Career Guidance — TC vs SQE2 + QWE Route (Graduate Visa Expiring Jan 2026)

[m.legalcontact]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some guidance on my career options and the best way forward. I originally live in Dubai but have been in the UK for 6 years now, completing my undergrad, LPC and paralegal job here.

I graduated in 2022 with a training contract at an international law firm which was beginning in 2023 and 2:1 Law degree from University of Leeds. Due to my CAS letter not coming in time, I ended up having to apply to the 6 month LPC course in London. I did quite well in all my exams, except for the legal writing module. Due to being marked Not Yet competent, my tc was rescinded mid-LPC and I was left to complete my LPC without any certainty of the future. I applied for paralegal roles and landed one at another international law firm. I've been working there since 2023, and back in the applicant's pool with not much success. It was quite a tough thing to get over, but honestly, I'd make a much better trainee today than I would have back then so I've grown a lot.

I’m currently on a UK Graduate Visa which expires in January 2026. My original plan was to secure a training contract before then, but I’m also considering qualifying through the SQE route.

One option I’m looking at is applying for the SQE2 January 2026 intake (on a student visa). It’s a 3-month course, which means I’d complete the academic part by April 2026. At that point, I’d only need a couple more months of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) to meet the two-year requirement. I’ve already built up significant paralegal experience that should count.

The main issue is that I’d then be a newly qualified lawyer in Dubai by the end of 2026, as I’d likely have to return there. I’m unsure what the market is like for someone qualifying this way, and I’ve heard mixed things about opportunities for this route in Dubai or otherwise. My gut says that having completed a training contract in the UK would give me a much stronger position to return with, but I also don’t want to be chasing TC applications indefinitely. It occurred to me that I could continue applying for direct training contracts even in dubai but I can't seem to figure out how long to go on for or anything.

Has anyone been in a similar position or seen how each route plays out in practice? I’d really appreciate any insights on:

• The pros/cons of qualifying via SQE + QWE vs TC for someone in my position
• How UK qualification via SQE is perceived in the UK and Dubai market
• Whether it’s worth prioritising TC applications for the next year or starting SQE2 preparations sooner

Thanks so much for any advice you can share!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hiya @m.legalcontact

Thanks for laying all of this out clearly. I'm really sorry about the TC getting rescinded for reasons that seemed so out of your control. You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into your next steps, so I hope some what I say below is useful to you.

From having spoken to recruiters, my impression is that traditional TC routes still carry more weight in both the UK and Middle East markets. Some of the recruiters I've met have said that a sizeable number of NQ roles in Dubai (especially at the international and even top regional firms) are generally aimed at candidates who have trained at elite Magic Circle or US outfits. That doesn’t mean there’s zero path through SQE + QWE, but it does mean you may face an uphill battle in terms of perception, especially if you’re qualifying without a firm already lined up to retain you. For that reason, I'm inclined to say that you’ll be in a stronger position with a TC under your belt, both in terms of credibility and practical exposure to high-quality work.

As for the qualification routes, if you’ve done the LPC, you’ll likely get an exemption from SQE1, but you’ll still need to sit and pass SQE2. Equivalent Means is technically still an option, but I'm told that this isn't realistic unless you have a supportive employer. Essentially, you’ll need an organisation willing to sponsor your PSC, verify your work, and produce detailed documentation proving that your experience matches the training standard of a TC. Someone very involved with grad recruitment mentioned to me that the bar for evidence can be quite high, and that she's seen only a few successful applications with hundreds of pages of supporting documents and supervisor assessments (as well as several rejections where the evidence just didn’t cut it).

From almost everyone I've spoken to, the consensus seems to be that individuals should avoid qualifying unless they have an NQ role lined up. If you qualify without a job, you risk being stuck in a no-man’s-land (i.e. technically qualified but not marketable, because firms won’t see you as having had structured training). That’s especially risky if you’re planning to return to Dubai, where the bar for junior hires can be quite high.

