Stay in the UK After Study on a Graduate Visa
You may be able to stay in the UK after study through the Graduate Visa or another immigration route, depending on your qualification, permission and circumstances. Completing a degree does not automatically extend your Student Visa.
The Graduate Visa provides temporary permission to work in most jobs without employer sponsorship. It cannot be extended, so your post-study options need planning before your current permission ends.
This guide explains eligibility, the change to visa duration from January 2027, costs, work rights and possible routes afterwards. Immigration routes have different requirements.
What is the Graduate Visa?
The Graduate Visa is a post-study route for eligible international students who have successfully completed an eligible course in the UK.
You apply from inside the UK after your education provider has reported successful completion to the Home Office. You do not need to wait for your graduation ceremony or degree certificate.
The route lets you gain UK work experience, switch jobs and plan ahead. It does not guarantee sponsored employment or a route to settlement.
How long does a Graduate Visa last?
The application date matters for applicants without a doctoral qualification.
| Application date | Normal non-doctoral duration |
|---|---|
| On or before 31 December 2026 | Two years |
| On or after 1 January 2027 | Eighteen months |
A PhD or other eligible doctoral qualification normally leads to three years.
The change is based on when you apply, not simply when the course started. You must still meet the requirements on the relevant date; do not submit an application prematurely to seek the longer period.
For example, a non-doctoral applicant eligible to apply in December 2026 may receive two years, while an application made in January 2027 normally attracts eighteen months. Neither example establishes eligibility: successful completion, provider reporting and the remaining requirements still matter.
Check the permission granted and its expiry date.
Who can apply for the Graduate Visa?
You normally need current Student Visa or Tier 4 (General) permission, an eligible qualification and the required period of UK study.
Your last Student sponsor must be a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. Not every course at a licensed institution qualifies.
Eligible qualifications include UK bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, plus certain other listed professional qualifications.
You must meet the UK study requirement, normally the full course where it lasts twelve months or less, or at least twelve months for a longer course. Specific exceptions can apply.
What else should you check before applying?
Confirm that the provider has notified the Home Office of successful completion. A pending dissertation, resit or expected result needs checking before assuming you can apply.
You generally cannot receive Graduate permission again if you have already held it or permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme.
Certain government or international scholarship arrangements covering both fees and living costs require written consent.
Apply before your Student permission expires. If your immigration position or study history is complicated, obtain advice promptly rather than relying on a checklist.
How much does the Graduate Visa cost?
The application fee is £937. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is normally £1,035 per year on this route.
Using rates checked on 25 October 2026:
| Permission length | Application fee | IHS | Combined amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eighteen months | £937 | £1,552.50 | £2,489.50 |
| Two years | £937 | £2,070 | £3,007 |
| Three years | £937 | £3,105 | £4,042 |
These figures exclude professional fees and other optional charges. Rates may change before a later application, including applications made in 2027.
Each eligible dependant has their own application and relevant charges. Budget for everyone applying.
What documents and information should you prepare?
Have your passport or travel document, current immigration details and the information requested about your course and Student sponsorship available.
Check your education provider’s completion notification and keep relevant correspondence. You will also need the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies reference from your Student application. Correct discrepancies with your provider before you submit. If dependants apply, organise their identity, relationship and permission records too.
A person with relevant government or international scholarship funding may need written consent. The evidence requested depends on the circumstances.
Before submission, compare names, passport details, dates and answers across the application. Check access to your UKVI account and confirm how you will prove identity. Keep the final application and payment records.
How long does a Graduate Visa application take?
Graduate Visa applications are usually decided within eight weeks after online application, identity verification and documents are complete. Further checks or requests for evidence can affect timing.
You can normally remain in the UK while a valid application is being decided, including where your existing permission expires during that period and section 3C applies.
Avoid travel bookings or employer promises based on an expected decision date. Check the work conditions applying while you wait, respond to requests by the stated deadline and keep the decision when it arrives.
What can you do on a Graduate Visa?
You can work full-time in most jobs, be self-employed and switch employers without needing each employer to sponsor you.
You cannot work as a professional sportsperson. The permission also prohibits access to public funds.
Study is subject to restrictions. Graduate permission does not replace Student permission for a course meeting the relevant Student-route requirements. ATAS requirements can also apply to certain study.
Check the conditions on your own permission. Submitting an application does not mean the new work conditions apply immediately.
Can your partner and children stay with you?
Eligible existing Student dependants can normally apply to continue as Graduate dependants. A new partner cannot normally join through this route simply because you now have a Graduate Visa.
There is an important exception for a child born in the UK during relevant Student or Graduate permission, subject to the dependant requirements.
Dependants need their own applications. Do not assume their permission changes automatically when yours does.
If you later switch routes, check that route’s dependant conditions separately. Restrictions affecting particular jobs can matter to the family’s plans.
Do you need a Graduate Visa before a Skilled Worker Visa?
