Graduate visa: Post-study work route

If you’re an international student in the UK and you want to stay in Britain after your studies, you may be eligible for the Graduate visa.

The Graduate visa is a post-study work visa designed to help foreign graduates find work in the UK on completion of their studies. This immigration route also benefits UK-based businesses by tapping into a diverse pool of high-potential global talent, with the UK welcoming hundreds of thousands of overseas students to universities and higher education institutions each year.

 

What is the UK’s Graduate visa?

The Graduate route allows international students who have successfully completed an eligible UK qualification to remain in the UK to work or look for work. This can be in any role and at any skill level. The visa is valid for 2 years for graduates of bachelor’s or master’s degrees, or 3 years for PhD or doctoral graduates.

Unlike sponsored work routes, such as the Skilled Worker visa, no job offer or Certificate of Sponsorship is required. Graduate visa holders can work in most jobs, be self-employed, change roles without notifying the Home Office, and set up a business (provided they comply with UK laws).

While the Graduate visa does not directly lead to settlement, it is often used as a stepping stone to other visas that do, such as Skilled Worker or Innovator Founder.

 

Who is eligible for the Graduate visa?

Applicants must meet all requirements under Appendix Graduate of the UK Immigration Rules:

• Valid immigration status: Hold permission as a Student at the time of application and apply from within the UK.
• Approved education provider: Have studied at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.
• Successful course completion: The course must be completed in full, and the education provider must have reported this to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
• Eligible qualification: UK bachelor’s degree, UK master’s degree, UK PhD/doctorate, or an approved professional qualification (e.g. LPC, BPC, PGCE/PGDE, foundation programme in medicine or dentistry, or other regulated qualifications).
• Study in the UK requirement: For courses of 12 months or less, study must have been entirely in the UK. For courses over 12 months, at least 12 months must have been completed in the UK.

 

Graduate visa requirements

No English language or financial requirement applies to this route because these were satisfied under the Student visa. However, applicants must meet the following:

• Have completed the qualification for which their last Student visa was granted.
• Education provider has informed UKVI of successful completion before application.
• Be physically present in the UK and hold valid Student permission at application date.
• Have not previously been granted a Graduate visa or leave under the Doctorate Extension Scheme.

Historic COVID-19 distance learning concession

The Home Office allowed time spent studying outside the UK between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2022 to count towards the study in UK requirement. These concessions no longer apply to new applicants.

 

How to apply for a Graduate visa

Applications must be submitted online from within the UK before the expiry of the current Student visa. The process includes:

• Confirming course completion: your university or college must have notified UKVI.
• Completing the online application form on GOV.UK.
• Verifying identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or by attending a UKVCAS appointment.
• Uploading required documents.

Applicants do not need to manually input their CAS number; UKVI will match this using the sponsor’s report of course completion.

 

Supporting documents

• Valid passport or travel document.
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), if one was issued under your Student visa.
• Written consent from any government or international scholarship agency that sponsored you in the last 12 months (covering fees and living costs).

 

How much does it cost to apply for a Graduate visa?

• Application fee: £880 per person (main applicant and each dependant).
• Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per adult per year; £470 per under-18 per year. Payable in full at application stage.

 

How long do Graduate visa applications take?

Processing typically takes up to 8 weeks from the date identity is verified and documents are submitted. Applicants can remain in the UK while awaiting a decision, provided they applied before their Student visa expired.

Leaving the UK or Common Travel Area while the application is pending will normally cause the application to be treated as withdrawn.

Successful applicants receive either a digital eVisa or a new BRP. Both allow proof of right to work and rent in the UK.

 

Can dependants apply on the Graduate visa route?

Dependants already in the UK as Student dependants can apply to remain as Graduate dependants. New dependants cannot join from overseas.

• Separate applications must be submitted for each dependant.
• Each dependant pays the £880 application fee and IHS (reduced to £470/year for children under 18).
• Dependants’ permission will match the length of the main applicant’s Graduate visa.

 

Can you extend a Graduate visa?

The Graduate visa is granted for a fixed period—2 years for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, 3 years for doctorates—and cannot be extended. Before expiry, holders may switch into other work routes such as Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder, or Global Talent, subject to meeting that route’s requirements.

Switching into the Skilled Worker route allows a path to Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years on that route. Time spent on the Graduate route does not count towards the 5-year settlement requirement.

 

FAQs

Can I apply from outside the UK?
No, applications must be made from within the UK with valid Student permission.

Do I need a job offer?
No, the Graduate route is unsponsored.

Can I be self-employed?
Yes, self-employment is permitted.

Does time on the Graduate visa count towards settlement?
No, but it can lead to a route that does.

Can my family join me?
Only if they are already in the UK as Student dependants.

 

Conclusion

The Graduate visa provides international graduates with valuable time to work or seek work in the UK without sponsorship. While it does not count towards settlement, it can be a strategic step to secure employment and transition to a settlement-qualifying route.

 

Glossary

Term	Definition
Graduate visa	Post-study work visa for eligible UK graduates, valid for 2 or 3 years.
Student visa	Visa for international students undertaking approved courses in the UK.
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)	Permanent right to live in the UK.
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)	Digital work authorisation from a licensed UK employer (not required for Graduate visa).
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)	Annual fee granting access to the NHS during a visa holder’s stay.

 

Useful Links

Resource	URL
GOV.UK – Graduate visa guidance	https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa
GOV.UK – Apply for a Graduate visa	https://www.gov.uk/apply-graduate-visa
GOV.UK – Immigration Health Surcharge	https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
DavidsonMorris – Graduate visa	https://www.davidsonmorris.com/graduate-visa/
Xpats.io – Graduate visa	https://www.xpats.io/graduate-visa/