The UK Graduate visa in 2026

The 31 December 2026 deadline

The key date is your application date, not the decision date.

If your one-year master's ended in September 2026 and your university has reported completion, apply now. Do not wait for graduation day; you do not need your degree certificate or the ceremony. You must still be in the UK on a valid Student visa when you apply.

If your course ends in January 2027 or later, you will be on the 18-month rule. Plan your job search for that shorter window. The Graduate visa planner shows your dates.

Eligibility

• You are in the UK on a Student visa (or the old Tier 4) when you apply.
• You have successfully completed an eligible course: a UK bachelor's, master's, PhD, or certain other qualifications such as some professional courses.
• Your course was with a licensed student sponsor with a track record of compliance.
• Your university has reported to the Home Office that you completed the course. Ask the international office for the reporting date.
• You studied the course in the UK for the required period; most distance-learning time does not count.
• If a government or international scholarship agency paid your fees and living costs in the last 12 months, you need their written consent.

You cannot get a Graduate visa twice, and you cannot extend it.

Cost and how to apply

The total is the visa fee plus IHS for the full length:

No maintenance funds and no new English test are needed. You apply online from inside the UK, usually confirming your identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check app. You need your passport, your CAS reference from the Student visa, and access to your UKVI account. Decisions usually come within about 8 weeks. You can keep working under your Student visa conditions while waiting, and once you have applied you can stay while the decision is pending.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

• work in almost any job, at any level, full- or part-time, with no salary minimum (apart from the minimum wage, £12.71/hour for ages 21+ from 1 April 2026);
• be self-employed or freelance;
• do voluntary work;
• look for a sponsored job and switch to Skilled Worker from inside the UK.

You cannot:

• work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach;
• claim most public funds;
• bring new dependants. Only people already your dependants on your Student visa can stay, plus a child born in the UK during Graduate leave;
• count the time towards 5-year ILR.

Switching to Skilled Worker as a new entrant

Most Graduate visa holders aim to switch to a Skilled Worker visa. As a current Graduate visa holder (or within 2 years of holding one) you count as a new entrant, so your salary must be at least £33,400 and at least 70% of the going rate for the job, instead of the general £41,700 or 100% of the going rate. The job must be RQF 6 or above, unless it is on a shortage list and the CoS is issued before 31 December 2026.

New entrant status has a time cap: your total UK stay on new entrant terms is limited to 4 years, including the time already spent on the Graduate visa. After that, you need the full rate to extend. Example: if you spend 18 months on Graduate, you have up to about 2½ years left at the new entrant rate.

Since 8 January 2026 new Skilled Worker applicants need English at B2. A UK degree normally meets this. Compare salaries with the UK salary calculator.

Graduate visa or another route?

The Graduate visa is not the only option after study:

• Skilled Worker straight away: if you already have a sponsored offer, you can switch from Student once your course is complete. Your 5-year ILR clock starts sooner, and your employer pays no Immigration Skills Charge for a switch from Student.
• High Potential Individual (HPI): for graduates of eligible top-ranked universities outside the UK (for example some Indian institutions, if they appear on the list for your award year). It costs £880 plus an Ecctis check, and also lasts 2 years (3 for a PhD). You can only hold it once, and it does not count towards ILR.
• India Young Professionals Scheme: only through a ballot, for ages 18–30. See the India YPS guide.

For most Indian master's graduates the Graduate visa is the simplest bridge: no sponsor, no salary test, and full freedom to change jobs while you look for a sponsor.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for graduation day. You need completion reported, not the ceremony. Waiting past 31 Dec 2026 costs you 6 months.
• Leaving the UK before applying. You must apply from inside the UK while your Student visa is valid.
• Assuming Graduate time counts towards ILR. It does not. Your 5 years start on Skilled Worker.
• Ignoring the 4-year new entrant cap. Long Graduate stays use up discounted time.
• Starting a business that needs a later sponsor. Self-employment is allowed but will not lead to settlement.

Step by step

1. Confirm your university has reported completionAsk the international office when your completion was reported to the Home Office.
2. Check your Student visa is still validYou must be in the UK with valid Student permission on the day you apply.
3. Apply before 31 December 2026 if you canApplying by this date gets 2 years instead of 18 months.
4. Pay the fee and IHSPay £937 and £1,035 per year of IHS online.
5. Verify your identityUse the UK Immigration: ID Check app or attend a UKVCAS appointment if asked.
6. Update your employerOnce granted, give your employer a new right-to-work share code from your UKVI account.
7. Plan the Skilled Worker switchLook for sponsored roles paying at least £33,400 and 70% of the going rate, keeping the 4-year cap in mind.

Questions people ask

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Graduate visa
• GOV.UK: Home Office fees, 8 October 2026
• GOV.UK: Skilled Worker, when you can be paid less
• GOV.UK: Immigration Health Surcharge
• GOV.UK: HC 1333 explanatory memorandum

Checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority before you apply.