The Graduate visa lets international students stay in the UK to work or look for work after finishing a UK degree. The length is changing: it is 2 years for applications up to 31 December 2026, then 18 months from 1 January 2027, except 3 years for PhDs. This guide explains who can apply, what it costs, what you can and cannot do, and what to check before the date changes.
Key points
- In force now: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026. Announced, with a date: 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. PhD holders get 3 years (Graduate visa guide, updated 27 October 2026).
- You must be in the UK on a Student visa and apply before it expires. Your education provider must have told the Home Office you finished the course (Graduate visa guide).
- The fee is £937, plus the healthcare surcharge (fees table; healthcare surcharge page).
- You can work, look for work or be self-employed, but you cannot extend the visa. You can switch to another visa such as Skilled Worker (Graduate visa guide).
Who can apply for the Graduate visa?
You can apply if you are in the UK with a Student visa, you studied an eligible course and your education provider has a track record of compliance and has told the Home Office you completed your course. You can apply before your graduation ceremony, but you must apply before your Student visa expires (Graduate visa guide).
Eligible courses include a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, PhD, PGCE and PGDE, the Bar course, and some regulated-profession and law conversion courses (Graduate visa guide). You must have studied for at least 12 months if the course is longer than 12 months, or the whole course if it is shorter.
How long is the Graduate visa: 2 years or 18 months?
| When you apply | Length of visa |
|---|---|
| On or before 31 December 2026 | 2 years |
| On or after 1 January 2027 | 18 months |
| PhD or doctorate holders | 3 years |
What counts is the date you apply, not the date you get a decision. The visa starts from the day your application is approved. A decision usually takes up to 8 weeks, and you can stay in the UK while you wait (Graduate visa guide).
How much does the Graduate visa cost?
You pay £937 for the visa from inside the UK (fees table), plus the healthcare surcharge at £1,035 a year. The Graduate guide gives these surcharge totals: £1,552.50 for 18 months, £2,070 for 2 years and £3,105 for 3 years (Graduate visa guide).
| Visa length | Fee | Surcharge | Total (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 months | £937 | £1,552.50 | £2,489.50 |
| 2 years | £937 | £2,070 | £3,007 |
| 3 years (PhD) | £937 | £3,105 | £4,042 |
That is a difference of £517.50 between a 2-year and 18-month visa for one person. It does not mean waiting is better, because the 2-year visa also gives you 6 more months to work or search. See our guide to UK visa fees and the healthcare surcharge for the surcharge rules.
What can I do on a Graduate visa?
- Work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed or volunteer. You cannot work as a professional sportsperson (Graduate visa guide).
- Travel abroad and return.
- Study only if the course is not eligible for a Student visa.
- You cannot claim public funds (Graduate visa guide).
Can I extend a Graduate visa, or switch to another visa?
You cannot extend it. You can switch while it is valid. The commonest switch is to a Skilled Worker visa. Graduate visa holders can be paid 70% of the job’s going rate with a £33,400 minimum, but the total stay at those lower rates is capped at 4 years, including your time on the Graduate visa (Skilled Worker guide). As an illustration: if you spend 2 years on a Graduate visa, you would have at most 2 years left at the reduced Skilled Worker rate. If your job is in health or social care, the Health and Care Worker visa can be cheaper because it has no surcharge (Graduate visa guide).
You may also be able to switch to a Student visa if you have an unconditional CAS (Student visa guide), or to a family visa if you meet its rules. See our Skilled Worker guide and family visa guide.
Can my partner and children come with me?
Only people who were your dependants on your Student visa can apply as your dependants, or a child born in the UK while you held a Student or Graduate visa. Each person applies separately, pays the fee, and needs the main applicant’s Unique Application Number (UAN), which you get when you apply. Their visa ends on the same date as yours. New dependants cannot join you unless you switch to a visa that allows it, such as Skilled Worker (Graduate visa guide). A child born in the UK is not automatically British. You must apply for their dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.
What documents do I need?
You need your passport, your CAS reference and your BRP. An expired BRP can still be used for 24 months after its printed expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. You may also need a letter from a sponsor or scholarship provider, and certified translations (Graduate visa guide).
What to do now: step by step
- Ask your university when it will tell the Home Office you completed. You cannot apply until it has.
- Note your Student visa expiry date. You must apply before it.
- Decide on timing. If your course ends in late 2026, check whether you can apply by 31 December 2026 for the 2-year visa.
- Gather your passport, CAS reference and BRP or UKVI account details.
- Budget for the fee and surcharge for each applicant (fees table; healthcare surcharge page).
- Apply online. Check whether a job offer or switch plan fits within the Graduate visa dates.
Common mistakes
- Leaving it until after your Student visa expires. You cannot apply then.
- Assuming you can extend. You can only switch.
- Forgetting that your dependants need their own applications, fee and surcharge.
- Relying on a BRP that has gone past 31 December 2026.
- Counting on Graduate visa time towards settlement. Under the announced earned settlement plan, time on Graduate and similar routes would not count (government response). That plan has no start date and is not in force yet. See our earned settlement explainer.
Key dates
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2026 | Last day to apply for the 2-year Graduate visa; also the end date for using expired BRPs (eVisa guide) | In force until then |
| 1 January 2027 | Graduate visa length for new applications becomes 18 months (3 years for PhD) | Announced, with a date |
| No date set | Earned settlement | Announced, no start date |
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave the UK while on a Graduate visa?
Yes. You can travel abroad and return while your Graduate visa is valid.
Can I apply from outside the UK?
No. You must be in the UK on a Student visa when you apply.
Can I work full time or be self-employed?
Yes. You can work in most jobs or be self-employed. The only work you cannot do is as a professional sportsperson.
When can I apply?
Once your education provider has told the Home Office you completed the course, and before your Student visa expires. You do not need to wait for graduation.
Can I switch to Skilled Worker?
Yes. You need a sponsored job that meets the salary rules. For Graduate visa holders the 70% going-rate rule can apply, with a £33,400 minimum.
Does the 18-month rule affect me if I apply in December 2026?
The length depends on the date you apply. An application made on or before 31 December 2026 is for 2 years.
Related Visa Tide guides
- UK visa fees and the healthcare surcharge
- Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas
- Earned settlement explained
- UK immigration rule changes: October 2026 and key dates
This is general information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK or speak to an IAA-regulated adviser for your situation.
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Sources
- Graduate visa – GOV.UK guide, updated 27 October 2026
- Student visa – GOV.UK guide, updated 2 November 2026
- Healthcare surcharge – GOV.UK, updated 18 September 2026
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026 – GOV.UK
- Skilled Worker visa – GOV.UK guide, updated 14 September 2026
- eVisa – GOV.UK guide, updated 27 October 2026
- Earned settlement: government response – GOV.UK, 2 November 2026
All sources checked on 4 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the linked pages for the latest version.
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