The Career Development Service is an important part of the Student Experience support function. Our team has significant real-world experience in the areas of coaching, recruitment, human resources and business development. We help students develop their personal career journey, so they can find meaningful employment that utilises their Cranfield qualification.

If you are an international student, it is important to be aware of the visas required to work in the UK and abroad after graduation. The following information should act as a signpost to resources, so that you can research your options thoroughly.

Working in the UK after Cranfield
In a major boost for international students, the UK Government has announced a new Graduate route, expanding opportunities for international students to build successful careers in the UK. All international students who join Cranfield in the 2020/2021 academic year will be eligible for the new scheme.

Launching on 1 July 2021, this route will be open to all international students who have a valid UK immigration status as a student and have successfully completed their course at Cranfield. The visa will allow eligible students to work, or look for work, in any career or position of their choice, for two years ( for MSc students) and three years (for PhD students) after completing their studies. During the period of their visa, they will be able to switch onto the ‘skilled work visa’ if they find a job which meets the skills requirements of the UK Government.

Resources for Employers
Cranfield University creates global leaders in technology and management, we are renowned for having a rich student body from culturally diverse backgrounds. With their combination of academic excellence, research capabilities and knowledge of real-world applications, they are able to make valuable contributions to commercial objectives.

For information on sponsoring someone as a Skilled Worker or on a Tier 5 visa, employers should visit the UK Visas and Immigration's guidance for employers. As a student, it is useful to be aware of this, should a potential employer have any questions.

Making your business case to Employers
In order to be successful with any application for employment, you will need to provide evidence for your skills and abilities, as well as demonstrate your career motivation. We have a Learning Pack dedicated to the art of filling in an Application Form, which can be downloaded here; and a Factsheet on Speculative Applications which can be found here.

We would also recommend that you take the time to write a compelling Cover Letter, outlining the type of permit that you are looking for and any steps an employer would need to take in order to hire you. The Learning Pack related to this topic can be found here.

Finally, to be totally proactive and generate your own opportunities, you should read up on The Hidden Jobs Market to discover how to find roles that aren’t advertised; you can download our Factsheet on this here.

National Insurance Numbers
You need to have a National Insurance number if you’re planning to work in the UK. You can start work without one if you can prove you have the right to work here. You do not need a National Insurance number to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Resources for International Students
We have teamed up with Student Circus to help our international students find employment in the UK.

All employers on the site are:

• confirmed as willing to sponsor the UK Work Visa
• verified as offering salaries as per immigration rules
• licensed with the Home Office
• able to provide expert immigration advice

By using the site, our international students can expect to:

• get prepared for the UK job market and build a network
• discover structured and formal paid internships designed with flexibility
• improve their chances to get a job with the same company
• All Cranfield students will receive a log-in to Student Circus once they arrive on campus.

Psw 2 yrs

English language
If you are an international student you will need to provide evidence that you have achieved a satisfactory test result in an English qualification. Our minimum requirements are as follows:

IELTS Academic - 6.5 overall
TOEFL - 92
Pearson PTE Academic - 65
Cambridge English Scale - 180
Cambridge English: Advanced - C
Cambridge English: Proficiency - C
Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English III - Pass

In addition to these minimum scores you are also expected to achieve a balanced score across all elements of the test. We reserve the right to reject any test score if any one element of the test score is too low.

We can only accept tests taken within two years of your registration date (with the exception of Cambridge English tests which have no expiry date).

Applicants who do not already meet the English language entry requirement for their chosen Cranfield course can apply to attend one of our Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.