Big News!! Graduate Route opens from 1st July, 2021! A Graduate visa gives you permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after successfully completing a course in the UK.

You must be in the UK when you apply.

Eligibility

You can apply for a Graduate visa if all of the following are true:

you’re in the UK
your current visa is a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
you studied a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, or other eligible courses for a minimum period of time with your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
you’ve successfully completed that course

Check if your course is eligible and how long you need to have studied in the UK.

If you’re not eligible for a Graduate visa, you may be eligible for another type of visa to stay in the UK.

How long you can stay

A Graduate visa lasts for 2 years. If you have a Ph.D. or other doctoral qualification, it will last for 3 years.

Your visa will start from the day your application is approved.

If you want to stay longer in the UK

You cannot extend your Graduate visa. However, you may be able to switch to a different visa, for example, a Skilled Worker visa.

Check you can apply for another type of visa to stay in the UK.

When to apply

You must apply before your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa expires.

You can apply as soon as your education provider (such as your university or college) has told you that you’ve successfully completed the course you took with your Student or Tier 4 (General) student visa. You do not have to wait until you’ve graduated or have been given a certificate.

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

Your application may take longer if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity, and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 8 weeks.

You can stay in the UK while you wait for a decision.

How much it costs

When you apply for a Graduate visa, you’ll need to:

pay the application fee – this is usually £700
pay the healthcare surcharge – this is usually £624 for each year you’ll be in the UK

Check how much it will cost.

What you can and cannot do

With a Graduate visa you can:

work in most jobs
look for work
be self-employed
continue living in the UK with your partner and children, if they’re eligible
do voluntary work
travel abroad and return to the UK

You cannot:

apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
work as a professional sportsperson

If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Graduate visa.

Studying with a Graduate visa

You can only study with a Graduate visa if your chosen course is not eligible for a Student visa. If your course is eligible for a Student visa, you can extend your Student visa instead.

You may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if you’re studying or researching sensitive topics.