Video News Script: ' Scotland Wants to Extend International Student Visas—But Can They Really Stay?’
Opening Scene: Introducing the topic
Voiceover: Introduction to the PSW policy– PSW visa, known as post study work visa., is a UK government policy that allows eligible international students to stay in the UK after graduation to work or seek employment.
In 2025, the Scottish government formally proposed the ‘Scottish Graduate Visa’, this visa aimed at allowing international graduates to stay in Scotland for up to two years. The new visa would be granted for up to two years, acting as a bridge between the Study and Graduate visas and the Skilled Worker Visa. Scotland First Minister John Swinney highlighted the visa’s role in addressing Scotland’s population challenges and supporting economic growth. However, similar proposals were put forward in 2016 and 2024 but were both rejected by the UK government on the grounds of maintaining a nationally unified immigration policy.
Background Briefing: Policy and Employment Environment
Voiceover: The PSW visa was introduced in 2008 to allow international graduates to stay and work in the UK for two years, enhancing the attractiveness of the UK as a study destination. Four years after the policy was introduced, the visa was cancelled due to immigration control. Following this change, the number of Indian students in the UK has dropped by nearly 60%. Until 2020, the UK government reinstated this visa policy again. The number of international students applying for PSW visa is rising every year. However, many international students still face challenges when applying for a visa and finding a job.
Interview: student representative
Interview: Zhibin Kuang, Representative of the University of Glasgow Students' Union Publicity Department
Policy process
Voiceover: Zhibin is mainly responsible for the publicity department in the Students' Union, so he gets feedback from students mainly from Chinese self-publishing media platforms and communicates with the publicity departments of other universities in the UK.
Voiceover: In the Chinese social media platforms he is responsible for, he noticed that these self-publishing media accounts have never published any promotional content related to the PSW visa policy, but these accounts have received many enquiries from students about the policy, asking about the application process, and policy trends. In Zhibin's opinion, visa policy, application process, and language are all challenges for international students who want to stay in the UK and find work.
I think the most difficult problem is the policy. And the second difficult problem is the process is difficult. As for the fee, I think that is not a problem, because we seldom listening about how to apply for the psw and also for the working visa. And and that is also to the most of the Chinese students. I tried to check the EMAIL of our school, but I found nothing about the working visa and also the psw Information.
And the requirement for the Chinese students to acquire that is much more difficulty than the local students. For example, you can not only speak English, you should also are working better 2 or 3 times than the local students. And so I think that is a problem that the Chinese students have now.
Voiceover: For the Students' Union, it is not their priority to consider the development of students after graduation, and they rarely discuss visa policy with the rest of the school's team.
Contributor speaking: “I think the students union, most of our focus is about how to make the students study here better than before. And for the working, I think that is not we focus”
Interview: Bill, Representatives of the University of Glasgow Student Representative Council, from Botswana
Voiceover: The duration of the PSW is an important issue for international students. The current UK psw policy allows international students to stay in the UK for 2-3 years, which is not a long period of time and makes it difficult for students to make a short-term decision about whether or not to stay and work in the UK.
Contributor speaking: “For me personally, it doesn't make sense because the time for two to four years is very little. So, it's just, it's just too much of a short time for me to make big decisions like moving here permanently from my home country.”
Voiceover: For some international graduates, international students face different situations for different majors. PSW visa restrictions make it difficult to complete professional qualifications, such as the bar exam for law graduates, before their stay in the UK expires.
Contributor speaking: What I studied, which is law, in order for me to be able to practice here l still leave an additional. About two years just to take a bar exam. By the time I'm done and qualified to practice here. The visa will be over after paying money to take a bar exam after paying money for.
Voiceover: In addition, the cost of obtaining a PSW visa is very high and the cost of living in the UK has been rising. The issue of cost has become a key factor for international students to consider staying in the UK.
Contributor speaking: If you're an international student, you have to think about that, just the cost implication and how long you'd be allowed to stay in the UK. As I mentioned earlier, I still need an additional about 2 years just to take a bar exam. By the time I'm done., the visa will be over after paying money to take a bar exam after paying money for the visa. It just feels like it's not worth it, because there's so much expenses and just other difficulties that I have to overcome. Employer interviews
Voiceover: To help students find jobs, the University of Glasgow organizes regular on-campus job fairs.
Voiceover: Although there may be a lack of experience working with international students, at present, companies are open to international students, and some positions will be available to international students.
Interview: Mark Duncan, Staff of AGENCY23
Contributor speaking: We are currently employ looking to employ three possessions, and we certainly wouldn't tone out international from that. And we also have an internship through the university just now where anyone can apply including international students.
Voiceover: When international students choose to join the UK workplace, they must not only meet the recruitment requirements, but also overcome barriers such as language and cultural background, and need to develop in all aspects
Interview: Mark Duncan, Staff of AGENCY23
Contributor speaking: I think obviously being in Scotland, I think you'll have found that we speak quite quickly and it's quite hard to understand and we have ourselves different culture.
Voiceover: In addition to the different requirements for international students in different positions, he also pays special attention to the interpersonal skills of international students.
Contributor speaking: The being criteria would obviously be experience in marketing and social media and also experience just of people and be able to speak to people, because it's a very important part of what we do.
Interview: PSW holder
Voiceover: Living in the London, Zhuoran Li is an independent illustrator active on Chinese social media and has been on a psw visa for two years. However, she continues to encounter difficulties in this area of finding a job. In her opinion, there is a big difference between locals and international students when it comes to finding a job.
Interview: Zhuoran Li, independent illustrator, UAL graduate, has been on a psw visa for two years, from China
Contributor speaking: “I think they're definitely have some differences. They are more willing to hire local people as professional illustrators. Local people don't need to consider about visa issues which is more stable for the company, prepared with people like me who need to hold a visa.”
Voiceover: Overall, she believes that the PSW is a favorable visa policy for international students and that there is currently no room for improvement. The ability of international students to get a job in the UK does not depend on whether they are granted a psw visa or a work visa. Whether or not the UK job market is in demand for the student's field of study is an even more important influencing factor.
Contributor speaking: “I think（psw visa） it's pretty good. There's nothing to improve for me. Just don't cancel such a good visa, because I feel that the policy may not change the fact that company do not want to hire foreigners. This is not the policy issues, I think so. I think in the policy parts is nothing to have to improvement.
Voiceover: The proposed new PSW visa policy for Scotland lacked appeal to her. This is limited by a number of factors such as the living environment, the academic environment and the working atmosphere.
Contributor speaking: “I am used to living in London and the opportunity in the lifestyle in London. In comparison, Scotland has taken the art school, and related job opportunities will be greatly reduced. So, unfortunately, I think I don’t want to go to Scotland for all that.”
Voiceover: "While the PSW visa remains a crucial pathway for international graduates to gain work experience in the UK, its effectiveness remains debatable. Students face challenges beyond visa policies—high living costs, employer preferences, and limited job opportunities in certain fields. Meanwhile, Scotland’s renewed push for an independent PSW visa highlights the ongoing debate over immigration policies and regional workforce needs. But with the UK government firmly opposed to regional visa variations, the question remains: will Scotland ever get its own Graduate Route, and more importantly, will it truly address the employment challenges that international students face?"