UK Graduate Visa: Requirements and Reforms (May 2025 Update)
In This Article
1. Background and Policy Intent of the UK Graduate Visa Route
2. UK Graduate Visa: Eligibility Requirements
3. Work Rights on a UK Graduate Visa
4. Study on a UK Graduate Visa
5. Pathway to Settlement
6. Graduate Visa Rules for Dependants
7. Insights from the Graduate Route Evaluation (May 2025)
8. MAC Advisory Committee (MAC) – Rapid Review of the Graduate Route
9. Graduate Route Trends: White Paper Data
10. Graduate Route Intentions vs. Employment Outcomes
11. Proposed Changes to the Graduate Route
12. Continued Support for the HPI Route and Targeted Talent Migration
13. Contact Our Immigration Barristers
14. Frequently Asked Questions
15. Glossary
1. Background and Policy Intent of the UK Graduate Visa Route
Introduced in July 2021, the UK Graduate Visa route allows international students to remain in the UK after completing an eligible qualification. With the publication of the 2025 White Paper and evaluations by the Migration Advisory Committee, this article reviews the current requirements, recent evidence, and proposed reforms to the route.
At the time of its launch, the then Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, Kevin Foster, explained the government’s aim stating:
As we rebuild from the global pandemic we want the world’s brightest talent, who aspire to a career at the highest levels of business, science, the arts and technology to see our United Kingdom as the natural place to fulfil their aspirations.
The changes announced today will ensure once they have received a gold standard qualification from one of our world leading education institutions they can easily secure the status they need to continue living, working and fulfilling their dreams in the UK.
The ‘Factsheet: Graduate Immigration Route’, provided further information about the route and was published on 14 October 2019. This route is currently open to international students who have recently graduated from a UK university and were previously Student visa holders.
It was introduced following the Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1248, 4 March 2021. The Explanatory Memorandum to the statement read:
7.2 The Graduate Visa route is a new route for international students who have successfully completed an eligible course as a student at a student sponsor which is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. It improves the UK’s offer to international students considering study here, by giving those who successfully complete an eligible course a further two years (three years for those being awarded doctorates) in the UK, during which they can work or look for work at any skill level.
This article explores the current Immigration Rules and potential future changes to this route.
2. UK Graduate Visa: Eligibility Requirements
In order to qualify for a Graduate Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration that:
- You have successfully completed a UK degree, or other eligible course;
- You have studied at a Higher Education Provider which is a student sponsor with a track record of compliance;
- You have held permission as a Student, which was granted to study the relevant qualification in the UK, for a minimum period of time;
- You are applying from within the UK and have valid leave as a Student or Tier 4 Student at the date of application;
- You have not previously held permission on the Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES), or the Graduate Visa route;
- You do not fall for refusal on grounds of suitability.
This is an unsponsored route, meaning that anyone applying does not need a job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) in order to be eligible.
3. Work Rights on a UK Graduate Visa
A Graduate Visa will allow you to undertake any work in the UK, including:
- paid and unpaid employment;
- voluntary work;
- self-employment;
- engaging in business or any professional activity.
The only restriction placed on a Graduate Visa holder’s ability to work is a prohibition on working as a professional sportsperson. This means that as a Graduate Visa holder, you are not permitted to engage in professional sport (including coaching). However, you are permitted to participate in amateur sport.
An amateur is defined in part 6 of the Immigration Rules as “a person who engages in a sport or creative activity solely for personal enjoyment and who is not seeking to derive a living from the activity.”
The conditions of the Graduate Visa contain no reference to any maximum or minimum number of hours you may work. Accordingly, the route allows for complete flexibility for working arrangements and even allows you to work for multiple employers.
Although the route is designed to allow Students who have successfully completed an eligible UK qualification to look for, and undertake, work in the UK, there is no requirement to work while on a Graduate Visa.
4. Study on a UK Graduate Visa
Study is permitted on this route, but it is not permissible to study with an education provider which is a Student Sponsor and which would meet the approved qualification and level of study requirements of the Student route.
