1. Graduate Immigration Route: Overview

The Graduate Immigration Route opened for applications on 1 July 2021. It enables eligible international students who have successfully completed an eligible UK course to stay in the UK to work, look for work, or be self-employed after their studies.

The route is intended for international graduates who have recently completed a qualifying course in the UK and who have, or last had, permission as a Student or Tier 4 (General) student. Applicants do not need a job offer, Certificate of Sponsorship or employer sponsorship in order to apply.

A Graduate visa lasts for 2 years for most non-doctoral applicants who apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months for most non-doctoral applicants who apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years for applicants who have completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification.

The Graduate route is not a route to settlement and cannot be extended. However, time spent in the UK with Graduate permission may provide an opportunity to gain work experience, seek sponsored employment or prepare to switch into another immigration route, such as Skilled Worker, where the relevant requirements are met.

The main requirements for the Graduate route are set out in Appendix Graduate to the Immigration Rules and Home Office caseworker guidance.

2. Graduate Visa Changes in 2026 and 2027

The period of permission granted under the Graduate route is changing for many applicants.

For applicants who have completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the Graduate visa will continue to be granted for 3 years.

For most other successful Graduate route applicants, the length of permission will depend on the date of application:

• applicants who apply on or before 31 December 2026 will normally be granted 2 years’ permission;
• applicants who apply on or after 1 January 2027 will normally be granted 18 months’ permission.

This means that the timing of a Graduate visa application may be important for non-doctoral applicants. However, applicants should not apply before they meet the requirements. In particular, the Student sponsor must have notified the Home Office that the applicant has successfully completed the relevant course before the Graduate visa application is made.

Applicants must also apply before their Student or Tier 4 (General) student permission expires. A Graduate visa application made too early, before the successful course completion notification has been made, or too late, after the applicant’s permission has expired, may be refused unless an exception applies.

A Graduate visa starts from the date the application is approved. It is not backdated to the date of course completion, the date of graduation or the date on which the application was submitted.

3. Graduate Visa Eligibility Checklist

In order to qualify for a Graduate visa, applicants must satisfy the validity, suitability and eligibility requirements in Appendix Graduate to the Immigration Rules.

In summary, an applicant will normally need to show that:

• they are in the UK when they apply;
• they have, or last had, permission as a Student or Tier 4 (General) student;
• they are applying online using the correct Graduate route application form;
• they have paid the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge;
• they have provided biometrics, where required;
• they have provided a valid passport or other document establishing their identity and nationality;
• they have not previously been granted permission under the Graduate route;
• they have not previously been granted permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme;
• they have successfully completed an eligible UK course;
• their Student sponsor has notified the Home Office that they have successfully completed the relevant course;
• their Student sponsor is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance;
• they satisfy the Study in the UK requirement;
• they do not fall for refusal under the suitability requirements;
• they are not in the UK in breach of immigration laws, unless an exception applies;
• they are not on immigration bail;
• if required, they have written consent from a government or international scholarship agency.

The Graduate route is an unsponsored route. This means that applicants do not need to have a job offer or employer sponsor. However, they must have successfully completed an eligible course with a qualifying Student sponsor and must meet all of the requirements of Appendix Graduate.

4. Eligible Courses and Qualifications

To qualify for a Graduate visa, the applicant must have successfully completed an eligible course in the UK. The course must normally be the course for which the applicant’s current, or most recent, Student or Tier 4 (General) permission was granted.

The Student sponsor must be a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. Applicants should not assume that every UK education provider or every UK course will qualify for the Graduate route. The sponsor status and the course studied are both important.

The following qualifications will usually be eligible:

• a UK bachelor’s degree;
• a UK master’s degree;
• a UK PhD;
• another UK doctoral qualification.

Applicants may also qualify if they have completed certain professional or other specified qualifications, including:

• a law conversion course approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority;
• the Legal Practice Course in England and Wales;
• the Solicitors Course in Northern Ireland;
• a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland;
• the Bar Practice Course in England and Wales;
• the Bar Course in Northern Ireland;
• a Postgraduate Certificate in Education;
• a Postgraduate Diploma in Education;
• a professional course requiring study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above in a profession with reserved activities regulated by UK law or a UK public authority.

Where an applicant changed course without making a new Student visa application, the relevant course will normally be the course to which they changed, provided the change was permitted under the Student route.

