The Graduate Visa is for foreign students who have successfully completed a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree in the United Kingdom and wish to work or look for work here. To apply, you must have obtained your education from a higher education institution registered in the United Kingdom. To apply, your current visa must be a ‘student’ visa.
Graduate Visa Route
If you complete your undergraduate or postgraduate education with a valid student visa, you can apply for the graduate route to work in the United Kingdom for 2 years. Undergraduate and master’s degree graduates are eligible to stay in the country for two years, while PhD graduates may stay for up to three years. During this period, you may seek employment aligned with your skills, education, and experience and work in the positions you secure.
You will not be able to apply for a long-term stay after this route. However, you can switch to a Skilled Worker Visa if you find a suitable job. For detailed information, please visit our Skilled Worker Visa page (https://visavisuk.com/service/nitelikli-calisan-vizesi/) or contact us.
You can think of a graduate visa as an extension of your student visa, but you must apply to the Home Office for this.
Graduate Visa Requirements
According to the current statement made by the Home Office, the graduate route, like most visa types shaped after Brexit, has a points-based assessment system. You are expected to meet the following conditions.
- Condition for Successful Completion of Training
When applying for a graduate visa, you are expected to have a valid student visa. In this case, you must be enrolled at the higher education institution that sponsored your student visa (where you completed your education). Your student sponsor (educational institution) must notify the Home Office of your successful graduation.
- Qualification Requirement
If you have graduated or will graduate with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an educational institution in the United Kingdom, you are considered to have fulfilled the eligibility requirement. Your graduation must have been completed immediately prior to applying for the graduate programme. In addition to these three degrees, there are also some other educational qualifications that are considered valid. Please contact us for more information.
- Having Resided in the United Kingdom for the Duration of Education
You must have completed the minimum required period of study in the United Kingdom at the educational institution and department for which you have obtained a student visa. For details, please refer to the table below.
| Total Duration of Training | Required Stay Duration |
| If the training is 12 months or less | Throughout the entire training period |
| If the training lasts longer than 12 months | At least 12 months |
Between January 2020 and September 2021, exceptional rules apply to students who had to study remotely outside the country due to Covid-19. This does not prevent you from applying for a graduate visa. If you have not yet graduated and were unable to physically attend your course in the United Kingdom during the specified period, please contact us for further information.
Visa Duration and Rights Granted
- The visa duration varies depending on your degree. Bachelor’s and master’s degree holders can stay and work in the United Kingdom for up to 2 years with a graduate visa, while PhD graduates can stay and work for up to 3 years with a graduate visa.
- You cannot apply for an extension upon expiry of your graduate visa. However, you can switch to the most suitable visa through the institution/company you worked for during your graduate visa.
- You can find a job at a company and work for a salary, or you can start your own business.
- If you have family members currently residing in the United Kingdom, they can apply with you when you apply for the graduate route and continue to stay in the United Kingdom. However, it is not possible to apply for a family member residing outside the United Kingdom.
Application Cost
You can view the visa application fee and health service fees that must be paid for the graduate visa below:
The application fee for a graduate visa is £822. This amount is charged for the assessment of the application and must be paid in advance at the time of application.
The health insurance fee required to apply for a graduate visa is set at £1035 for each year you will be staying. As the graduate visa is a 2-year visa, you must pay £1035 x 2 = £2070 for health insurance. You must complete the health insurance payment stage in order to complete your visa application.
Question about the Graduate Route (Graduate Visa Route)
Yes, you can work in the United Kingdom with a Graduate Visa. After graduation, you can work or look for work in the United Kingdom for two years (three years for PhD graduates).
For detailed information about the Graduate Visa, please contact us.