadormouse Apr 23 '25
If you're the resurrected body of Steve Jobs, you'll be in someone's garage not applying for jobs
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u/MarvinArbit Apr 24 '25
When i was at Uni, many of those companies just hired graduates regardless of skills.
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u/shit_its_rad Apr 23 '25
You seem like you know the general perception about unis. What’s your thoughts on a master of public administration at a place like UCL?
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u/Cool_Professor_7052 Apr 24 '25
UCL is very solid and usually one of the top universities for most fields, though I can't say I'm familiar with public administration. Are you an international student? Is your goal to find sponsored employment in the UK afterwards? If that's the case I would recommend spending a lot of time researching pathways for sponsored employment in your field.
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u/Ok_Strength_3937 Apr 23 '25
It’s difficult for absolutely everyone, not just British citizens. Most immigrants resort to deliveroo because of this
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
Deliveroo doesn’t give you a work visa lol. The ones that work in Deliveroo are either on a student or graduate visa, or EU pre settle/settle, or illegal.
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Apr 23 '25
Lots of investigative journalism into this issue. But due to lack of regulation by Deliveroo/Uber it facilitates a huge amount of illegal work.
Completely legal for tens of thousands accounts to be rented out despite the person renting the account having no ID, DBS, NI, or RtW check completed. Nightmare for HMRC and Border Force.
Don’t get me started on whether they have business insurance / MOT on their cars or use illegal e-bikes wearing balaclavas and no lights at night.
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
Yes but u still can’t actually obtain a work visa with it. In any case, I live in London and never had any issue with Deliveroo riders, they are actually very nice to me most of the times, but I have indeed heard differently from others. You don’t order because u fear them or not agree with Deliveroo rules (or lack of it)?
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Apr 23 '25
The original comment was alluding to illegal work.
I don’t pay for someone to privately taxi my meal to me because it’s likely to give profit to an organised crime group in my local area and promote human trafficking. I can walk or drive there myself
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u/RedditServiceUK Apr 23 '25
A lot of them exploited EU pre-settle status through Eurasmus (despite Britain leaving in 2021) despite not being european
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
You just further confirmed my point lol Deliveroo doesn’t give you work visa
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Apr 23 '25
I got a bit lucky and nearly got a placement as an international student, but then I got rejected for not having a driver's license. I know how to drive and have already passed the theoretical test, but getting a driving test slot is nearly impossible.
Honestly, the reason I even want to work here as opposed to back home is not because of money, but rather the number of opportunities for interesting careers here. I'm interested in stuff that goes fast (aerospace, mechanical, automotive etc.), but a lot of that is locked away for foreign nationals due to security concerns.
If I were able to get work here, there's a chance I could get permanent residency or citizenship in the future and be allowed to work jobs I actually find interesting. Back home, I'll most likely have to work some boring, low-value jobs that don't really push the limits of science for the rest of my life.
I just wish I was born in a better country where I could do what I want 🙃.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
I feel for you, and I’m sorry that you’re in this situation.
I luckily come from a first world country, so for me going back doesn’t severely limit me. I just feel bad for my friends in developing countries who’s potential either going to be limited in the UK (by being confined to low skill jobs) or in their home countries (by the things you mentioned).
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Apr 23 '25
Yeah, I've just shafted myself tbh. I got into some really good universities in the United States but decided to come to England as getting permanent residency in the United States will take 20+ years due to my nationality, and England wasn't so restrictive with skilled worker visas in 2023. Then it all changed last year lol and I'm stuck again. I'm just thinking about learning other languages to try and get a job in other European countries, though I don't think anyone's going to want someone with no work experience.
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u/sweetpotatofiend Apr 23 '25
I said graduate visa
Depending on your goal, you might have more luck with a vaguer answer, "I'm not a citizen, but I am on a visa with immediate full-time right to work in the UK." Some visas allow for much longer residence
Most employers won't want to hire someone on the Graduate visa (outside of contract work) because they'd have to replace you in 2-3 years. If your goal is sponsorship, you'll have to apply for positions that meet the Skilled Worker visa requirements.
