Need to know

• Incoming international students must now show they have more funds available to support themselves while studying in the UK.

• From 1 Jan 2027, the post-study Graduate visa will shrink to 18 months, except for PhD graduates.

• Immigration advisors will play a bigger role in helping students stay compliant and plan ahead for study-to-work transitions.

Welcome to TSL’s Weekly Edge, whether you’re aiming for a regional or high-street practice, or just want to get a feel for how law works in the real world beyond textbooks, you’re in the right place. 

No corporate jargon, no massive deals, just real useful information designed to give you that extra edge in your legal journey.

🧠Wilson’s Weekly Wisdom

 One promise I made to myself when I started uni was simple: say yes more and get involved. What’s the worst that could happen? You try something once, don’t like it, and never have to do it again.

Getting involved is such a big part of student life, not just academically, but socially too. Uni is one of the few times in life where you can test-drive new things with zero pressure. You’ll be surprised at what you stumble across: ultimate frisbee, crocheting club, or societies you didn’t even know existed.

The point isn’t to be good at everything. It’s to put yourself out there, collect experiences, and discover corners of yourself you didn’t know were there. You never know you might just surprise yourself!

💡Spotlight Article

In the year to June 2025, UKVI issued 431,725 sponsored study visas. That’s a huge number of people trying to navigate a fiddly system.

But here’s the kicker: they can’t just ask anyone for help!

🔎What’s happening? 

Immigration advice must come from people who’re allowed to give it, such as regulated advisors or qualified immigration lawyers as permitted by the  Immigration Advice Authority, or by the  Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, for instance.

Giving unregistered advice is not just sloppy, it’s a criminal offence! Needless to say, regulated advisors are essential.

Regulated advisors are the ones who help students with the messy rigmarole: switching routes, extensions, overstaying risks, from first applications right through to tricky post-study decisions.

Realistically, they’re the legal safety net for international students.

What policy changes are international students and graduates being faced with?

Incoming international students will need to show that they meet higher maintenance requirements to include as following:

• From 11 Nov 2025, incoming students will need to show higher maintenance money: £1,529/month in London and £1,171/month outside London.

• From 1 Jan 2027, the Graduate visa drops from 2 years to 18 months, so BA/MA grads have a lot less time to land a Skilled Worker job and a sponsor. PhD grads still get 3 years, but that’s the exception.

• There’s talk about increasing the time needed on a Skilled Worker visa before you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain from 5 to 10 years. Citizens Advice is flagging that applying for citizenship could get harder, so people should probably get on top of it sooner rather than later.

📌 Chronological case study: An international student’s advice timeline

Let’s think through an example for a minute.

An MA student heading to Manchester to study at one of its universities.  

Excited, but swamped by new visa rules, higher maintenance funds and tighter post-study options. Once there, life happens; missed deadlines, academic struggles, tough choices like taking leave, all of which can trigger visa cuts.

That’s where Immigration advisors and uni support teams step in. 

They explain what needs to go in the bank, which forms to file, and how to stay visa-safe, and good advisors keep students calm and in the know when stakes are high.

Fast-forward to graduation.

By 2027, the Graduate visa drops to 18 months, making the hunt for Skilled Worker sponsorship a race. In this instance, an advisor can help our student navigate salary rules, job codes and deadlines, clearly and confidently.

So, the upshot?

Immigration advisors are the quiet heroes keeping international students on track, on time, and still in the country they’ve worked hard to call home.

❓ Why it matters to high street firms

Student and graduate visa cases sit right where law meets real life.

High stakes, fast deadlines, and anxious clients. One mistake can cost someone their right to stay. This is where high street firms can make good use of the opportunity to shine!

They’ll know when a problem’s a quick fix, and when it’s time to fight.

They’ll also translate jargon into plain English, handle withdrawal notices, and calm panicked clients who’ve just had a visa refusal land in their inbox. 

And sometimes, they’ll fight for fairness all the way, as seen with a student whose visa was cancelled by email, one he never got. The Court of Appeal sided with him.

That’s what good immigration lawyers do: spot the moment a simple admin error becomes a legal win!

If turning refusals into second chances sounds like your kind of work, then immigration law’s calling for you!

Leave to Remain

Long story short, it is the official permission to stay in the UK, your legal stamp that says, “You’re good to be here.”

Limited Leave = temporary stay.

Indefinite Leave = permanent stay.

All of the above’s covered under the Immigration Act 1971.