In terms of what to do now, I think you still have time. I’d treat the next 6-9 months as your last full application cycle and push hard for a TC (both in the UK and directly in the Middle East). You've done it once before, and I really believe you can do it again, particularly given the impressive experience you've now amassed. Look at firms with strong Middle East offices or a track record of relocating associates. If you reach mid-2025 without success, then yes, the SQE2 route via student visa could make sense, but only if you’re confident in your QWE and ideally have a firm open to taking you on post-qualification.

I'm sure the other community assistants and @Jaysen might have more to add here, but I hope this was helpful. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

 

[m.legalcontact]

Hiya @m.legalcontact

Thanks for laying all of this out clearly. I'm really sorry about the TC getting rescinded for reasons that seemed so out of your control. You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into your next steps, so I hope some what I say below is useful to you.

From having spoken to recruiters, my impression is that traditional TC routes still carry more weight in both the UK and Middle East markets. Some of the recruiters I've met have said that a sizeable number of NQ roles in Dubai (especially at the international and even top regional firms) are generally aimed at candidates who have trained at elite Magic Circle or US outfits. That doesn’t mean there’s zero path through SQE + QWE, but it does mean you may face an uphill battle in terms of perception, especially if you’re qualifying without a firm already lined up to retain you. For that reason, I'm inclined to say that you’ll be in a stronger position with a TC under your belt, both in terms of credibility and practical exposure to high-quality work.

As for the qualification routes, if you’ve done the LPC, you’ll likely get an exemption from SQE1, but you’ll still need to sit and pass SQE2. Equivalent Means is technically still an option, but I'm told that this isn't realistic unless you have a supportive employer. Essentially, you’ll need an organisation willing to sponsor your PSC, verify your work, and produce detailed documentation proving that your experience matches the training standard of a TC. Someone very involved with grad recruitment mentioned to me that the bar for evidence can be quite high, and that she's seen only a few successful applications with hundreds of pages of supporting documents and supervisor assessments (as well as several rejections where the evidence just didn’t cut it).

From almost everyone I've spoken to, the consensus seems to be that individuals should avoid qualifying unless they have an NQ role lined up. If you qualify without a job, you risk being stuck in a no-man’s-land (i.e. technically qualified but not marketable, because firms won’t see you as having had structured training). That’s especially risky if you’re planning to return to Dubai, where the bar for junior hires can be quite high.

In terms of what to do now, I think you still have time. I’d treat the next 6-9 months as your last full application cycle and push hard for a TC (both in the UK and directly in the Middle East). You've done it once before, and I really believe you can do it again, particularly given the impressive experience you've now amassed. Look at firms with strong Middle East offices or a track record of relocating associates. If you reach mid-2025 without success, then yes, the SQE2 route via student visa could make sense, but only if you’re confident in your QWE and ideally have a firm open to taking you on post-qualification.

I'm sure the other community assistants and @Jaysen might have more to add here, but I hope this was helpful. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

Hey @Ram Sabaratnam

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and for explaining everything so thoroughly. I agree that qualifying via the SQE2 is still somewhat risky given the market hasn’t fully adjusted to that route, which could place barriers on employability both in the UK and the Middle East.

I recently realised that my current paralegal role would only count for one year of QWE, even though I’ve been with the firm for two. This is because I spent a significant amount of time working on a DocuSign workstream, which was more tech-focused than “legal work” under the QWE requirements. With that in mind, I anticipate heading back to Dubai in January 2026 needing one more year of QWE. My plan is to look for a paralegal role in Dubai, ideally with a firm that is familiar with the SQE route, though I would also consider any reputable international firm. This would hopefully allow me to line up a potential path to qualification while also continuing to apply for TCs from Dubai. In practice, this would give me around a one-year buffer to settle into the transition and see which route works out best, ultimately also giving me cross-border experience under my belt which would count for something when applying to TCs for another year. Does that sound like a reasonable approach?

In the meantime, I’m treating this application cycle as my last and applying as widely as I can for winter vacation schemes and direct TCs, although I haven’t had much success so far. Having this alternative plan in mind makes me feel more grounded, but I’d really value your perspective on whether it’s a sensible way forward.

I really appreciate all your help so far, and I hope this thread is also useful for anyone else who finds themselves in a similar situation.