United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · work unsponsored
Graduate visa
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Guidance updated 10 September 2026. Full-review date shown above.
Source check: all 7 official citations reconfirmed 13 September 2026
Post-study work visa for recent graduates of eligible UK higher education institutions.
- Processing time
- Typically within 8 weeks of a qualifying in-UK application.
- Government fees
- £937 application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 for each year of permission. Verify the current total on GOV.UK.
- Typical duration
- 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026; 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027; 3 years for PhD or other doctoral graduates. Non-extendable.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- No
In short
Post-study work visa for recent graduates of eligible UK higher education institutions. Guidance updated 10 September 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.
What is the Graduate visa in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Graduate visa is an unsponsored United Kingdom route. Indicative government fees are £937 application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 for each year of permission. Verify the current total on GOV.UK; indicative processing time is Typically within 8 weeks of a qualifying in-UK application; typical duration is 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026; 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027; 3 years for PhD or other doctoral graduates. Non-extendable. This route does not lead to permanent residence.
Primary guidance checked with UK Home Office on 10 September 2026.
Overview
The Graduate route provides permission after successful completion of an eligible UK course. It lasts 2 years for applications made on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years for PhD or other doctoral graduates. It is unsponsored but cannot be extended — holders must switch to another eligible route before it expires.
Recent changes to this route
- UK: Graduate route shortened to 18 months for applications from 1 January 202714 October 2025
The 14 October 2025 Statement of Changes cuts the Graduate route from 2 years to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027; PhD graduates keep 3 years.
Guidance by nationality
Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.
Indian applicants
Ask your education provider when it will report successful course completion to UKVI, then apply from inside the UK befo…
Nigerian applicants
Before applying, confirm your provider has reported course completion and check whether an eligible partner or child alr…
Chinese applicants
Use the provider-report and Student-expiry checkpoints before filing. After the Graduate period, a Skilled Worker switch…
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Successful completion of an eligible UK degree or qualifying course.UK Home Office ↗
- ✓Valid Student visa at the time of application.UK Home Office ↗
- ✓Application made inside the UK before Student visa expiry.UK Home Office ↗
Common blockers
- !Studied at an institution not on the Higher Education Provider list with a track record of compliance.UK Home Office ↗
- !Course completion not yet confirmed to Home Office by sponsor.UK Home Office ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Confirmation of course completion from the higher education sponsor.UK Home Office ↗
- ·Passport and, where applicable, your BRP or other current immigration-status evidence.UK Home Office ↗
Application pathway
Complete your UK degree
Finish the qualifying programme and await confirmation from your institution to the Home Office.
Apply before Student visa expires
File the Graduate application in-country before Student permission lapses.
Begin permitted work
Work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed or do voluntary work; professional-sportsperson work is not permitted. Dependants on Student permission may extend if eligible.
Plan your next route before expiry
The Graduate route cannot be extended. Switch to Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Innovator Founder, or other eligible route before expiry.
After approval: prepare for your next step
For Graduate visa, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.
- 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
- 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
- 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
- 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
- 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Plan the practical side of your stay
Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in United Kingdom. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- ApplyApplicantApply for the Graduate visa ↗
Use this in-country GOV.UK application before your Student permission expires.
UK Home Office · verified
- Official guidanceSchoolReport course completion ↗
Student sponsors use the official sponsor guidance to report successful course completion before the applicant applies.
UK Home Office · verified
Fees and processing time
Indicative government fees: £937 application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 for each year of permission. Verify the current total on GOV.UK.. A decision then typically takes 8 weeks (in-country application after identity verification and document submission; this is a published target, not a guaranteed maximum or an end-to-end graduation-to-visa estimate). Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.
Matches these professions
Also explored by
Compare United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with
Related routes
Frequently asked questions
Does time on the Graduate visa count toward UK settlement?+
The Graduate route does not itself lead to settlement. A later Skilled Worker route may have its own 5-year settlement requirements, while the separate 10-year long-residence route has its own lawful-continuous-residence rules; check the current GOV.UK requirements for the route you rely on.
Can I work at any skill level on the Graduate visa?+
You can work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed, or do voluntary work. You cannot work as a professional sportsperson, and the official conditions shown with your grant apply.
How long does the UK Graduate visa last after I finish my degree?+
The Graduate visa gives you 2 years of post-study work permission, or 3 years if you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification. It cannot be extended, so you must switch to another route before it expires. Confirm the current terms on GOV.UK.
Do I need a job offer to apply for the UK Graduate visa?+
No. The Graduate route is unsponsored, so you do not need a job offer or employer sponsor. You qualify by completing an eligible UK degree and holding a valid Student visa when you apply from inside the UK. See GOV.UK for the eligibility rules.
Which visas can I switch to from the UK Graduate visa before it expires?+
Because the Graduate route cannot be extended, you must move to another route before it ends, commonly Skilled Worker, Global Talent, or Innovator Founder. Plan this switch before your Graduate permission expires. Check the current switching rules on GOV.UK.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
Find a regulated advisor in United KingdomHow we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: UK Home Office
Last checked: 10 September 2026