UK Graduate visa

What the Graduate visa is and who it is for

The Graduate visa is an unsponsored work route for international graduates who have successfully completed an eligible course in the UK. It gives permission to stay and work after studies without needing a job offer, an employer sponsor or a minimum salary.

It is aimed at recent graduates who want time in the UK labour market to find work, gain experience, be self-employed or explore starting a business before deciding whether to move onto a longer-term route.

It is a distinct immigration route, not a variation of the Student or Skilled Worker visas. However, eligibility depends entirely on having held a Student (or Tier 4 General) visa and completed a qualifying UK course under it.

• Work in most jobs, at any skill level
• Look for work and change jobs freely
• Be self-employed
• Do voluntary work for registered charities or statutory bodies
• Travel abroad and return to the UK

What the visa does not allow

The Graduate visa comes with some important limits that applicants should plan around before applying.

• You cannot claim most public funds (benefits) or the State Pension
• You cannot work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach)
• You cannot extend the Graduate visa
• Time on this visa does not count towards settlement (indefinite leave to remain)

Eligibility

To apply, applicants must meet all of the core conditions below.

• Be in the UK at the time of applying
• Currently hold a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
• Have successfully completed an eligible UK course while holding that visa
• Have your education provider confirm to the Home Office that you have completed the course

Eligible courses and required study time

Applicants must have completed one of the qualifying courses below with their Student or Tier 4 visa.

There is also a minimum amount of time that must have been spent studying in the UK, which depends on the total length of the course.

• A UK bachelor's degree
• A UK master's degree
• A UK PhD or doctorate
• Certain law courses (for example an SRA-approved law conversion course, the Legal Practice Course, the Bar Practice Course, or their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• A Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
• Study time in the UK: at least 12 months if the course is longer than 12 months; or the full length of the course if it is shorter than 12 months

Distance learning during coronavirus

Special allowances apply to study completed remotely from outside the UK during the coronavirus period, so that time spent studying abroad can still count.

For courses leading to a visa longer than 12 months, study outside the UK between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2022 can count towards the study requirement. For courses of 12 months or less, applicants must have started the course and entered the UK within specific dated windows (started before 21 June 2021 and arrived by 27 September 2021, or started between 21 June 2021 and 30 June 2022 and arrived by 30 June 2022).

Costs

Applicants must pay both the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). There is no minimum-funds or maintenance requirement for the Graduate visa itself.

• Application fee: £937 per person
• Immigration Health Surcharge: usually £1,035 for each year of the visa (so a 2-year visa is charged for 2 years, a 3-year doctoral visa for 3 years)
• Dependants pay the same application fee and IHS separately
• No proof of savings or maintenance funds is required for this route

How to apply

Applications are made online from inside the UK. You must apply before your current Student or Tier 4 visa expires.

You do not need to wait until your graduation ceremony or until you receive your certificate. You can apply as soon as your education provider has told the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course. As part of the application you will need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

Once you have applied, you can stay in the UK while you wait for a decision, even if your Student visa expires in the meantime.

Processing time

A decision is usually made within 8 weeks of applying. It may take longer if you need to attend an appointment to prove your identity or provide documents.

Partners and children

A partner and children can stay in the UK as dependants on a Graduate visa, but generally only if they are already in the UK as your dependants on your Student or Tier 4 visa. You cannot usually bring new family members to the UK for the first time on this route.

A child born in the UK during your stay can also apply. Each family member completes their own application and pays the visa fee and health surcharge separately.

• A partner can be a husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner (for an unmarried partner you must show you have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years)
• Children must normally have held dependant status already, live with you (unless in full-time education away from home) and not be married or in a civil partnership
• Partners and children generally must already be in the UK as dependants of a Student or Tier 4 visa holder
• Each dependant pays the £937 fee and the health surcharge separately

Extending, switching and settlement

The Graduate visa cannot be extended. When it ends, you must either leave the UK or switch to another route that you qualify for.

Many graduates switch to a Skilled Worker visa, which requires a job offer from a licensed sponsor that meets the relevant salary and skill thresholds. Other routes may be available depending on your circumstances.

Time spent on a Graduate visa does not count towards indefinite leave to remain (settlement). To work towards settlement you would need to move onto a route that leads to it, such as the Skilled Worker visa.