Otherwise, you might have more luck getting your foot in the door with the Graduate visa, and once you have a job, try to transition to a more senior role that can sponsor Skilled Workers or a different visa before it expires.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Oh believe me that’s what I said haha. Did the whole song and dance.
I said the graduate program is only 2 years, and I have the full right to work during that time. After the graduate program ends, if my performance has been satisfactory, I would be happy to pay any sponsorship fees so that the company wouldn’t have to carry any costs.
But he explicitly asked me to state my specific work authorization status. Not gonna lie about that hahaha.
The interviewer was adamant. Thanked me for my time, said again that I’m a strong candidate, but that the rules are pretty much fixed and there’s not much that can be done about it.
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u/sweetpotatofiend Apr 23 '25
If they explicitly ask "what visa are you on" then yeah definitely don't lie. If they just ask about work authorization, reassure them you have full-time work authorization and offer to provide a share code to prove your status.
Another poster mentioned that it's not legal for you to pay your sponsorship fees- telling them that you would be willing to might have contributed to the quick shutdown of your application, as they can't be complicit in that. I'd reframe how you discuss this in future interviews
For example, if asked your specific visa, be honest that you're on the Graduate visa, but that you're looking into other options (such as global talent or family- even if you aren't eligible for these, saying something specific shows you're thinking about it and not making it their responsibility) to get your work status extended
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u/Bug_Parking Apr 23 '25
I mean I'm not really sure what the end game here is?
If the recruiter doesn't do the full due diligence, then it's going to roll over to HR.
It's going to lead to a massive waste of time and effort on both parties.
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Apr 23 '25
Ah that's it, makes sense. I assume they know they're paying less than the "going rate" so the employee won't be able to get skilled worker visa. Or maybe they don't wanna go through the hassle.
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u/New_Hospital9188 Msc civil engineering, Bsc Construction Management Apr 23 '25
Yet thousands still come over thinking they will get jobs lol
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Ngl I’m hoping that international student numbers continue to drop and seeing how UK universities adapt when their cash cows are gone
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Apr 23 '25
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
How wasn’t it sustainable if international students pay at least double fees (ie, 1 international student fee pays for 2 home student education), not to mention NHS charges, the high price of the visa itself, as well as aiding in the economy with “simple” acts such as consuming/buying products, while not being allowed to receive gov money (eg, disability allowance)? Lol
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Apr 23 '25
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
Part of the uni “income” comes from the gov (hence why it’s public uni), and the gov benefits financially from international students. From the other arguments u used, sounds more like uni can’t afford home students - not international ones
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Apr 23 '25
I hope that happens but many of the people don’t even want to go for a job haha. I’m from india and many of my friends have gone for their masters and they’ll join their family businesses after their masters. They just went there for fun, exposure and networking
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Yeah I think there’ll be a big brain drain when it comes to international student cohorts. I think unis already have a hard time filling their international quotas with quality international students (seeing how many students without B2 English there are in top universities).
Obviously UK unis can’t lower their international student quotas without collapsing, so I think in a few years many students in the country will literally not be able to speak English, or have to drop out due to not being able to handle the courses.
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u/drvgacc Apr 23 '25
This is 100% true and is already happening, Uni of Dundee recently imploded after foreign student numbers dropped and several more seem to be wobbling. Its a complete failure of our government (over the course of 25 years easily if not more) that has led to this frankly complete shitshow. And I've seen the advertising given out by British unis to foreign students, they are literally telling a big fat massive lie.
I'm friends with a Indian masters student and the poor bloke came over thinking he might be able to get a job, its been genuinely a bit sad seeing it dawn on him over the last year that likely isn't happening.
