Almost 600 overseas students have successfully applied to stay in Scotland for a further two years since a new scheme was introduced in June.

Visa extensions were granted as part of the Scottish Executive's Fresh Talent initiative, which hopes to encourage skilled workers to settle in Scotland.

The Fresh Talent:Working in Scotland scheme, open to non-European Union students, is a key part of the Fresh Talent initiative aimed at boosting Scotland's population and attracting qualified foreign workers and was agreed to by the Home Office, which has responsibility over UK immigration policy.

Students have one year from the time they complete their studies to apply and must intend to work in Scotland during the two years.

If they wish to transfer into standard work permit employment this must be in Scotland and at the end of the two years they must either leave the country or switch to a standard managed migration scheme.

In the first four months of the scheme, up to October, a total of 586 graduates had successfully applied for the two-year visa to work in Scotland.