Graduate Visa
Overview
A Graduate visa permits you to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after successfully completing a course in the UK.
You must be in the UK when you apply.
If you or your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
If you or your family member started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme
The deadline to apply was 30 June 2021 for most people You can still apply if either
you have a later deadline for example you are joining a family member in the UK
you have reasonable grounds for being unable to apply by 30 June 2021 for example you had an illness or were the victim of domestic abuse
Eligibility
You can apply for a Graduate visa if all of the following are true
you are in the UK
your current visa is a Student visa or Tier 4 General student visa
you studied a UK bachelors degree postgraduate degree or other eligible courses for a minimum period of time with your Student visa or Tier 4 General student visa
your education provider such as your university or college has told the Home Office you have successfully completed your course
You can ask your education provider if you are not sure whether they have told the Home Office you have successfully completed your course
Check if your course is eligible and how long you need to have studied in the UK
If you are not eligible for a Graduate visa you may be eligible for another type of visa to stay in the UK
How long can you stay
When you can submit your application depends on whether you are appl
A Graduate visa lasts for 2 years If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification it will last for 3 years
Your visa will start from the day your application is approved
If you want to stay longer in the UK
You cannot extend your Graduate visa However you may be able to switch to a different visa for example a Skilled Worker visa
Check you can apply for to another type of visa stay in the UK
ying from within the UK or from outside the UK.
How to apply
You must apply online
Your partner and children can also apply to stay in the UK if they are eligible
When to apply
You must apply before your Student visa or Tier 4 General student visa expires
You can apply after your education provider such as your university or college has told the Home Office that you have successfully completed the course you took with your Student or Tier 4 General student visa You do not have to wait until you have graduated or have been given a certificate
As part of your application you will need to prove your identity and provide your documents
Your application may take longer if you need an appointment to do this You will find out if you need one when you start your application
Getting a decision
Once you have applied online proved your identity and provided your documents you will usually get a decision on your visa within 8 weeks
You can stay in the UK while you wait for a decision
How much it costs
When you apply for a Graduate visa you will need to
pay the £715 application fee
pay the healthcare surcharge this is usually £624 for each year you will be in the UK
If you work in public sector healthcare
If you are a doctor or nurse or work in health or adult social care check if you are eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead It is cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge
If you get a job in public sector healthcare after you have paid the healthcare surcharge you may be able to get a refund
What you can and cannot do
With a Graduate visa you can
work in most jobs
look for work
be self employed
continue living in the UK with your partner and children if they are eligible
do voluntary work
travel abroad and return to the UK
You cannot
apply for most benefits public funds or the State Pension
work as a professional sportsperson
If your application is successful you will get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Graduate visa
Studying with a Graduate visa
You can only study with a Graduate visa if your chosen course is not eligible for a Student visa If your course is eligible for a Student visa you can extend your Student visa instead
You may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if you are studying or researching sensitive topics