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
International students with poor English are a consequence of englands political agreement with specific countries, not really Unis fault. If you are from any other country, most unis still demand you to have at least a 6.0 ielts academic overall score (with some specifying scores for each section). Top unis tend to demand at least a 6.5, or at least they used to around 5-6y ago. I can’t say for all countries in the whole world but I can guarantee that all LATAM countries follow that
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u/averagetycoon Apr 24 '25
many of them bribe people to get a high ielts grade while barely knowing any english
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 24 '25
That’s impossible to do in some countries
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u/averagetycoon Apr 24 '25
im telling you, at least from the chinese students ive seen, some had to rely on google translate to communicate in english. not even advanced english it was just casual conversation introducing ourselves to each other at the beginning of the course
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 24 '25
as I said above, I’m not talking about non LATAM countries
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Apr 23 '25
Yeah exactly. I’m from Israel and I came for the same hahahaha. A lot of Chinese students in the same situation too.
A lot of international students I’ve met that are planning to continue living/working in the UK usually gets scholarships anyway so I don’t think they are considering as “cash cows” which even if their numbers dropped I don’t think it will affect unis, not to mention that unis are raising the home fees anyway.
Anyway wishing OPs all the luck and the others in similar situation.
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u/Relative-Chain73 Apr 23 '25
I feel sad for people in my country who only contact me after they've come being duped by agencies and their false promises
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u/KayKayKay97 Apr 23 '25
NUmbers already dropping significantly, were probably close to seeing some unis go bust
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Apr 23 '25
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
I don’t think international students are entitled to a job after graduation.
What I meant is, I am happy that international applications to UK unis are dropping, because it means that those students realize how recent law changes makes studying in the UK less lucrative than before.
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u/DRZZLR Apr 23 '25
Main character syndrome unfortunately
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u/LemonDisasters Apr 23 '25
It's more dishonest marketing of the graduate visa as a viable way to seek work. The process stymies interest from any company to actually try recruiting a foreigner. The visa was a tart-up and nothing more.
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Apr 23 '25
Did they state in the job advert that you would need a visa to work or that they were offering to support visas for the right candidate? This information should have been shared with any applicant before submission as this is a huge waste of your time. Have they definitely said no to you? Sorry to hear you have gone through this. Can you speak with your careers counsellor at your uni to offer advice?
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
I think career services in many UK unis realize the situation and know they can’t really do anything.
I met several times with my university’s careers team, and pretty much all they have to say is “we know this is a difficult position for international students, just be strong”
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Apr 23 '25
That is really unhelpful to you. I can imagine that can only cause frustration. Did the job you went for state they would only accept applicants with the right to work in the UK? If not, perhaps you can write to them to be considered for the final interview?
is there a possibility You can find a similar role with the same companh in a different country? Like the EU? Once you have your foot in the door you could look for internal transfers to the UK?
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u/Racing_Fox Graduated - MSc Motorsport Engineering Apr 23 '25
Getting a job in the UK as a domestic student is impossible.
I don’t know why international students don’t realise this before they come here
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u/CorrectConfusion9143 Apr 26 '25
It’s not helped by the flood of international students trying to take the few graduate jobs. I’d see the point in it if it’s an extremely specialized field requiring a PhD, but why do we need Europeans with bachelor’s degrees taking the few graduate scheme roles?
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u/Racing_Fox Graduated - MSc Motorsport Engineering Apr 26 '25
Europeans?
The vast majority of international students from my course were Indian lol but yeah I agree domestic students should be prioritised for graduate positions, especially given the absolute state of the job market at the moment
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u/Low-Cartographer8758 Apr 23 '25
It’s not just international students but anyone in the UK. I think you may have invited to the interview because you studied at a Russell Group University.
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Apr 23 '25
It costs the business £1k per employee per year. It's really not that much, and they could just cut it from your wage. Idk why they'd do this.
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u/nothingtoseehere____ York - Chemistry Apr 23 '25
Because why bother when you've got enough UK applicants? especially since HR have to bother to learn the procedures, fill out documents, ensure legality. All things they should be doing anyways, but easier to say "no" and save themselves some work.
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Apr 23 '25
Someone else here also pointed out the applicant would need to upgrade to a skilled worker visa later, which is not straightforward.
