Graduate Route Visa UK: 2 Years If You Apply by 31 December 2026, Then 18 Months
The Graduate visa lets you stay and work in the UK after your degree with no sponsor. If you apply on or before 31 December 2026 you get 2 years. From 1 January 2027, bachelor's and master's graduates get 18 months, while PhD graduates still get 3 years. Here is what that means for you and how to plan.
Key points (updated 29 October 2026)
Apply on or before 31 December 2026 and a bachelor's or master's graduate gets a 2-year Graduate visa. Apply on or after 1 January 2027 and it is 18 months. PhD and other doctoral graduates still get 3 years. The visa cannot be extended. The application fee is £937, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is usually £1,035 for each year of your visa. What decides your visa length is the date you apply, not the date you graduate. In the 28 October 2026 Budget, the government also said it plans to restore a 2-year Graduate visa for graduates of universities with strong job outcomes and high compliance — no details or dates have been published yet, so plan around the 18-month rule for now.
What the Graduate visa is
The Graduate visa is a post-study work visa that does not need an employer sponsor. You can work in any job, at any level and for any employer, or look for work, with no minimum salary. It is the most common bridge for international students between finishing a UK degree and moving to a sponsored visa such as the Skilled Worker visa. Because it cannot be extended, you need a plan for what comes next before it runs out.
The 31 December 2026 deadline — who should act now
If your university has already told the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course, and your Student visa is still valid, applying on or before 31 December 2026 secures the full 2 years instead of 18 months. That extra six months matters: it is more time to find a sponsoring employer. You cannot apply until your university has reported your successful completion, but you do not need to wait for your graduation ceremony or certificate. Ask your university's international student team when they will report your result. If your course finishes in 2027, you will be on the 18-month rules, so start your Skilled Worker job search earlier.
Who is eligible
You can apply if all of these are true: you are 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 course for the minimum period; and your university or college has told the Home Office you have successfully completed the course. You must apply from inside the UK while your Student visa is still valid — if it expires first, you cannot switch to the Graduate visa.
What it costs
The application fee is £937. You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is usually £1,035 for each year of the visa. For a 2-year visa that is £2,070 of surcharge, so about £3,007 in total per person. A PhD graduate's 3-year visa means £3,105 of surcharge, about £4,042 in total. For an 18-month visa the surcharge is charged for one year plus a half year. Use the surcharge calculator on GOV.UK to check your exact amount before you apply.
How to apply and how long it takes
Apply online on GOV.UK. You will usually get a decision within 8 weeks, though it can take longer if your documents need to be checked. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Set a reminder well before your Student visa expiry date so you are not rushing at the end.
Bringing your partner and children
This is where many people get caught out. Your partner can only stay with you on the Graduate route if they were already your dependant on your Student visa. Children aged 18 or over must also already have been your dependants. The exception is a child born in the UK while you held a Student, Tier 4 or Graduate visa — they do not need to have been a dependant before. New family members cannot come from abroad to join you on a Graduate visa; that may become possible if you later switch to a visa such as the Skilled Worker visa. Being born in the UK does not automatically make a child a British citizen.
What you can and cannot do
You can work full-time or part-time in almost any job, be self-employed, hold more than one job and look for work. You cannot claim most benefits (public funds), and you cannot extend the Graduate visa. When it ends, you need to have switched to another visa or leave the UK.
From Graduate visa to Skilled Worker visa
Most graduates who want to stay long term switch to the Skilled Worker visa. The general salary requirement is £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher, but recent graduates can be paid less: 70% of the going rate, as long as the salary is at least £33,400 a year, if you are under 26 or are switching from a Student or Graduate visa. Under that new-entrant rate, your total time in the UK, including your Graduate visa, cannot be more than 4 years. If you switch from the Graduate visa you will also need to prove English at level B2. With an 18-month visa, start applying to licensed sponsors in your first few months, not your last few. Our Skilled Worker visa guide covers the full rules.
Where to check before you apply
Rules change often — this guide reflects GOV.UK as of 29 October 2026. Always check gov.uk/graduate-visa before applying, and if your situation is complicated (dependants, gaps in your visa history, a refused application), speak to an adviser regulated by the OISC or a solicitor regulated by the SRA.
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