Study is subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.
Currently, if you have made a successful application on the Graduate Visa Route, those who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree are able to stay in the UK for two years. Doctoral students are able to stay in the UK for three years.
5. Pathway to Settlement
Unlike other routes, the Graduate Visa does not lead directly to settlement. However, once on the Graduate Immigration Route, you will be able to extend your stay by switching into other routes, including work-based ones. You may wish to seek advice at the relevant time and plan accordingly.
6. Graduate Visa Rules for Dependants
If you have family members in the UK who already have permission to stay in the UK as your dependent, then they will be able to extend their stay when you apply to enter the Graduate Visa Route.
Unfortunately, new dependents are not permitted on this route, except where a dependent child is born in the UK during a period of Student or Graduate leave.
7. Insights from the Graduate Route Evaluation (May 2025)
The Graduate Route Evaluation was published on the same day as the White Paper, on 12 May 2025. It states:
This research aims to improve the evidence base around the economic activity of Graduate route users and their dependants in the UK, and inform ongoing policy development by providing deeper insights about the motivations and intentions of Graduate route users.
The evaluation of the Graduate route included an online quantitative survey of 2,951 route users, and 30 follow-up qualitative interviews with main route users. The research took place between April and July 2024.
The Evaluation considers reasons why individuals stay in the UK:
Over two-fifths (44%) of Graduate route users had heard about the Graduate route before coming to the UK to study, and most applicants first heard about the Graduate route via online searching (37%) or word of mouth (24%).
Most (69%) Graduate route users would not have sought to remain in the UK if the Graduate route did not exist.
A quarter (28%) of Graduate route users had considered moving to another country after graduating (most commonly the US, Canada, or Australia), and a further quarter (24%) considered moving to their home country.
Graduate route users cited work-related factors, including work opportunities in the UK (85%) and gaining work experience (65%), as the most important criteria in deciding to remain in the UK post-study.
Those on the route were asked about their ability to find employment, with the Evaluation reporting:
The majority of Graduate route users said it was challenging to find work. Three quarters of Graduate route users found applying for jobs difficult (75%), and half found it very difficult (50%). Graduate route users attributed this difficulty to employers’ reluctance to invest in graduates who may not have significant work experience, to recruit a member of staff who may not be able to stay in the UK longer-term and, even for higher earners, to sponsor a Skilled Worker visa for a junior employee.
Regarding dependents, the Evaluation confirms:
Only a very small minority (2%) of Graduate route users had a dependant associated with their extension of stay, whether a partner or a child. Of these, over 9 in 10 (93%) had a partner as a dependant and half (50%) had a child or children
(…)
Partners who were dependants on the Graduate route were generally economically active, and 84% were in work (69% were employed full-time, 11% employed part time, and 4% self-employed). A further one in 10 (11%) were looking for work.
Finally, regarding future intentions it states:
In the qualitative interviews, a reoccurring factor that influenced Graduate route users’ decision-making were visa rules and whether they could find employment that aligned with visa requirements. Plans to stay in the UK often depended on how likely graduates thought they were to get visa sponsorship or a role that meets the (Skilled Worker) visa income threshold requirements before their current extension of stay expires.
8. MAC Advisory Committee (MAC) – Rapid Review of the Graduate Route
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) conducted a rapid review of the Graduate route in 2024 and reported in May 2024. The report concluded the Graduate route should be retained in its current form.
One of the key considerations focused on misuse of the route:
The government’s concerns about misuse of the route and its aim to reduce net migration: The restrictions on dependants on the Student route only came into force in January 2024. This change of policy on the Student route is in effect a restriction to the Graduate route, as dependants are only eligible for the Graduate route if they have been dependants on the Student route. Early indications show that this change will reduce the number of international students coming to study in the UK later this year, though it is not yet possible to assess the full impact given its recent implementation. In time, this change should reduce the numbers of both main applicants and dependants on the Graduate route as the student cohorts move into the route. We also expect the share of people moving from the Graduate route to long-term work visas in the UK to decline due to significant increases in salary thresholds on the Skilled Worker route. It is possible that this could potentially disproportionately affect some groups of international students and we would expect that the Home Office would have considered this whilst conducting an Equalities Impact Assessment before changes were made to the route.
