The visas, meant to encourage graduates to start their careers in the UK, are among the latest measures designed to show the benefits of Brexit as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks to move on from the so-called Partygate scandal that has disrupted his premiership in recent months.

Over the weekend it was reported that British shops will be allowed — but not required — to reintroduce imperial measurements and sell products in pounds and ounces. The UK adopted the metric system on a mostly voluntary basis from 1965 and it became a legal European Union directive in 2000 for certain products.

To qualify, a person must have attended a university which appeared in the top 50 of at least two of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings or The Academic Ranking of World Universities, in the year in which they graduated.

The list of eligible universities from 2021, published online by the government, featured 20 US universities, including Harvard, Yale and MIT.
There were a further 17 qualifying institutions, including the University of Hong Kong, University of Melbourne and the Paris Sciences et Lettres University.

Some academics have voiced their disappointment that no South Asian, Latin American or African universities have been included on the list.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "The route means that the UK will grow as a leading international hub for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. "We want the businesses of tomorrow to be built here today, which is why I call on students to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to forge their careers here."