Canada will allow international graduates with recently expired or close-to-expiring work permits to stay in the country for an additional 18 months.

Australia has announced the list of courses eligible for extended post-study work rights - up to four years for eligible bachelor graduates - ranging from health to education to construction, from July.

While PSW-visa holders are "in a variety of graduate-level roles and with an impressive range of organisations", the UK has not yet benefitted from the full potential of the route.

International graduates who stay and work in Australia earn lower salaries than their domestic counterparts, although the wage gap has reduced since 2021. 

Priti Patel said she is a “great believer” in the graduate scheme as the government proposes plans to reduce the time students can remain in the UK.

Raising awareness among UK employers of the graduate route remains key if the initiative will succeed, but other challenges exist.

The ability for UK masters and PhD students to bring dependants is key in allowing UK universities to recruit students from a wider range of countries and compete against other study destinations, the UK government has emphasised.

Canada’s decision to remove the limit on number of hours international students are permitted to work while studying will have a ‘tremendous’ impact but needs to be closely monitored, says Global Affairs Canada, and institutions to be asked to share data on impact.