A change in the name of a course will not necessarily prevent an applicant from qualifying, provided the course content remained the same. Similarly, an integral and assessed work placement or permitted study abroad programme will not necessarily prevent an applicant from meeting the qualification requirement.

5. Study in the UK Requirement

Applicants must satisfy the Study in the UK requirement. This requirement is intended to ensure that the applicant completed the required amount of study in the UK while holding Student or Tier 4 (General) permission.

If the course was 12 months or less, the applicant must normally have studied the full duration of the course in the UK.

If the course was longer than 12 months, the applicant must normally have studied in the UK for at least 12 months.

For this purpose, studying in the UK means that the applicant was in the UK when their education provider required them to be in the UK, for example to attend lectures, seminars, tutorials, supervision meetings, laboratory work or other required course activities.

Short trips outside the UK during weekends, vacations or term breaks will not necessarily prevent an applicant from satisfying the Study in the UK requirement. However, applicants who spent significant periods outside the UK during their course should check carefully whether they meet the requirement before applying.

There are also limited provisions for certain periods of distance learning overseas between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2022. These provisions may still be relevant to some applicants, particularly where their studies were affected by COVID-19-related arrangements.

Applicants should keep a clear record of their course dates, Student permission dates, travel history, any overseas study, any placement arrangements and any period of distance learning.

6. When to Apply for a Graduate Visa

A Graduate visa application must be made from inside the UK. Applicants cannot apply for the Graduate route from overseas.

Applicants must apply before their Student or Tier 4 (General) student permission expires. If an applicant allows their permission to expire before applying, their application may be refused unless an exception applies.

Applicants can apply once their education provider has told the Home Office that they have successfully completed the course studied with their Student or Tier 4 permission. They do not need to wait until they have attended a graduation ceremony or received their degree certificate, provided the education provider has made the required successful course completion notification to the Home Office.

It is sensible for applicants to check with their education provider if they are unsure whether this notification has been sent. If the notification has not been made by the date of application, the Graduate visa application is likely to be refused.

Once a Graduate visa application has been submitted, the applicant must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before receiving a decision. If they do, the application may be treated as withdrawn.

A decision is usually made within 8 weeks after the applicant has applied online, proved their identity and provided any required documents.

7. Application Process, Documents and Fees

Graduate visa applications are made online from inside the UK. Applicants must complete the Graduate route application form, pay the relevant application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, prove their identity and provide any required supporting documents.

Depending on their nationality and the identity document they hold, applicants may be able to prove their identity using the “UK Immigration: ID Check” app. Other applicants may need to attend a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services appointment to enrol their biometrics.

The documents required will depend on the applicant’s circumstances. In most cases, applicants should prepare:

• a valid passport or other travel document showing identity and nationality;
• a biometric residence permit, if they have one;
• online proof of immigration status, such as an eVisa share code, if applicable;
• the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies reference number used for the course they completed;
• evidence of relationship to any dependant partner or child applying with them, where relevant;
• written consent from a government or international scholarship agency, if the applicant received sponsorship covering both course fees and living costs in the 12 months before applying;
• certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

The CAS reference number is the reference number issued by the education provider when the applicant was offered a place on the course completed with Student permission. If the applicant cannot locate their CAS reference number, they should ask their education provider for it.

The current Graduate visa application fee is £937. Applicants must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. The healthcare surcharge is normally calculated according to the length of permission granted. Fees and surcharge levels can change, so applicants should always check the latest figures before applying.

Applicants do not need to show maintenance funds for a Graduate visa application and do not need to provide evidence of a job offer.

8. What You Can and Cannot Do on a Graduate Visa

A Graduate visa allows successful applicants to remain in the UK after completing an eligible course. It is a flexible immigration route because it does not require a job offer or employer sponsorship.

With Graduate permission, a person can:

• work in most jobs;
• look for work;
• be self-employed;
• do voluntary work;
• travel abroad and return to the UK;
• continue living in the UK with eligible dependants, where the dependant requirements are met.

However, Graduate permission is subject to conditions. A Graduate visa holder cannot access most public funds or the State Pension. They also cannot work as a professional sportsperson.

Study is restricted. A Graduate visa holder can only study on a course that is not eligible for Student route sponsorship. If the proposed course is eligible under the Student route, the applicant may need to apply for Student permission instead.

