UK guide · Graduate visa · 3 min read
The UK Graduate visa after your degree: how long, how much, and what comes after.
After a UK bachelor's or master's you can apply for the Graduate visa from inside the UK, with no job offer and no funds requirement. It gives 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, and 18 months for applications after that; PhD graduates get 3 years. You can work in any job at any level. To stay longer you need a Skilled Worker job with a licensed employer, usually paying at least £41,700, or £33,400 for new entrants.
The short version
- 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026; 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027. PhD graduates: 3 years.
- Apply from inside the UK, after your university reports that you've completed, and before your Student visa ends.
- No job offer and no funds needed. You pay the visa fee and the health surcharge for the whole period.
- After it: a Skilled Worker job, usually £41,700 or more, or £33,400 as a new entrant (under 26, or switching from Student or Graduate).
- Plan the job hunt from your final term. 18 months goes quickly.
The Graduate visa in one table
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Graduates of a UK bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate studied on a Student visa |
| Length | 2 years if you apply by 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027; doctorates 3 years |
| Where you apply | Inside the UK, before your Student visa expires |
| When | After your university reports your successful completion to the Home Office |
| Fee | £937 (from April 2026), plus the health surcharge for the whole visa |
| Job offer | Not needed |
| Funds | Not needed |
| Work | Any job, any level, or self-employment |
The timing that matters
If you finish a one-year master’s in September 2026, your university usually reports completion in autumn, and you’d apply in time to get 2 years before the 31 December 2026 cut-off. Courses finishing in 2027 lead to an 18-month visa.
| When you finish | Likely Graduate visa |
|---|---|
| Autumn 2026, apply before 31 Dec 2026 | 2 years |
| January 2027 intake courses, finishing early 2028 | 18 months |
| September 2027 intake, finishing late 2028 | 18 months |
What it costs
At Rs 202.99 per GBP (18 Oct 2026):
| Cost | 2-year visa | 18-month visa |
|---|---|---|
| Visa fee | £937 (about Rs 1.9 lakh) | £937 |
| Health surcharge at £776 a year | £1,552 (about Rs 3.2 lakh) | £1,164 (about Rs 2.4 lakh) |
| Total | £2,489 (about Rs 5.1 lakh) | £2,101 (about Rs 4.3 lakh) |
After the Graduate visa: Skilled Worker
To stay longer, the usual route is a Skilled Worker visa with a licensed employer.
| Rule | 2026 position |
|---|---|
| General salary threshold | £41,700 a year, or the job’s going rate if higher |
| New entrants (under 26, or switching from Student or Graduate) | 70% of the going rate, minimum £33,400, for up to 4 years combined |
| Job level | The role must be at the skill level the route requires |
| Employer | Must hold a sponsor licence |
| Shortage lists | Most Immigration Salary List entries are due to be removed at the end of 2026 |
The new-entrant rate matters: switching from the Graduate visa, a first job at £33,400 can qualify where a general role would need £41,700.
Which roles sponsor graduates
What our graduates in the UK tell us:
- Health: nursing, care roles that meet the skill level, allied health
- Engineering: civil, electrical, mechanical, with accredited degrees
- Data and IT: data analysts and engineers, software developers at firms with sponsor licences
- Finance and accounting: at larger firms, often with professional exams under way
General business and marketing roles are crowded and sponsor fewer graduates.
Using 18 months well
- Start applying in your final term, before the Graduate visa starts.
- Target employers with a sponsor licence. The Home Office publishes the register of licensed sponsors.
- Take a job in your field even below your target salary if it builds the experience a sponsor wants. You can switch later.
- Keep your English and professional exams moving. They help with the next step.
From our files. Of 412 graduates in our 2026 survey, 356 started a post-study work visa (86.4%). The UK graduates who moved to Skilled Worker fastest had something in common: a job in their field within the first 6 months of the Graduate visa, not the last.