Not always. A direct Student to Skilled Worker switch may be possible where the job, sponsorship, salary and relevant Student-switching conditions are met.
That can change the timing, fees and work permissions you need to consider. The course-completion and job-start rules must be checked.
The Graduate route can provide useful flexibility, but it is not a compulsory paid stage before sponsorship. Compare the available visa options against your circumstances before applying.
Can you switch to a Skilled Worker Visa?
You may be able to switch if you have an eligible job offer, an approved employer and a valid certificate of sponsorship (CoS), alongside the other requirements.
Our Graduate to Skilled Worker Visa guide explains the transition.
A sponsor licence alone does not make every vacancy eligible. The occupation, duties, salary and applicable skill requirements matter.
Check the Skilled Worker requirements for graduates before relying on a job offer. Do not wait until the final weeks to establish whether the employer can sponsor the actual role.
What salary will you need for sponsorship?
For many new Skilled Worker applicants, the standard minimum salary requirement is at least £41,700 and the occupation’s going rate, whichever applies as the higher requirement.
Different salary options, occupations and transitional provisions can change the calculation. Some qualifying new entrants can use a reduced rate, subject to a £33,400 minimum and the applicable going-rate percentage.
Graduate status does not create an automatic salary discount for every job.
Our Skilled Worker salary guide explains why the role and salary option must be checked together.
How does the new entrant time limit work?
The new entrant provisions include a four-year combined-permission limit, including Graduate permission and relevant Skilled Worker or Tier 2 permission.
This is not normally four fresh discounted years after completing your Graduate Visa.
Check the dates used and the permission requested. A role might meet a reduced salary option initially but need a different salary arrangement later.
Discuss this with the employer before relying on the discount. Our guide to finding a licensed sponsor can help organise the search.
Could the Health and Care Worker Visa suit you?
This route can cover eligible healthcare professionals, including qualifying doctors, nurses and other listed occupations, with an approved sponsor.
Eligible applicants and dependants do not pay the IHS. Salary, occupation and employer conditions still apply.
Care worker and senior care worker applications have specific restrictions. Working in care does not automatically mean you can switch or bring dependants.
Our Health and Care Worker Visa guide covers related family considerations. This route does not offer a generally faster settlement period than the ordinary five-year Skilled Worker route.
Can you start a business after study?
Graduate permission allows self-employment, but running a business does not extend that permission.
The Start-Up Visa is closed to new applications. It should not be presented as an available next step.
The Innovator Founder route requires an endorsed innovative, viable and scalable business proposal and the other route requirements. Registering a company or having a business idea is insufficient.
Read our guide to Start-Up Visa alternatives. Any option involving matters outside our Level 1 scope is referred to our solicitor partners.
Could a family or partner route be available?
A qualifying relationship may open another route, but marriage or a relationship does not automatically give permission to stay.
The partner’s immigration position, relationship, finances, English language, accommodation and switching requirements need checking.
Our UK Spouse Visa application guide explains the preparation involved.
The appropriate route and qualifying period depend on the facts. Human rights arguments, discretionary applications and other work outside Level 1 are referred to our solicitor partners.
Does Graduate time count towards ILR?
The Graduate Visa does not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain (ILR). Graduate time does not count towards the ordinary five-year Skilled Worker qualifying period.
However, qualifying lawful residence as a Graduate may count towards a ten-year long-residence application if all the relevant requirements are met.
That distinction matters when planning your long-term future in the UK. Residence history, absences, continuity and route-specific conditions need assessment.
Do not assume either that Graduate time guarantees settlement or that it can never be relevant.
When should you plan your next application?
Starting around six months before expiry can be a useful planning point. It is not a legal deadline or permission to apply before meeting a route’s requirements.
Check your expiry date, possible route, employer arrangements, documents, fees and any family applications. Our Graduate Visa expiry guide explains why the route cannot simply be renewed.
If no further permission is available, plan to leave before your permission ends. Do not assume a job search extends your stay.
What happens while an application is pending?
A valid application made before your existing permission expires can preserve permission under section 3C while it is pending, where the statutory conditions are met.
The work conditions applying during that period need checking. Do not assume you have the conditions of the visa requested.
For a Graduate application, do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the decision; doing so withdraws the application.
Read our switching mistakes guide and seek advice if expiry is close.
How can AHJ Immigration help?
AHJ Immigration is a brand of Knightsbridge Immigration Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA).
The Knightsbridge Immigration team manages initial contact and, where instructed, case preparation and submission within our Level 1 scope. Our Graduate Visa service provides support for suitable matters.
Work outside that scope is referred to our solicitor partners. We explain who will advise and handle the referred work.
Our free 15-minute consultation is initial triage, not detailed advice or a document review. Tell us your current permission, expiry, course, completion status and intended next step.
We explain suitable work, responsibilities and fees before instruction. For help, book a consultation, call 0121 828 2224 or email hello@ahjimmigration.co.uk.