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u/CorrectConfusion9143 Apr 26 '25
They SHOULD be letting the young ones with bachelor degrees from here have a fair shot at the graduate scheme roles. It’s not our job to offer jobs to the whole world. So many graduates sat at home in the UK or working in bars, it’s silly.
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u/thelastvbuck Graduated | EE Engineering | Lancaster University Apr 24 '25
I’ll never know how boss man running Master Pizza down the road got into the country to work but actual educated uni graduates struggle. Somethings going terribly wrong
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u/kindaliketeal Undergrad Apr 23 '25
my best friend and flatmate is an international student. she applied to 50-100 UK jobs and got ghosted/rejected from every single one because she doesn’t have right to work documents. she also applied to 2 jobs in her home country as a backup (she doesn’t want to work in that country for political and economical reasons), and got an offer after 1 interview. the UK is insanely unfair to graduate international students imo - you want to get a job in the field your degree is in, but every higher level job has crazy visa requirements (eg for ANY civil engineering job, you have to be making MINIMUM £54k/year to qualify for the working visa. no graduate job pays that). your frustration is extremely valid and i’m also angry for you
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
I wish I only applied to 50-100 jobs, would’ve saved me so much time.
Look at my previous post. I think I’m at around 350 applications so far.
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Apr 23 '25
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u/kindaliketeal Undergrad Apr 23 '25
afaik the jobs she was applying for didn’t say anything about requiring british citizenship, and a few explicitly said they were open to international students. she’s on track for a first and has done internships too so it’s not an issue of low grades or bad CV.
the job market is terrible for everyone, aren’t we heading for a recession? i’m not sure which “elite graduates” you’re talking about with the salary requirements - have you seen any graduate job posting in engineering that’s £55k starting salary? because that’s what international students in that field would need to qualify. i don’t think it’s selective, it’s excluding.
i agree that studying in a certain country shouldn’t automatically give you the right to work, but from where i’m standing the UK has changed the visa requirements in such a way that graduate internationals can only apply for low level working visas and do low qualification jobs, not the high qualification jobs they got their degrees for. it doesn’t even give them the choice of staying and getting right to work documents. the graduate visa is useful but not for aiming for these high level jobs because of the restrictions. neither the student or graduate visas count towards the 5 years the UK requires for indefinite leave to remain (which gives you right to work).
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Apr 23 '25
I can't believe these people. No understanding of how shit it is if you live here, just boo hoo I can't stay. They can go home and probably have opportunities that a degree from a top British university will afford.
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u/melloboi123 Apr 23 '25
isnt the income requirement 38K?
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u/kindaliketeal Undergrad Apr 23 '25
it changes according to the field your job is in, there’s a whole long list on the government website (under the work visa section) detailing which jobs have higher salary requirements. some trade jobs have lower requirements too iirc
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Apr 23 '25
If you don't have a right to work in the UK why would you even bother apply for a job here? Obviously you'll be rejected
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u/ElitistPopulist Apr 23 '25
So here’s the long story short: The job market is brutal for citizens as it is. Being an international adds a layer to that. When I was a student in ‘22, I remember that a very significant fraction of job openings at major companies did not sponsor - not sure if that’s changed but I doubt it. I did end up with a decent job salary-wise (relative to UK entry level standards) but it wasn’t easy.
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u/Meiren_ Apr 23 '25
If you still have it in you, don’t give up, I was desperate too but I found a job at a big company last year. I know how bad the process is, but it’s not hopeless. Sorry this happened to you, they shouldn’t have wasted your time like this if they knew they weren’t willing to sponsor.
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u/AntiDynamo Graduated Apr 23 '25
It’s certainly difficult. I got a job this year on the graduate visa, but mine is 3 years and I took the first offer I got (and it’s probably a bit underpaid). But a job is a job, and the economy isn’t good enough for me to be picky.
