The UK Graduate visa

01

Check the course and your current permission

You must currently hold Student or Tier 4 permission and meet the study requirements. Eligibility also depends on successful completion and your education provider’s report to the Home Office. A graduation ceremony is not the deciding milestone.

The provider must have the required compliance record. Eligible qualifications include UK degrees and specified professional courses. Normally, a course lasting more than twelve months requires at least twelve months of UK study; a course of twelve months or less requires study here for its full duration. Permitted study abroad and historic exceptions need individual checking.

02

The application date matters

For non-doctoral qualifications, applications made by 31 December 2026 lead to two years’ permission; applications from 1 January 2027 lead to eighteen months. Doctoral graduates can receive three years.

The route permits most employment and self-employment, but has restrictions including professional sport. It does not itself lead to settlement. A later switch, such as to Skilled Worker, needs a separate eligibility assessment.

03

Prepare a consistent application record

Keep your passport, Student permission details, CAS reference and course-completion correspondence together. Where a government or international scholarship agency recently funded both tuition and living costs, written consent may be required. Documents outside English or Welsh normally need certified translations.

• Confirm the date your provider reported completion.
• Identify any course change, overseas study or previous Graduate permission.
• Check family members’ eligibility separately; a partner cannot simply be added because you now hold a Graduate visa.

04

Choose the next step deliberately

A useful initial enquiry explains your qualification, expiry date, present location and any employment offer. This lets us identify the issue to discuss before proposing a defined scope of advice.

Compare a Graduate application with any realistic alternative before paying application charges. If your plan is a sponsored career, think about the role and employer requirements early; possession of a Graduate visa does not guarantee a future sponsored role.

Common questions