The final paragraph of the report focuses on the wider impact of change:
As in social care, it is the failure to properly fund the sector that has led to an increasing overreliance on immigration. Universities lose money on teaching domestic students and on research activities, and it is the fee revenue from international students that mitigates (at least in part) the current funding gap for domestic students and research. We have had no indication in our discussion with Ministers, either in Westminster or the Devolved Administrations, that there is any plan in place to address this structural under-funding. In such circumstances, any policy change to the Graduate route intended to reduce student numbers would need to explain how the financial consequences for the sector would be addressed. We repeat the observation that we made in our last Annual Report that the government needs to consider the total impact of a policy change rather than simply its effect on net migration.
9. Graduate Route Trends: White Paper Data
The UK Government’s White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, dated 12 May 2025, was presented to Parliament. The White Paper notes that those applying on the Graduate route has increased
The number of graduates staying on as part of the Graduate route has increased over time to almost 250,000 in 2024, 72% of which were for main applicants, up from under 100,000 in 2022.45”.
Most graduates on the route start work quickly; with 62% earning in the first month of their visa start date, and 90% within the first six months.
10. Graduate Route Intentions vs. Employment Outcomes
The White Paper considers the original intentions behind the Graduate route – to support the economy, and to achieve this aim, for the vast majority of Graduate visa holders would go ‘into graduate level jobs, at RQF 6 and above’.
The White Paper reports in practice, the evidence suggests that under a third are working in occupations to be assessed to be RQF6 and above.
In summary, 30% of surveyed Graduate visa holders were employed in professional occupations, the significant majority of which are RQF 6 and above. The survey found 31% were employed in occupational groups where the significant majority are RQF level 3 and below, including administrative and secretarial occupations.
The remaining visa holders were either unable or unwilling to report their occupation or were employed in varying RQF level occupations.
11. Proposed Changes to the Graduate Route
The White Paper concludes at paragraphs 129-131:
The Graduate route was launched in July 2021 as an unsponsored route which allows students to stay in the UK for two years (or three years for PhD students) after graduation. The purpose of the route is for international student graduates to work, or look for work, following the successful completion of an eligible course.
We recognise the valuable contributions that graduates make to the UK but it is important that those who stay transition into graduate level jobs and are properly contributing to our economy.
Therefore, we will reduce the ability for Graduates to remain in the UK after their studies to a period of 18 months. The Government will explore introducing a levy on higher education provider income from international students, to be reinvested into the higher education and skills system. Further details will be set out in the Autumn Budget.
12. Continued Support for the HPI Route and Targeted Talent Migration
The White Paper still confirms that it intends to preserve the route for those applying under the High Potential Individual (HPI) route:
The UK’s current immigration system includes targeted routes for individuals who promote growth to come to the UK. Including as entrepreneurs, through the Innovator Founder route, and leaders and future leaders in key fields, through routes including Global Talent and the High Potential Individual (HPI). 89. As part of our mission to promote growth, we will go further in ensuring that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent by:
(…..)
We will explore a targeted and capped expansion of the HPI route, looking to double the number of qualifying institutions, whilst maintaining the focus of the route on individuals that will have the most benefit to the UK workforce and ensuring that any necessary safeguards are in place
Outcomes of the Graduate Route Review are expected by the end of 2025.
13. Contact Our Immigration Barristers
Richmond Chambers is monitoring developments closely. For tailored legal advice on how the Government’s proposed reforms may affect your immigration plans, please contact our team of specialist immigration barristers on +44 (0)203 617 9173 or complete our online enquiry form. We can also assist with UK immigration advice on the UK Graduate Visa route, our specialist immigration barristers in London can assist.
This post was co-written by Isabella Reynard.
