Swiss university graduates offered fast-track UK work visas

Britain is welcoming top university graduates from around the world, including Switzerland. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Graduates from Switzerland’s two federal institutes of technology are among those from 50 global universities being offered fast-track work visas in Britain.

The British government has opened up a “high potential individual” route for the “brightest and best” graduates to secure two-year work visas without needing a job offer – and three-year permits for PhD holders.

These visas could be extended to longer-term work permits if certain conditions are met.

People have been invited to apply if they have graduated from any non-British university which appeared in the top 50 of at least two of the following rankings: the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings or The Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and the federal technology institute ETH Zurich are the only two Swiss universities to appear on this listExternal link.

Applicants must also have good English language skills, the financial means to support themselves and pass security checks to qualify for work visas. There is no cap on the number of visas that could be issued.

“The route means that the UK will grow as a leading international hub for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship,” said British Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Monday.

Some academics have criticised the British deal for failing to include universities from Africa, Latin America or South Asia.

Like Switzerland, Britain is not a member of the European Union. Switzerland is currently locked out of the European Union’s €95 billion (CHF98 billion) Horizon Europe research funding programme – the largest of its kind worldwide – having been relegated to non-associated status.

Earlier this year, Swiss and British universities joined forces to start a joint initiative calling for an “open and barrier-free collaboration among Europe’s research and innovation actors”.