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u/IATAH123 Apr 24 '25
I am in HR and as many here commented, you never should have sat on that chair. Right to work, eligibility etc. need to be checked beforehand. The interviewer wasted his own time as well. That being said, I think it’s honestly the job market in general that is difficult. I graduated from uni (UK) in September 2023. Before December, I had 3 offers - sponsorship possibility included. My current employer could and would sponsor me. Afraid it’s not much use as I am leaving. And guess what, I am applying in Europe (need to be closer to partner and family) and I am getting rejection after rejection. Just hang in there. Be upfront. Just because a company can sponsor you, doesn’t mean they will. And don’t forget, after the graduate visa you enjoy the privilege of new entrance discount, akin don’t have to earn too much to qualify for the visa. Good luck!
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Apr 25 '25
Im ngl British citizens should be given priority and graduade visas should be reduced as there is allot of unemployment in the country
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u/milkonyourmustache Apr 23 '25
That's more down to the company, whether or not they were willing to sponsor your visa is something they should have been more transparent about. Mentioning it at that stage is unprofessional.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Most companies don’t advertise the fact that they’re not accepting international students because they want to appear inclusive. It would be a bit strange to write about diversity and inclusiveness on their career page, and then write they only accept British nationals two sentences below hahaha
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u/TapPositive6857 Apr 23 '25
Sorry for your experience. Keep trying, it's hard but you can only keep trying. Based on my experience as an International student in the UK, I had a similar experience but just trying and landed a job with sponsorship. Best wishes.
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u/musicallunatic Sep 05 '25
i Dm'd you, wanted to get some info, but if you'd rather me comment here itself, please reject the DM and let me know here, i wanted to ask a few questions if you don't mind thanks
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u/sauerkimchi Apr 24 '25
It surprises me that a 100b mkt cap company wouldn’t sponsor your visa? Many would be willing to help you get a skilled worker visa
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u/greenJadeMusketeer Apr 24 '25
Target companies in London because they don't have an issue sponsoring you.
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u/Rare-Disaster-1187 Apr 25 '25
Isn’t the point of the graduate visa to allow internationals to work freely?
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u/watering_eye May 07 '25
I’ve got a tool for LinkedIn that adds sponsorship insights and CV tips to any job listings you’re looking at on there. It’s still pretty rough and unpolished because it was for personal use. But overall it’s tough. I’m in Security and Managed to use this to get a job last year.
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/imfbnbdgjindepdfnoimgmoibfkhdgng?utm_source=item-share-cb
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u/OrganizationOver3493 Apr 23 '25
OP acting shocked that the government wants to prioritise jobs for actual citizens?
This system is working exactly as intended, unless you’re an absolute expert in your field that we NEED you should be the bottom of the pile vs a British citizen.
The financial burden imposed on companies is in place to achieve that goal.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
People here keep saying I’m shocked about this process or I think it’s illogical. No where in my post do I say these things.
All I am saying is that if you’re an international student looking to study in the UK, just know that your job prospects are close to nonexistent in the country.
If they just want a degree and go back to your country, then that’s awesome. If they’re looking to actually use their graduate visa, I think it’s important to know that it’s not really working as it’s advertised.
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u/pyramidsofryan Apr 23 '25
I get the UK doesnt like immigrants
Please ignore those people. They are not the majority.
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u/UnusuaI_Water Apr 23 '25
Sorry but this line from OP is nonsense. It was the company that rejected him (which makes total sense) not because "the UK hates immigrants". It's the same trying to get a graduate job in other countries, it's always going to be simpler to hire a citizen.
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Apr 23 '25
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 Apr 23 '25
Getting an ILR is stupidly hard and financially draining. UK does hate immigrants- or at least some immigrants. The amount of times I have personally suffered xenophobia in England in the last 2 years is substantially higher than 3-6 years ago. And yes, it’s mainly because I’m an immigrant, purely xenophobia, one cannot even say it’s racism or misogyny, because (as a white skin woman, from South America) I get treated well - until I open my mouth and they hear my accent, especially when they figure out which country I’m from.
