First Minister outlines plans to help
grow Scotland's economy.
A dedicated visa for international graduates from Scottish
universities or colleges who want to stay in Scotland after their
studies has been proposed by First Minister .
Speaking at JP Morgan Chase & Co in Glasgow, the First
Minister set out how a tailored visa route for students who have
completed their studies could help to tackle population
challenges in Scotland and grow the economy.
The ‘Scottish Graduate Visa' would be linked to a Scottish tax
code and be based on a requirement to live and work in Scotland.
It would be granted for up to two years and would act as a bridge
between Study and Graduate visas and the Skilled Worker Visa,
giving international students an additional two years to gain the
professional experience required to qualify for roles on the
Skilled Worker Visa route.
As migration is a reserved issue, developing and delivering the
Scottish Graduate Visa would require the cooperation of the UK
Government ahead of it coming into force.
During the speech the First Minister also stressed the urgency of
Scotland rejoining the European Union, ensuring access to the
Single Market and reinstating freedom of movement, to help tackle
Scotland's distinct demographic challenges which would benefit
from inward migration.
First Minister said:
“I have set out the areas where I believe urgent action, clarity
of purpose, and collective endeavour are necessary if we are to
truly prosper as a nation.
“Maximising the economic and community benefit from our massive
energy wealth, acting now to address our looming population
crisis, and committing ourselves once again to Europe and its
single market is essential for the wellbeing of our society and
the future success of our economy.
“The pragmatic approach I am setting out today when it comes to
migration is an attractive proposition for international students
and will ensure they can gain experience as they work towards the
high salary threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa.
“I urge the UK Government to work with us – not dismiss this
proposal out of hand – to ensure that we can attract and retain
those students and graduates to Scotland, so that they can
continue to contribute to our economy and society.”
Background
Migration - Meeting
Scotland's Needs - gov.scot
The paths to prosperity
for Scotland - First Minister's speech - gov.scot
The UK previously had a tailored migration route based on
geography. In 2005, the then Scottish and UK Governments
established the ‘Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland' scheme. This
was a post-study visa route for international students in
Scotland which ran from 2005 to 2008 and was then replaced by a
UK-wide post study work route before being disbanded in 2012.
The proposal for a Scottish Graduate Visa should be viewed
alongside other Scottish Government proposals for tailored
migration routes, which are focused on addressing specific
challenges within the immigration system such as the Rural Visa Pilot and
the Scottish Visa.
