Pre-registration Employment

What visa options are there for the pre-registration placement?

Pharmacy - MPharm and OSPAP

What are my options?

Skilled worker or GAE

The main visa option for you will be Skilled worker Visa, where the minimum annual salary fro Band 5 Pharmacy pre-reg students needs to be £20,480 and 70% of the going rate for the Pharmacy occupation code (due to be revised for 2021).

Current salary rates for the Pharmacy occupation code are £23,023 in England, £23,597 in Scotland, £23,023 in Wales and £22,795 in Northern Ireland

If you are not able to find a Pre-registration position with a Skilled worker sponsor that meets the salary requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa it may be possible for you to apply for a T5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) instead. Please contact an International Student Advisor in The Hub to find out if you are eligible for Tier 5 GAE sponsorship to do your pre-reg placement.

T5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa

Alternatively you may be able to apply for the T5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa. This visa is only available to 18-30 year olds of certain nationalities but if you are eligible to apply it will give you permission to work full-time in the UK for 2 years. You will not need to be sponsored by your employer for this visa. See the T5 Temporary Work webpage for further details.

If you think getting a visa for your pre-reg year will be a problem for you please book an appointment to see an International Student Adviser in The Hub.

Graduate Work Visa

On 11 September 2019, the Home Office announced that there will be a new Graduate immigration route available from summer 2021, similar to the previous Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) scheme which ended in April 2012. This route will provide international students with the opportunity to stay in the UK for a period of 2 years to live and work, or to look for work, after they graduate.

The final criteria for this Graduate Work Visa has not yet been released, and we cannot give more specific advice about this route at the time of writing however, for Pharmacy student’s who will complete a their degree course (MSc OSPAP, BSc or MPharm) summer 2021 or after, it is assumed you could also utilise this route for your pre-registration position. 

Optometry

What are my options?

International BSc Optometry students at Aston who will require a visa for their pre-reg placement have a number of options.

The MOptom & Student Visa extension

You may be offered the opportunity of continuing your studies by doing the MOptom alongside your pre-reg placement.  Or you may have enrolled on the MOptom at the beginning of your course.  If you decide to do the MOptom you will be able to extend your Tier 4 or Student visa until the course end date of the MOptom plus an extra 4 months.  This will cover you to do your pre-reg.  As the pre-reg will become a work placement that is an assessed part of the course you are allowed to do this full-time on a Tier 4 or Student visa.  It will also be easier to apply for a General visa if you want to continue working in the UK after your pre-reg placement has finished.  Please note that the Tier 4 or Student visa cannot be extended after the MOptom has finished even if you have not yet completed your pre-reg but you may be able to get sponsorship from the College of Optometrists for this (see below).

Please note that under current academic progression Rules if you enrol on the 3 year BSc Optometry and then decide to do the MOptom you will need to extend your Tier 4 Student visa.

T5 Government Authorised Exchange Scheme visa

The College of Optometrists will sponsor BSc Optometry graduates under their scheme for pre-reg students. Those students who decide not to take the MOptom may be able to get a visa under T5 instead. You won't be able to work in the UK after your pre-reg if you use T5 (see below), so all students are advised to take the MOptom and extend your Student visa where possible. The College also state on their website that they will not allow students to start their pre-reg until the T5 visa has been granted and received, unless they are taking it as a placement as part of the MOptom programme.

T5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa

This visa is only available to 18-30 year olds of certain nationalities but if you are eligible to apply it will give you permission to work full-time in the UK for 2 years. See the T5 Temporary Work webpage for further details.

Graduate Work Visa

On 11 September 2019, the Home Office announced that there will be a new Graduate immigration route available from summer 2021, similar to the previous Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) scheme which ended in April 2012. This route will provide international students with the opportunity to stay in the UK for a period of 2 years to live and work, or to look for work, after they graduate.

The final criteria for this Graduate Work Visa has not yet been released, and we cannot give more specific advice about this route at the time of writing however, for Optometry student’s who will complete a their degree course (BSc or MOptom) summer 2021 or after, it is assumed you could also utilise this route for your pre-registration position.

What do I need to do next?

  • Speak with an International Student Adviser at The Hub to discuss your visa options for your pre-registration placement. You are strongly advised to bring in your documents for checking at each stage of the process.
  • Make sure you apply for your National Insurance Number, if you don't already have one. Your sponsor may ask for this information, even if you haven't started working yet.
  • Optometry students: If you decide to apply for the Tier 5 GAE visa, you must apply to the College of Optometrists for your Certificate of Sponsorship. Those students applying for the Skilled Worker visa visa must obtain their Certificate of Sponsorship from their employer directly. 
  • Apply to UKVI for your visa, giving your Certificate of Sponsorship number on the application form. Information about how to apply can be found on the UKVI website.

The International Student Advisers can offer help and advice at each of these stages.

How can Aston Help me?

Through The Hub, Aston can:

  • Discuss your visa options for the pre-registration placement with you, and where there is a choice of visas available we can help you decide which is the best visa option for you.
  • Check if you're eligible to apply for T5, and if you can apply inside the UK.
  • Point you towards the UKVI guidance for employers and sponsors, if you are asked for this information.

Due to UKVI rules and the nature of our immigration advice service:

  • We cannot sponsor you under T5. This must be done by the overarching body who has applied for the licence.
  • We cannot give detailed advice to employers who are unsure how Tier 5 will work or if you're eligible to work in the UK. It is the employer's responsibility to check this, and to get appropriate legal advice where necessary. Aston's advisers are qualified only to advise you as a student/recent graduate.