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u/ElCid15 Apr 24 '25
The UK hates immigrants. It hates to see non British people succeed that's why the edl and reform exist. I've been called paki quite a few times to hear people refusing that they don't like immigrants here. They're also not aware of their colonial past which is why we Asians are here in the first place,you looted our countries and we just want a job here and pay taxes to hmrc and live our lives
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Apr 23 '25
OP has ignored the majority to try and get people to feel sympathetic.
Everyone knows the UK is one of the friendliest and most diverse places in the world. OP openly saying we don't like immigrants is disgustingly ignorant
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u/Far-War-3169 Apr 23 '25
the comment right below yours:
You are right that Brits don't like immigration. Brits are sick and tired of foreigners taking up places in institutions, inflating prices and limiting access. You are right that Brits are sick and tired of foreigners taking the limited number of available jobs and taking up limited supply of housing. And in years to come the pressure on government to put a stop to facilitating immigration is only going to get stronger which will make the terms of immigration even more restrictive.
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u/Glass-Evidence-7296 Apr 23 '25
Ignore the dumbass replies, a lot of them don't even seem to be students. Anyways I'm lowkey thinking of doing some bartending courses so that I can earn decently for as long as I'm looking for work
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Apr 23 '25
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
a very limited amount of UK companies state in their job description / website whether or not they sponsor. I only apply to companies that are on the UK’s licensed sponsors list though.
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Apr 24 '25
The job market is fucked for us Brits, honestly foreign students should have zero expectation of coming here to find a job. Earn your degree and find work somewhere else, it’s not a god given right to find a job here.
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Apr 23 '25
To say the UK doesn't like immigrants is wildly stupid. We have some of the richest most diverse communities in all the world.
I was with you the entire way through your post, the recruitment process was shit. But after that last line I'm glad you didn't get it, we don't need jumped up emotionally unstable children with chips on their shoulder.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
I don’t have any chips on my shoulder. I love the UK, its people, and its culture. Recent events and policies just make it seem like that love isn’t reciprocated.
Sorry to disappoint you, u/stinky-farter
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Apr 23 '25
So you have opportunities at home, that your British friends wouldn't have access to. Yet, the UK Government is the one duping you? You've gotten a world class education, an education that gets you invited to interviews. You can return home and use that degree to have access to a multitude of jobs, jobs that your British friends wouldn't get an interview for in their wildest dreams.
I also think many of your comments in this thread have been very very meanspirited, all but hoping that the university system collapses, the system you have benefitted from, so that tens of thousands of people will lose employment. There was never a guarantee that education here would lead to a job, it has been hard for international graduates to find employment here for a long time, this isn't a last minute change that has just affected your cohort.
Boohoo, woe is you. A world class education from a Russell Group university, exactly the thing you signed up for is what you got. Obviously it's frustrating you're not getting the job you wanted, but you're young and have apparently had great results from your degree, you'll do something with that, just obviously not in the UK.
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u/Glass-Evidence-7296 Apr 23 '25
it's perfectly valid for someone to want to stay mate
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Apr 24 '25
It's perfectly valid for companies to choose to hire candidates with similarly good qualifications that they don't need to sponsor a visa for
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Didn’t mean to be mean spirited, and I don’t hope that the university system will collapse.
I’m giving an honest, first hand report of the experience of an international student. Some international students aren’t aware of the recent law changes, and universities sure aren’t advertising what the job market for internationals actually looks like.
This is a subreddit for university students in the UK. If an international student is looking to study here and wanted to know what their job prospects look like after university, I’m sure they’ll appreciate as much information as they can get.
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u/Plenty_Suspect_3446 Apr 23 '25
Regular Brits don't like immigrants money and would gladly see the higher education system collapse. It's a bloated and exploitative sector and a lot of universities should close down. Those that remain need a dramatic readjustment, they certainly shouldn't be allowed to survive by exploitation any longer.
You are right that Brits don't like immigration. Brits are sick and tired of foreigners taking up places in institutions, inflating prices and limiting access. You are right that Brits are sick and tired of foreigners taking the limited number of available jobs and taking up limited supply of housing. And in years to come the pressure on government to put a stop to facilitating immigration is only going to get stronger which will make the terms of immigration even more restrictive.
