Just to Verify Something about Tier 1 PSW...

I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself here since I haven't even started grad school yet (11 days  ) but I have already decided that should I want to stay in the UK after uni, I will go for the Tier 1 Post-Study Work visa (or whatever variation of this that may exist this time next year).  This would be my only option since I would not qualify T1-General on the financial end and I have no intentions of becoming a Mrs. anytime soon.

I've been reading over the UKBA site as I wanted to know how much I should be aiming to save over the next year for maintenance & the application fee.  While I was skimming through the site, I came across another tidbit of information that says that time spent on this visa would not count toward the time required to obtain ILR/settlement. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/poststudy/settlement/

So, am I reading this wrong or am I right in thinking that as it stands now, I could potentially spend 3 years in the UK (1 for uni, 2 for PSW) and it would essentially count for nothing in terms of gaining some kind of permanent status?  If that is the case, ouch!!!

Yes.  The time in this category is not bookable in its own right.  But to be fair to them, you agreed to these terms explicitly at the time your entry clearance was issued.  A student intends to leave the UK at the conclusion of their studies, and your application would have given evidence of this; and had you instead claimed an intent to settle in the UK, they would not have issued the visa in the first instance.

But if you can get to T1 proper, then your residence is bookable...

Sorry cg, that's how it goes. I was on a student visa for 4.5 years and it counted for nothing. That's why I'm switching to unmarried partner tomorrow; I didn't fancy having to spend another 5 years before I could become a citizen (if at all by that time!).

Thanks for the replies.  Yeah, Tier 1 General would be completely impossible for me.  This past year is the only year I haven't been a student (I'm 25 and took some extra time doing undergrad), and I've been working at a book shop to tide me over until I started school again.  So that means no real savings and certainly nothing to write home about as far as previous earnings go.

I can understand not counting the time as a student and had already accepted this to be a null year.  It's just a bit of a let down about the Post-Study Work visa.  It just seems like, why work and contribute for 2 years to get to another headache and wallet-ache over another visa application that is essentially the same thing you've been on, only now it would count?

Oh well, it's the nature of the beast, isn't it?

If it makes you feel better, and it may not be a like-for-like comparision, but int'l students in the US also undergo something similar. Of course the university years don't count for nothing, also the Optional Practical Training (OPT) period also doesn't qualify you for permanent residency.

I know, doesn't help 

If it makes you feel better, and it may not be a like-for-like comparision, but int'l students in the US also undergo something similar. Of course the university years don't count for nothing, also the Optional Practical Training (OPT) period also doesn't qualify you for permanent residency.

Yeah, I would have been in a similar position had I continued my studies in the US - I entered the US in Jan 2008 on a student visa to study for a PhD. My visa would have been valid for as long as I was enrolled in the PhD program, which I was estimating would take about 5 years to complete. However, after those 5 years were up, if I had wanted to try to get US citizenship, I would have had to either get a work permit for as long as it took to qualify for a green card/citizenship via employment or get married to an American and again wait until I qualified under the marriage visa category.