UK Summer Interns Exempted from Tier 2 Cooling off Period

Temporary exemption from the United Kingdom Tier 2 (General) cooling off rules will allow the students who were engaged in internship work last summer to return to a graduate job with the same company.

The students under the cooling off rules of Tier 2 (General) must wait for at least one year from the end of their last application before reapplying once they have left the Tier 2.

The students can take advantage of the temporary exemption until October 31, 2012.

The student must meet the following eligibility criteria to avail the exemption:

• be sponsored by the same company where you worked as an intern in the summer of 2011;
• have previously been granted permission under Tier 2 (General) with that company for a temporary job lasting no more than 4 months as an intern or a summer associate;
• have completed a degree course within 18 months of your application;be returning to the UK on a graduate trainee scheme; and
• be making a Tier 2 (General) application with a start date on the certificate of sponsorship of 31 October 2012 or before.

Employers are encouraged to use Tier 5  for internships and a number of Government authorised exchange schemes are available under Tier 5 .

The United Kingdom Home Office data has revealed that the foreign students are preferring other countries over UK for studies as a drop of 62 per cent in the student visa issued during the first quarter of 2012 is observed as a result of changes made to UK visa polices for international students.

UK Immigration minister Damian Green said,”Our tough new rules are now making a real difference with a record 62 per cent drop in student visas in the first quarter of 2012, and overall falls in work visas, family numbers and people settling.”

Tags: Student Visa, Study visa, UK, UK internship, UK study visa, UK Tier 2 visa