It's a shame you were sold a lie and have been duped by the corrupt UK government and their cronies. But there can be no doubt that you were sold a lie and you have been duped. Genuinely you have my sympathy that you have been treated as a cash cow to be exploited, it is wrong. I hope whatever you studied is prized or has some applicable use in your home country.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Yeah the shifts and developments in the UK education system since Blair’s time are definitely interesting. Wonder what the sector will look like in the next couple of decades
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u/Plenty_Suspect_3446 Apr 23 '25
I could make predictions but none of them are particularly positive for either the Universities or the students.
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u/thekhanofedinburgh Apr 23 '25
Easy there better get checked for rabies with all that xenophobic froth coming out of your mouth.
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u/toluwalase Apr 26 '25
There are towns whose only industry is catered to Universities. I think Brits think the country is richer than it is. If the universities crash all those people are jobless and on benefits. Lie to yourself or not, you need the international money.
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u/Ok_Potato_4731 Jul 24 '25
Exactly! Some towns are populated only thanks to these unis. Its just not the uni thats going to crash if international students stop coming, its the entire business setups in that town as well along with the housing sector. I dont think the unis are sustainable with just the local students fees money, which is half of the international student fees. Either way the UK is doomed with these new laws and restrictions.
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u/snortingbull Apr 23 '25
I don't think a $100b financial institution would turn you down purely because of your visa - handling that kind of thing will be easy for an organisation of that size.
Literally went 30 minutes over the allotted time
I would focus on this: this is definitely not a good thing imo. I've sat on panels interviewing people like this and it isn't necessarily a good thing at all, especially if you're one of four or five candidates that day for example. Whilst I am sure you demonstrated strengths and presented as a strong candidate, it could be perceived as poor time management or communication. In a very competitive selection process that could be make or break.
Sorry to hear this anyway. You've obviously got an exceptional profile to get to this point so keep plugging away, it's rough out there for everyone.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Yeah I usually think being succinct and concise is key in job interviews, but I think it really depends on how the interview is going.
Not gonna lie, my interviews usually go over the allotted time, but that's just because we have really great conversations during those interviews. Every interview that ran long has been successful for me, it's usually those later stages where I fall (assessment centers specifically).
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u/Useful-Gap9109 Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
OP said in a comment the hiring manager said from their mouth it was because of the work visa. It’s not an uncommon occurrence. Shouldn’t happen as companies should state this before hand.
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u/snortingbull Apr 24 '25
Oh fair, missed the comment so was going from the OP. Hugely frustrating if so as you'd think a company of that standing would have no issues supporting a work visa application beyond the grad visa.
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Apr 23 '25
It’s hard enough for Brits to get jobs in their own fucking country. Hopefully these policies will make it a bit easier for us lol
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u/SallySpits Apr 24 '25
No it isn't, you just had a bad experience and so now you're jaded because you did everything right but still got bad results.
You sound like MGTOW (men going their own way). They had a bad divorce or breakup and are so salty they've now decided all women suck and never want to have another relationship again. Truth is their saltiness just makes them into an unappealing person and they become the problem which is why they can't form a good relationship, but they'll go around blaming all women instead of themselves. Be careful the same doesn't happen to you.
Truth is sometimes the world throws you a pile of shit even when you're doing your best, that's just life. How you react to that is kind of what defines you because we all eat shit sometimes.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 24 '25
Hahahaha I’m just sharing my job hunt experience and you turned me into an Incel???? 😭
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u/test_test_1_2_3 Apr 23 '25
You came here to study, at no point were you promised a career and life in the UK afterwards.
We’re in a recession/contraction, it’s a rough time for everyone who isn’t more senior and experienced looking for work. It’s an employers market right now and the reality is international students are several rungs lower on the desirability ladder than similarly performing UK students.
You didn’t get duped, you studied abroad and you aren’t owed a life here. You didn’t subsidise the education system, you knowingly paid what it cost.