Study may also be subject to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme requirement where the course or research falls within the relevant sensitive subject areas.

Graduate visa holders who intend to work in regulated professions should also check any professional registration, qualification recognition or right to practise requirements that apply to their sector.

9. Graduate Visa Dependants

A partner or child may be able to apply as a dependant on the Graduate route, but the rules are more limited than many applicants expect.

In general, a partner or child can apply as a dependant on the Graduate route if they are already in the UK as a dependant on the applicant’s current Student or Tier 4 (General) student permission.

A child born in the UK during the applicant’s current Student or Tier 4 permission can also apply as a dependant on the Graduate route. A child born in the UK does not automatically become a British citizen by birth, and a dependant application may be required if the child is to travel in and out of the UK.

A dependant partner will need to show that they are still the applicant’s partner. This may involve showing that the couple are in a marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK, or that they have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership, or that they have been in a durable relationship but have been unable to live together for good reason.

A dependant child must meet the relevant requirements for children, including requirements relating to relationship, care arrangements, age and independent life. A child who is over 18 must normally already have permission to be in the UK as the applicant’s dependant.

If a dependant application is successful, the dependant’s permission will normally end on the same date as the Graduate’s permission. Each dependant must make a separate application and pay the relevant application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.

New dependants who were not already dependants on the applicant’s Student or Tier 4 permission will not normally be able to join the applicant under the Graduate route. They may, however, be able to apply under another route if the main applicant later switches into a route that permits new dependants, such as the Skilled Worker route.

10. Switching From Graduate Visa to Skilled Worker or Another Route

The Graduate route cannot be extended. Many Graduate visa holders therefore use their period of Graduate permission to look for sponsored employment or prepare to switch into another immigration route.

One of the most common routes after the Graduate visa is the Skilled Worker route. To switch from Graduate permission to Skilled Worker permission, the applicant will need to meet the Skilled Worker requirements.

In general, this means that the applicant must have:

• an offer of an eligible job;
• a Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office-approved sponsor;
• a job at the required skill level;
• a salary that meets the relevant Skilled Worker salary requirements;
• sufficient English language ability;
• valid permission to apply from inside the UK.

Some Graduate visa holders may qualify as “new entrants” under the Skilled Worker salary rules. This can allow a lower salary threshold to apply, provided the applicant meets the relevant criteria. Time spent on the Graduate route may count towards the maximum period during which a person can rely on new entrant status.

Graduates and employers should therefore consider the timing of a Skilled Worker application carefully, particularly where the applicant wishes to rely on the new entrant salary provisions.

Other possible routes may include Global Talent, Innovator Founder, Scale-up, High Potential Individual, family routes or other work and business routes, depending on the applicant’s circumstances. The Start-up route is closed to new applicants.

A Graduate visa holder who wants to remain in the UK long term should take advice well before their Graduate permission expires. Leaving the issue until shortly before expiry can limit the available options.

11. Does the Graduate Visa Lead to Settlement?

The Graduate route does not lead directly to settlement. Time spent with Graduate permission cannot be used to qualify for settlement under the Graduate route because there is no settlement application under that route.

However, time spent on a Graduate visa may still be relevant in two important ways.

First, a Graduate visa holder may be able to switch into another route that does lead to settlement, such as Skilled Worker, provided they meet the requirements of that route. Once they switch, they may begin building qualifying residence under the new route.

Second, time spent lawfully in the UK with Graduate permission may count towards the 10-year long residence qualifying period, provided the applicant meets the lawful and continuous residence requirements. Applicants relying on long residence should check their full immigration history, absences, periods of overstaying, gaps in permission and any periods outside the UK.

The Graduate visa cannot be extended. Therefore, applicants who wish to remain in the UK after their Graduate permission expires should identify their next immigration route in good time.

12. Common Reasons for Refusal and Administrative Review

A Graduate visa application may be refused if the applicant does not meet the validity, suitability or eligibility requirements in Appendix Graduate.

Common reasons for refusal include:

• applying from outside the UK;
• applying after Student or Tier 4 permission has expired, unless an exception applies;
• applying before the Student sponsor has notified the Home Office of successful course completion;
• relying on a course or qualification that is not eligible;
• failing to meet the Study in the UK requirement;
• having previously been granted permission under the Graduate route;
• having previously been granted permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme;
• failing to provide written consent from a government or international scholarship agency where required;
• falling for refusal under the suitability requirements;
• being on immigration bail.

