Graduate Route Visa Solicitors

If you have successfully completed an eligible course in the UK and want to stay here to work, look for work or develop your professional career, our immigration solicitors can advise on the Graduate Route and what comes next.

The Graduate Route, often called the Graduate visa and previously known as the Post Study Work visa (PSW visa), is an unsponsored visa. You do not need a job offer or sponsorship to apply. However, you must meet the eligibility criteria and apply from within the UK at the right time.

We can advise on Graduate visa applications, including applications involving dependants. As the Graduate Route is a temporary immigration route, we can also support with longer-term immigration planning, including switching to the Skilled Worker visa, Global Talent visa, Innovator Founder visa, a further Student visa or other appropriate routes.

To speak to an immigration solicitor, call 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form.

How JMW Can Help With a Graduate Route Visa

We advise international students from the point at which they are considering a Graduate visa through to the next stage of their UK immigration plans. Our Graduate visa solicitors provide practical advice based on your course, current permission and long-term goals.

We can help with:

• Eligibility checks: assessing your Student visa history, successful completion of your course, your education provider's status and the minimum period you must have studied in the UK.
• Graduate visa applications: reviewing the required information and documents and preparing the application for submission to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
• Timing: advising on when you can apply after successfully completing your course and before your Student visa expires.
• Dependants: checking whether an existing partner or child can remain in the UK with you and preparing eligible dependant applications.
• Refusals: advising on the next step and whether an administrative review is available where UKVI has made a caseworking error.
• Switching visa routes: helping Graduate visa holders move into another immigration category before their permission expires.
• Sponsored work: advising on the Skilled Worker route and, where relevant, supporting an employer with sponsor licence and sponsorship matters.
• Settlement planning: explaining which future routes may lead towards indefinite leave to remain.

You do not need a solicitor to apply for a Graduate visa, but it can make a big difference to your chances of success. Legal advice can be particularly useful if you want your eligibility checked, there are potential suitability issues, or you want to make decisions now that support your longer-term plans to stay in the UK on a permanent basis.

JMW’s immigration solicitors advise on both personal and business immigration matters. This means we can support your immediate application while keeping your longer-term plans in view.

Partner Gemma Tracey has more than 10 years' experience in UK immigration law. She advises private individuals as well as employers and human resources teams on sponsored workers, sponsor licences and other immigration matters. Gemma is recognised as a Next Generation Partner by the Legal 500, and JMW's immigration team has also been noted as a Firm to Watch.

Meet the Team

Our immigration solicitors provide expert legal advice for people at different stages of their UK immigration journey, including graduates moving from study into work and longer-term visa routes.

What Is the Graduate Route Visa?

The Graduate Route allows eligible international students to remain in the UK after successfully completing an eligible course with a qualifying UK higher education provider. It is commonly called the Graduate visa and was previously known as the Post Study Work visa.

The Graduate Route is an unsponsored visa, so you do not need a job offer, a sponsor licence or employer sponsorship before applying. This gives graduates flexibility to look for work, change employers, take multiple jobs or become self-employed.

The visa duration depends on your qualification and when you apply:

• If you apply on or before 31 December 2026, most eligible graduates will receive two years.
• If you apply on or after 1 January 2027, most eligible graduates will receive 18 months.
• If you have completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, you receive three years.

Your permission starts on the date the application is approved. 

You must apply from within the UK. You must also apply before your Student permission expires.

The Graduate visa route does not itself lead to settlement. If indefinite leave to remain is one of your long-term plans, it is worth considering your next route before your Graduate visa expires.

Am I Eligible for the Graduate Route Visa?

To qualify, you must meet the Graduate Route requirements when you apply. In most cases, you will need to have successfully completed the course linked to your most recent Student route permission.

The main eligibility criteria are:

• You must be in the UK when you apply.
• You must have, or have last had, permission as a student.
• Your most recent Student sponsor must be a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.
• You must have successfully completed an eligible course.
• Your education provider must have told the Home Office that you successfully completed your course before you apply.
• You must meet the requirement for studying in the UK.
• You must not previously have been granted permission under the Graduate Route or former Doctorate Extension Scheme.