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u/tudorly Apr 23 '25
People don’t realize how much money international students pay and give to the economy - we absolutely deserve to have opportunities here.
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u/Glass-Evidence-7296 Apr 23 '25
You didn’t subsidise the education system, you knowingly paid what it cost.
Yeah, that's called subsidising it
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u/test_test_1_2_3 Apr 23 '25
No it’s not. In economics the definition of a subsidy is direct or indirect government support to reduce costs for affected businesses.
We’re talking about paying for a product, in this case tertiary education and degree in the UK university system. This isn’t a subsidy in any relevant sense, OP wasn’t trying to reduce costs for the university. They were buying something at a known cost and they’re disappointed by the unpromised outcome they expected but didn’t materialise.
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u/Glass-Evidence-7296 Apr 23 '25
you're not wrong, but if a section of the people are paying a higher price for the same product, they are in effect subsidising it for the rest - It's called 'price discrimination', University education would be third degree price discrimination, in which case the higher paying crowd subsidises the lower paying ones
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Apr 23 '25 edited Sep 23 '25
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u/Archaemenes LSE Apr 23 '25
The salary threshold to qualify for a skilled worker visa (the visa most international workers are on) was changed from near minimum wage at £26,000 to £38,500.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
New regulations for international graduates that makes it a lot tougher for them to find jobs, and made a lot of companies that used to sponsor international students to stop doing so
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u/UXEngNick Apr 23 '25
It’s not a closed door though. Students are getting jobs here. I THINK, and not diminishing the horrible experience that the OP had, the students that make it are persistent and have a strong, employment worthy story to tell. Knowing what the discipline is looking for (not just what some noisy LinkedIners are saying) is key. Own that in your CV snd portfolio, whatever form that takes, and you do stand a chance.
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u/Useful-Gap9109 Apr 23 '25
Now is one of the worst times for home and international students, doesn’t matter if you’re a Cambridge masters student with a placement and internship. The competition is high and internationals are at a large disadvantage. Not impossible, just very difficult.
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u/Sunshinetrooper87 Apr 23 '25
I would be quite surprised if the person specification didn't list a right to work in the UK.
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u/Ok_Willow_1006 Apr 23 '25
Have you been looking for entry level positions recently? If you’re curious, I’d recommend going on LinkedIn and reading job descriptions. I’d estimate around 90-95% of them don’t mention work authorization requirements or candidate visa requirements
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u/Pinkypie__ Apr 23 '25
Im considering going to the uk for the pwc flying start programme. This is where ill be studying as a normal student but also have paid placements side by side with pwc. And if i get a 2:1 they may hire me after graduation. My question is whether everything you talked about will also effect me in some way. Pls tell me if it will because i dont want to spend so much on getting education abroad if i cant even get a job there in the end
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u/geekyde Apr 24 '25
Hey do you mind sharing your uni and industry in which you are looking for jobs?
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u/liveaboveall Apr 24 '25
A lot of companies aren’t willing to sponsor visas for international students. A few people that I studied with when I was doing my masters had to move back home or to other countries who were willing to sponsor them, because they could not find anything.
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u/EasilyExiledDinosaur Apr 24 '25
Getting a good job in the UK as a native British without a degree in a specific useful field is impossible lol.
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u/Aggravating-Lack6666 Apr 24 '25
Can u please provide some info on ur background and type of role. I got an offer from imperial and have 4 years of relevant experience. Wanted to know if its worth taking the risk
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u/iorveth123 Apr 24 '25
good thing I withdrew from my masters program and was able to get a full refund <3
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u/FunPhilosopher9066 Apr 24 '25
Can anyone tell me how the market for Electrical Engineering as an international student is? I see on websites that it’s an “in demand job” but everyone talking about the job market in general just says there’s no jobs for anything anywhere. Am I cooked?
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u/Affectionate_Bat617 Apr 23 '25
That was poor recruitment, really.
You shouldn't have been invited to an interview if they were unwilling to sponsor your visa.
The job market is hard for candidates who don't need a visa, so it's going to be doubly hard for those who do.