If a Graduate visa application is refused, the applicant may be able to apply for Administrative Review. Administrative Review is not a fresh application. It is a request for the Home Office to review whether an eligible decision was wrong because of a caseworking error.

Applicants should act quickly after receiving a refusal decision because time limits apply. They should also consider whether they still have lawful immigration status in the UK and whether any alternative immigration application is available.

Where the refusal relates to a missing sponsor notification, ineligible course, timing issue or misunderstanding of the Study in the UK requirement, early advice may be particularly important.

13. Contact Richmond Chambers for Graduate Visa Advice

The Graduate route can provide an important opportunity for international students who wish to remain in the UK after completing their studies. However, the rules on eligible courses, sponsor notification, timing of application, UK study, dependants and switching into another route can be technical.

Our immigration barristers and lawyers advise international students, graduates, dependants and employers on all aspects of the Graduate route, including eligibility, timing, documents, refusals, Administrative Review and switching into work or family routes.

For expert advice and assistance in relation to a Graduate visa application, or any student immigration matter, contact our immigration barristers and lawyers in London on 0203 617 9173 or complete the enquiry form.

14. Frequently Asked Questions About the Graduate Immigration Route

When did the Graduate Immigration Route open?

The Graduate Immigration Route opened for applications on 1 July 2021.

Who can apply for a Graduate visa?

The route is available to eligible applicants in the UK who have, or last had, Student or Tier 4 (General) student permission, have successfully completed an eligible UK course, meet the Study in the UK requirement and whose education provider has notified the Home Office of successful course completion.

How long does a Graduate visa last?

A Graduate visa lasts for 2 years for most non-doctoral applicants who apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months for most non-doctoral applicants who apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years for applicants with a PhD or other doctoral qualification.

Do I need a job offer to apply for a Graduate visa?

No. Applicants do not need a job offer, Certificate of Sponsorship or employer sponsorship to apply under the Graduate route.

Can I apply for a Graduate visa from outside the UK?

No. Applicants must apply from inside the UK.

When should I apply for a Graduate visa?

You should apply after your education provider has notified the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course and before your Student or Tier 4 permission expires.

Do I need to wait for my graduation ceremony before applying?

No. You do not need to wait for your graduation ceremony or degree certificate, provided your education provider has notified the Home Office that you have successfully completed the relevant course.

Can I travel after applying for a Graduate visa?

You should not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while your application is pending. If you do, your application may be treated as withdrawn.

Can the Graduate visa be extended?

No. The Graduate route cannot be extended.

Does the Graduate visa lead to settlement?

The Graduate route does not lead directly to settlement. However, a Graduate visa holder may be able to switch into another route that leads to settlement, such as Skilled Worker, if they meet the relevant requirements.

Can time on a Graduate visa count towards long residence?

Time spent with Graduate permission may count towards the 10-year long residence qualifying period, provided the applicant meets the lawful and continuous residence requirements.

Can I apply again if I have already had Graduate permission?

No. Applicants who have previously been granted permission under the Graduate route cannot be granted permission under the route again.

Can I apply if I previously had permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme?

No. Applicants who have previously been granted permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme cannot be granted permission under the Graduate route.

Can my partner or children apply with me?

A partner or child may be able to apply as a dependant if they are already in the UK as a dependant on your current Student or Tier 4 permission. A child born in the UK during your Student or Tier 4 permission may also be able to apply.

Can I switch from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes, provided you meet the Skilled Worker requirements. This will normally require an eligible job offer from a Home Office-approved sponsor, a valid Certificate of Sponsorship and a salary that meets the relevant Skilled Worker salary rules.

Can I be self-employed on a Graduate visa?

Yes. Graduate visa holders can be self-employed, subject to the conditions of their permission.

Can I study on a Graduate visa?

Study is restricted. You can only study on a course that is not eligible for Student route sponsorship. If the course is eligible for Student sponsorship, you may need to apply for Student permission instead.

What happens if my Graduate visa application is refused?

You may be able to apply for Administrative Review if your application is refused. You should check the refusal decision carefully, act within the relevant deadline and consider whether any alternative immigration option is available.