The Tier 2 (General) visa category is for those who have been offered a graduate level job with an employer who is registered with UKBA as a Tier 2 sponsor. 

The UKBA Register of Sponsors contains details on which employers are registered under Tier 2.  The salary for the job must be a minimum of £20,300 per year and you must have received a Certificate of Sponsorship from a registered employer in order to apply.  There are further requirements to be met including English language and maintenance requirements.

Please note that, if you have a Student or Tier 4 visa and intend to apply to switch to the Tier 2 (General) category from within the UK, you must have:

• successfully completed and passed a UK recognised bachelor or postgraduate degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Diploma of Education or
• have completed a minimum of 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD during your current period of leave;

For full details on the current requirements and how to apply from abroad, please refer to the UKBA website.  You may also find this UKCISA information sheet useful for your reference.

This category of visa is for people who are internationally recognised as world leaders (or as potential world-leading talent) in the fields of science and the arts, as endorsed by a "designated competent body". 

Initial applicants are required to score 75 points in total under the attributes category.  There are 4 designated competent bodies and they assess whether the above statements apply to you and therefore whether to endorse your application under Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent).  The designated competent bodies are:

• Arts Council England – for arts and culture applications;
• The British Academy – for humanities and social science applications;
• The Royal Society - for natural sciences and medical science research applications; and
• The Royal Academy of Engineering – for engineering applications.

 There is a limit of 1,000 endorsements between 6 April 2013 and 5 April 2014.  If you qualify to make an application under this category, this must be done from outside the UK. 

For full details on the current requirements, please refer to the UKBA website.

UKBA describe this category as being aimed at those who have been identified by UKBA-approved Higher Education Institutions as having developed world class innovative ideas or entrepreneurial skills.  More information can be found on the UKBA website.

This year, for the first time, the University of Glasgow has been allocated 10 general endorsements and 10 MBA endorsements to allow students to apply for the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa.

These visas allow non-EEA graduates to stay in the UK for at least 1 year (it can be extended up to 2 years) to develop their business ideas with a view to turning them into legitimate start-up businesses.

Students must have a genuine and credible business idea and should work closely with iGnite (the student enterprise programme) to develop the proposal and formulate a business plan. This will then be assessed and considered by an experienced panel before the student can apply for the visa.

Once the visa has been approved by UKBA, the student must agree to a monitoring programme which is designed to help them develop and grow the business.

For more information, contact the Careers Service and iGnite or visit the UKBA website

In April 2013, UKBA introduced a new category of visa under the Tier 4 immigration route.  The Doctorate Extension Scheme, under Tier 4, allows for students who are completing their PhD course to apply to stay in the UK for a further 12 months beyond the end of their course to find skilled work, to set up as an entrepreneur or to gain further experience in their chosen field.

Am I eligible to apply?

You are only eligible to apply under this Scheme if you meet the requirements below:

• You must, on the date of application, have a valid Tier 4 (General) Student visa which allows you to study on your PhD course; and
• You must be studying at University of Glasgow (as University of Glasgow is a Tier 4 sponsor that is a UK HEI); and
• You must not, on the date of application, have completed your course yet; and
• You must be applying from within the UK; and
• You must have a CAS from University of Glasgow confirming that your Graduate School expects you to complete your course on the stated expected course end date and that they will sponsor you during the 12 months you are on the scheme; and
• You must be applying no more than 60 days before the expected course end date specified on your new Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme CAS from University of Glasgow.

How do I make an application for the Doctorate Extension Scheme under Tier 4?

If you meet all of the eligibility requirements above and have all of the supporting documents required under the Scheme, you must apply using the online 'print and send' Tier 4 (General) Student visa application.  Please refer to our Doctorate Extension Scheme information booklet for more information on how to apply.  More details on the current requirements can also be found on the UKBA website (specifically in paragraphs 78-86 of the current Tier 4 Policy Guidance). There is also useful information in the UKCISA information sheet.