To secure a Tier 2 UK visa, the sponsoring company currently needs to prove that there is no one in the UK or EU able to fill the position, or that you’re a recent graduate from a UK university - and you’ll need to be paid a minimum of £30,000 annually⁵.
The sponsoring company must also hold a license to sponsor Tier 2 UK visa employees⁶.
Motivated MBA graduates are usually able to fill these requirements with licensed companies so long as they begin their search for jobs in the UK after their MBA early enough in the year.
The career services department at all reputable MBA colleges in London and UK business schools is the first and best resource international MBA students have. But the onus remains on the candidate (not the school) to reach out to this department, communicate their post-MBA job desires and pursue opportunities. It’s in the school’s best interest for all their students to be gainfully employed (or starting their own successful companies), but it’s not their responsibility.
Currently, there is a cap on the number of Tier 2 skilled-worker visas which is one reason to hustle to secure job opportunities in the UK for MBA graduates. But, this may soon change. The immigration white paper released on 18 December 2018 proposes scrapping these limits⁷. However, Brexit also means that EU graduates will likely be joining the Tier 2 pool.
When these new regulations come into play and what will change depends somewhat on the final Brexit deal. With possible deal extensions on the table and growing calls for a new referendum, it’s tough to gauge future visa and job opportunities for graduates who studied MBA in the UK. But, even under the currently strict regulations, talented MBA grads seeking employment in the UK have typically been able to secure it.