UK Graduate Route Visa

Application Process — Step by Step

1. 01

   Complete an eligible course

   destination

   Successfully complete a bachelor's, master's, PhD, or approved professional course at a UK Higher Education provider with a track record of compliance. Your institution reports successful completion to the Home Office via the student sponsorship system before you can apply.

   Typical duration: At course completionsource ↗

2. 02

   Check your Student visa is still valid

   destination

   You must apply for the Graduate visa while your current Student (or Tier 4) permission is still valid, and from inside the UK — applications from overseas are not accepted.

   Typical duration: N/A

3. 03

   Apply online and pay the fee + IHS

   destination

   Submit the online application via gov.uk, providing passport/BRP or eVisa details. Pay the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which covers the full 2- or 3-year period and is paid upfront.

   Typical duration: Same day submissionsource ↗

4. 04

   Provide biometrics if required

   destination

   Most applicants switching status will already have enrolled biometrics; a further appointment via the UKVI app or a service point may be required to update them.

   Typical duration: 1-2 weeks

5. 05

   Receive decision and eVisa

   destination

   Standard service target is around 8 weeks, though many decisions arrive faster. Approved applicants receive a UK eVisa (digital immigration status) rather than a physical document.

   Typical duration: Up to 8 weekssource ↗

Documents Required

Realistic Costs

~ Some figures below are industry estimates rather than officially verified: government_fee, lawyer_fee_high, relocation_misc, total_first_year_low, total_first_year_high, total_5_year_low, total_5_year_high.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035/year, paid as a lump sum for the full visa period at application) plus the visa fee are the dominant costs — for a 2-year grant that is roughly £2,070 in IHS alone. Because the Graduate visa cannot be renewed, this upfront cost is the total government-mandated cost for the entire route; there is no separate 'year 2' fee.

Realistic Timeline

• Consulate wait0–1 weeks
• Decision → arrival0 weeks
• Residence card issuance0 weeks
• Total to residence card1–8 weeks

No consulate visit is needed since this is an in-country switch. Standard Home Office service target is 8 weeks, though decisions frequently arrive faster; there is currently no priority service for this route.

Renewal

First renewal after

—

Subsequent cycle

months

Renewal fee

$0USDEURGBPCADAUDINRAEDTHBSGDBRLMXNZAR

Requirements

The Graduate visa cannot be extended or renewed under any circumstances. Holders who wish to remain in the UK beyond the 2-year (or 3-year, PhD) grant must switch into a different route — most commonly the Skilled Worker visa — before their Graduate visa expires.

Path to Permanent Residency — Details

Years required

Integration test

Not required

Path to Citizenship — Details

Years required

Language test

No

Civic test

Not required

Oath

Not required

Dual citizenship

Allowed

Tax Residency

Trigger

183 days/year of presence

Taxation scope

Worldwide income

Exit-tax country

No

Health Insurance

Mandatory

No

No co-pay required

No

Public system access

After 0 months

Examples: NHS (via IHS payment), Bupa, AXA Health

Banking Setup

Open account before arrival

Not typically possible before arrival

Family Specifics

Spouse work rights

Partner can work in the UK with no restriction, but only if they already held permission as a Student-visa dependant of the applicant — new dependants cannot be added under the Graduate Route.

Child school enrolment

Full access to UK state schools; strong international school network

Parent inclusion

Not eligible

Sibling inclusion

Not eligible

Gotchas — Things to Watch For

• ⚠Must apply before your current Student visa expires — there is no grace period once it lapses, and you cannot apply from outside the UK
• ⚠Time on the Graduate visa does NOT count toward the 5-year ILR clock — treat it purely as a bridge, not a settlement route
• ⚠Cannot be extended under any circumstances, even if you find qualifying sponsored work near the end — start the Skilled Worker sponsorship search well before expiry
• ⚠Depends on your institution actually reporting course completion to the Home Office — delays or errors in a university's reporting can hold up your application
• ⚠The May 2025 UK immigration white paper proposed shortening the standard Graduate Route period from 24 to 18 months for bachelor's/master's graduates; confirm the current rules against gov.uk, as implementation was still being phased in as of the most recent information available

What This Visa Does NOT Allow

• ×Extension or renewal of the Graduate visa itself
• ×Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
• ×Application from outside the UK

Before You Arrive — Checklist

1. Confirm with your university that course completion has been (or will be) reported to the Home Office
2. Check your current Student visa expiry date and apply before it lapses — there is no grace period
3. Gather passport / BRP or eVisa details ready for the online application

After You Arrive — Checklist

1. Confirm your eVisa/UKVI account details are correct
2. Begin job search or start work immediately — no restriction on employer, sector, or occupation
3. Update your address with HMRC and your bank if you moved out of student accommodation
4. Track your visa expiry date closely and begin a Skilled Worker sponsorship search well before the Graduate visa expires if you want to stay long-term

Conversion Paths

Common Rejection Reasons

• •Course not successfully completed, or institution did not confirm completion via the sponsor system
• •Current Student visa expired before the Graduate visa application was submitted
• •Application submitted from outside the UK (this route requires an in-country application)
• •Sponsoring institution lost its licence or track record of compliance between enrolment and completion
• •Suitability or criminality grounds

Recent Legislative Changes

• 2025-05-12

  The UK Government's immigration white paper, 'Restoring Control over the Immigration System', proposed reducing the Graduate Route's standard post-study period from 24 to 18 months and introducing a levy on international student tuition fees to fund higher-education and skills spending. These measures were subject to consultation and phased Immigration Rules changes rather than taking effect immediately — confirm current status against gov.uk.source ↗

• 2021-07-01

  Graduate Route launched, reopening unsponsored post-study work rights in the UK for the first time since the original Tier 1 Post-Study Work route closed in 2012.source ↗

Frequently Asked Questions