A Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK for at least 18 months after you successfully complete an eligible UK course, and you must be in the UK on a Student visa when you apply. GOV.UK lists, as of Nov 2026, a 937 pounds application fee plus the healthcare surcharge, usually 1,035 pounds for each year of the visa.
If you've just finished a degree in the UK and want to stay on to work, look for work or set up on your own, the Graduate visa is the route most people reach for first. I've pulled the rules together from the official GOV.UK guide to the Graduate visa, read on 2 Nov 2026, so you can see in one place who can apply, what it costs, which papers you'll need and what happens to your partner and children.
The GOV.UK eligibility list doesn't mention a job offer or a salary level. What it does ask for is the right kind of course, a provider with the right standing, enough time studied in the UK and a confirmation from your university that you've passed. Everything below comes from that guide, written in plain English.
Who qualifies and which courses count
GOV.UK says you can apply for a Graduate visa if all of the following are true:
- you're in the UK
- your current visa is a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa
- you studied a UK bachelor's degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course for a minimum period of time on that visa
- your education provider, such as your university or college, has told the Home Office you've successfully completed your course
If you're not sure whether your university has sent that confirmation, GOV.UK says you can simply ask them. You also don't have to wait until you've graduated or been given a certificate: you can apply once the provider has told the Home Office you've passed.
Your education provider
The provider must be a licensed one with a 'track record of compliance'. GOV.UK tells you to check the official register, where a provider with that standing shows 'Track Record' in the Status column. If your provider let you switch course without a new Student visa, you only need to have completed the course you changed to.
Your course
You usually need a UK bachelor's degree, a UK master's degree or a UK PhD or doctorate. GOV.UK also accepts a law conversion course approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Legal Practice Course in England and Wales, the Solicitors Course in Northern Ireland, a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland, the Bar Practice Course in England and Wales, the Bar Course in Northern Ireland, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). You may also qualify if passing your course made you eligible for a job regulated by UK law or a UK public authority, and your provider can tell you whether your course counts.
How long you studied in the UK
You need to have studied in the UK for at least 12 months if your course lasted more than 12 months, or for the whole length of the course if it was shorter. Studying in the UK means you were here whenever your provider needed you to be, for lectures or tutor meetings. GOV.UK gives the example of a 1 year master's student who went home in term breaks or at weekends: that still counts as a full year of study in the UK. Student Union Sabbatical Officers can apply too, as long as they completed an eligible course in the UK just before their current visa started.
The date that shortens the visa from two years to 18 months
This is the detail most graduates miss, and it comes straight from the GOV.UK Graduate visa overview. The length of the visa depends on the day you apply, not the day you graduate. Apply on or before 31 Dec 2026 and the visa lasts 2 years. Apply on or after 1 Jan 2027 and it lasts 18 months. PhD and other doctoral graduates get 3 years either way. Because the healthcare surcharge is charged per year, the length also changes the total you pay up front.
| Your situation | Visa length | Healthcare surcharge GOV.UK lists |
|---|---|---|
| Apply on or before 31 Dec 2026 | 2 years | 2,070 pounds |
| Apply on or after 1 Jan 2027 | 18 months | 1,552.50 pounds |
| PhD or other doctoral qualification | 3 years | 3,105 pounds |
The visa starts from the day your application is approved. You can't extend a Graduate visa, but GOV.UK says you may be able to switch to a different visa later, for example a Skilled Worker visa. If you're weighing up your timing, it's worth reading the overview page yourself, because rules like these change and GOV.UK will always have the current dates.
What you'll pay and the papers you'll need
GOV.UK lists two charges when you apply, as of Nov 2026. The first is the 937 pounds application fee. The second is the immigration healthcare surcharge, which is usually 1,035 pounds for each year you'll be in the UK, giving the totals in the table above. You'll be told the exact amount when you apply. Each family member who applies with you makes a separate application and pays their own visa fee.
There's one money point worth knowing if you work in health. GOV.UK says that if you're a doctor or nurse, or you work in health or adult social care, you should check whether you can apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead, because it's cheaper to apply for and you don't pay the annual immigration health surcharge. If you get a public sector healthcare job after paying the surcharge, you may be able to get a refund.
