Graduate Visa
Work or look for work in the UK after completing degree studies. 2 years for most graduates, 3 years for PhD holders.
- Screening A few questions about your work, your family and your plans.
- Documents A checklist built around your route and who is coming with you.
- Expert review A qualified adviser reads every document before anything is filed.
- Application Every answer is checked against the published rules for your route.
- Submission Filed, with everything that went with it kept in one place.
- Arrival We stay with you through the crossing and the first steps after.
Job offer needed
Not required
The Graduate route is unsponsored
Permit length
2 years
3 years with a PhD; 18 months from 2027
Leads to settlement
No
You can switch to another visa
What is the UK Graduate visa?
The Graduate route lets a Student visa holder who has successfully completed an eligible course in the UK (at bachelor's degree level or above, with an education provider that has a track record of compliance) stay on to work or look for work. It is unsponsored, so no job offer or sponsoring employer is needed, and the applicant must apply from inside the UK.
Who the Graduate route is for
This route is for someone already in the UK on a Student visa, or the former Tier 4 (General) student visa, who has successfully completed an eligible course — at UK bachelor's degree level or above — with an education provider that has a track record of compliance as a Student sponsor. The education provider reports that successful completion to the Home Office, and the applicant does not have to wait for a graduation ceremony or a certificate before applying. A small number of other qualifications, including certain legal and teaching qualifications, are also treated as eligible.
Requirements
- Current or last-held Student permissionThe applicant must have, or have last had, permission to stay as a Student, including under the former Tier 4 (General) student route.
- Applying from inside the UKThe applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.
- Applying before the current permission expiresThe application must be made before the applicant's Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa expires.
- Successful completion of the courseThe applicant must have successfully completed the course of study taken during their last grant of permission to study as a Student.
- Education provider's track record of complianceThe course must have been taken with an education provider, such as a university or college, that is a licensed Student sponsor with a track record of compliance.
- Education provider notifies the Home OfficeThe education provider must have told the Home Office, by the date of application, that the course was successfully completed.
- Qualification levelThe applicant needs to have completed a UK bachelor's degree, a UK postgraduate degree, or one of a small number of other listed professional qualifications at bachelor's degree level or above.
- Minimum time studying in the UKThe applicant needs to have studied in the UK for at least 12 months, if the course's total length is more than 12 months, or for the whole length of the course, if it is 12 months or shorter.
- Not previously used the routeThe applicant must not have been previously granted permission on the Graduate route or under the former Doctorate Extension Scheme.
- No sponsor or job offer neededThe Graduate route does not depend on a job offer or a sponsoring employer. It is an unsponsored route.
Documents typically needed
- Valid passport or other travel documentMust show identity and nationality.
- Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference numberThe reference number from the education provider for the Student visa application that was completed.
- Proof of current Student permissionAn eVisa share code, or a biometric residence permit (BRP).
- Proof of relationship with a partner or childrenNeeded if a partner or children are applying at the same time.
- Letter from a scholarship or sponsorship providerNeeded only where that provider paid both the course fees and living costs in the 12 months before the date of application.
- Certified translationFor any document that is not in English or Welsh.
How to apply
Check eligibility for the course completed
Confirm the course taken with the current Student visa, or Tier 4 (General) student visa, has been successfully completed.
Gather the required documents
Collect a valid passport or other travel document, and the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number from the original Student visa application.
Apply online once the course is confirmed complete
The application can be made once the education provider has told the Home Office the course was successfully completed. There is no need to wait for a graduation ceremony or a certificate.
Prove identity and give biometrics
Identity is proved either by scanning an identity document with an identity-checking app, or by attending an appointment to give fingerprints and a photograph.
Wait for a decision
A decision is usually given within 8 weeks of applying online, proving identity and providing documents.
Fees & costs
- Home Office application fee
- £937
- Healthcare surcharge (guideline rate)
- Usually £1,035 per year
- Healthcare surcharge, 18 months' permission
- £1,152.50
- Healthcare surcharge, 2 years' permission
- £2,070
- Healthcare surcharge, 3 years' permission
- £3,105
Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/how-much-it-costs
Processing times
- Decision after applying online, proving identity and providing documents
- Usually within 8 weeks
Standard service time published by the Home Office. An applicant must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision is made, or the application will be withdrawn. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/apply
What you can and can't do
Permitted
- Work in most jobs
- Look for work
- Be self-employed
- Continue living in the UK with an eligible partner and children
- Travel abroad and return to the UK
- Do voluntary work, including for a registered charity, voluntary organisation, associated fundraising body, or statutory body
- Study a course that is not eligible for a Student visa
Not permitted
- Work as a professional sportsperson
- Apply for most public funds or the State Pension
- Extend a Graduate visa
What the visa allows and how long it lasts
A Graduate visa allows broad freedom to work, including self-employment, and to look for work, alongside the ability to travel abroad and return to the UK. The length of permission granted depends on the level of qualification completed and, for most qualification levels, on when the application is made — the current durations are set out below. The route carries some conditions, including a restriction on working as a professional sportsperson, and it is not a route to settlement.
Switching to another visa
A Graduate visa cannot be extended. Someone who wants to stay in the UK for longer generally needs to switch to a different route, such as the Skilled Worker visa, once they meet that route's own published requirements. A partner or child who was a dependant on the Student visa can apply to stay as a dependant on the Graduate visa, and their permission ends on the same date as the main applicant's.
If the application is refused
If an application is refused, the decision letter sets out the reasons by reference to the published requirements. The Graduate route carries no right of appeal, but an applicant who believes the Home Office made an error can apply for an administrative review.
Common questions
Can I apply for a Graduate visa from outside the UK?
Does a Graduate visa count towards settlement?
Can my partner and children join me on a Graduate visa?
Can I switch from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa?
How much does a Graduate visa cost?
How long does a decision take?
Can a Graduate visa holder work as a professional sportsperson?
Does the Graduate route need a job offer or a sponsor?
Talk it through with one of our solicitors.
Book a consultation and one of our immigration solicitors will go through your situation, the documents involved, and what happens next.
Student Visa
Study in the UK from age 16 with a licensed student sponsor. You need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies to apply.
Read the guide →Skilled Worker Visa
Work in the UK for approved employers in skilled occupations. Minimum salary £41,700 (or going rate), B2 English required, with a pathway to settlement after 5 years.
Read the guide →High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa
For graduates from top global universities to work in the UK without a job offer. 2-year visa (3 years for PhD holders), capped at 8,000 places per year.
Read the guide →