Documents to gather first
- a valid passport or other travel document showing your identity and nationality
- your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number from your Student visa application; if you can't find it, ask your provider
- your biometric residence permit (BRP) to show you hold a valid Student visa; GOV.UK says you can use it for 24 months after the expiry date on the card or until 31 Dec 2026, whichever comes first
- proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they're applying with you
- a letter from your scholarship or sponsorship provider approving the application, if they paid both your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months
- a certified translation of any document that isn't in English or Welsh
How to apply, step by step
- Check your provider has told the Home Office you've completed the course, and make sure your Student visa hasn't expired. You must apply before it does.
- Gather the documents in the list above.
- Apply online on GOV.UK. You can save the form and come back to it later.
- Prove your identity. You'll either scan your identity document with the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app, which also creates or signs you in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, or have your fingerprints and photo taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point. You'll be told which when you apply.
- Stay put while you wait. GOV.UK says you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.
- Wait for the decision, which usually comes within 8 weeks once you've applied, proved your identity and sent your documents.
- If you're successful, you'll get an eVisa, a digital record of your identity and status. Your decision email or letter tells you how to reach it through your UKVI account.
GOV.UK adds that you'll be contacted if your application will take longer, for example if documents need to be verified or because of your personal circumstances, such as a criminal conviction. You can ask to cancel an application, but you'll only get the fee back if UKVI hasn't started processing it. If you're not confident using a computer or don't have internet access, there's a free service to help you fill in the online form in the UK, though it can't give you immigration advice.
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Partners, children and what the visa lets you do
If your partner and children joined you as dependants on your Student visa, they can apply to stay as dependants on your Graduate visa, and their visa ends on the same date as yours. A child born in the UK during your Student visa or Graduate visa can apply too. Your partner must have been a dependant on your Student visa, and you'll need to show you're married, in a civil partnership recognised in the UK, have lived together for at least 2 years, or have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but can't live together.
Children must live with you, unless they're away in full-time education, and must not be married or in a civil partnership. Each family member applies separately with your Unique Application Number (UAN), which you'll find on Home Office emails and letters about your application. GOV.UK also points out that a child born in the UK doesn't automatically become a British citizen, and you must apply for their dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them, using a full UK birth certificate naming both parents.
What you can and can't do
With a Graduate visa you can work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed, live in the UK with your eligible partner and children, travel abroad and return, and do unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, a voluntary organisation, an associated fundraising body or a statutory body. You can't claim most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension, and you can't work as a professional sportsperson. You can only study on this visa if the course isn't eligible for a Student visa.
If you're starting to look for that first role, I've written about finding your first job after university, and if you want to earn while you build experience, my piece on freelance writing alongside your studies covers how people make that work.
My plain advice on the Graduate visa
Read the GOV.UK Graduate visa guide yourself before you pay anything, and do it early: the date you apply decides whether you get 2 years or 18 months, and the visa can't be extended. Ask your university to confirm they've told the Home Office you've passed, find your CAS number before you open the form, and don't book a trip abroad until your decision arrives. If your plans are complicated, speak to a regulated immigration adviser, because I can only tell you what the official guide says.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a Graduate visa before my graduation ceremony?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can apply once your education provider has told the Home Office you've successfully completed the course. You don't have to wait until you've graduated or been given a certificate, but you must apply before your Student visa expires.
How much does the Graduate visa cost?
GOV.UK, as of Nov 2026, lists a 937 pounds application fee plus the healthcare surcharge, which is usually 1,035 pounds for each year. That's 2,070 pounds of surcharge for 2 years, 1,552.50 pounds for 18 months and 3,105 pounds for 3 years.
How long does a Graduate visa last?
GOV.UK says 2 years if you apply on or before 31 Dec 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 Jan 2027. If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it lasts 3 years.
Can I extend a Graduate visa?
No. GOV.UK says you can't extend it, but you may be able to switch to another visa, such as a Skilled Worker visa, if you qualify.
How long does a decision take?
GOV.UK says you'll usually get a decision within 8 weeks once you've applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents. You can stay in the UK while you wait.
Can my partner and children come with me?
If they were dependants on your Student visa, they can apply as dependants on your Graduate visa, each with a separate application and fee. A child born in the UK during your Student or Graduate visa can apply too.