You will usually qualify through a UK bachelor's degree, postgraduate degree, PhD or other doctoral qualification. The rules also recognise certain professional courses, including a qualifying law conversion course, the Legal Practice Course, Bar Practice Course, PGCE, PGDE and certain other professional qualifications.

You can check the current list on the GOV.UK Graduate visa course guidance.

How long must I have studied in the UK?

If your course lasted 12 months or less, you will normally need to have studied in the UK for the full duration. If it lasted more than 12 months, the minimum period is normally 12 months.

There are specific provisions for some periods of overseas distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic. If your study history is unusual, we can review your circumstances and provide advice in relation to whether you qualify for a Graduate visa.

If a government or international scholarship agency paid both your course fees and living costs during the 12 months before the application, you may also need written consent from that organisation.

What Can You Do on the Graduate Route Visa?

A Graduate visa gives you broad flexibility to work in the UK without employer sponsorship. You can generally:

• Look for work
• Work in most jobs and at different skill levels
• Change employers without making a new visa application
• Work in multiple jobs
• Be self-employed
• Undertake permitted voluntary work
• Travel outside the UK and return while your visa remains valid
• Study where the course is not eligible for the Student route

Graduate visa holders cannot access public funds or work as a professional sportsperson. 

If you want to study a course that is eligible under the Student route, you may need to apply for, or extend, your Student visa instead. Our Student visa solicitors can advise on the appropriate option.

A Graduate visa cannot be extended. To remain in the UK after it expires, you must qualify for another visa route and make the relevant application in time.

How Do I Apply for a Graduate Route Visa?

You must make the Graduate visa application online from within the UK. You do not have to wait for a graduation ceremony or degree certificate, but your education provider must have informed the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course before you apply.

The process usually involves:

1. Checking eligibility: confirm that you meet the qualification, successful completion and study in the UK requirements. An assessment of your suitability will also be undertaken.
2. Confirming course completion has been reported: your Student sponsor must have notified the Home Office.
3. Gathering your documents: gather the necessary validity, suitability and eligibility information and documents necessary for your application.
4. Applying online: prepare and submit the Graduate application through UKVI while you are in the UK.
5. Proving your identity: depending on your circumstances, you may use the UK Immigration: ID Check app or attend a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services appointment to provide biometrics.
6. Paying the charges: pay the application fee and immigration health surcharge.
7. Awaiting the decision: UKVI aim to decide applications within eight weeks of submission.

You should not travel outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) while the application is pending. Such travel before a decision is issued will result in the application being treated as withdrawn. See the current Graduate visa application process.

What documents do I need for a Graduate visa application?

The core documents normally include:

• A valid passport or other travel document showing your identity and nationality.
• The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number used for your Student visa or previous Tier 4 (General) student visa.
• Evidence of your current immigration status where required.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also need evidence relating to your character, partner or children, consent from a government or international scholarship agency, or certified translations. The GOV.UK document guidance sets out the current requirements.

We can review your documents before submission and confirm which evidence applies to your application.

How long does it take to get a Graduate visa decision?

UKVI aim to decide applications  within eight weeks of online submission.

How Much Does the Graduate Route Visa Cost?

The current Home Office application fee is £937. You must also pay the immigration health surcharge upfront for the full duration of your visa. UKVI fees can be summarised as follows:

You can check the latest figures on the GOV.UK Graduate visa costs page.

Our legal fees are separate from Home Office charges. If you instruct us, we will explain the scope of our work and confirm our legal fee before we commence work.

Can My Partner or Children Stay With Me on a Graduate Visa?

Your partner and children may be able to remain in the UK as dependants if they already held eligible dependant permission under your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa.

A child born in the UK during your Student permission can also apply.

The Graduate Route does not generally allow the main applicant to bring a new partner or child from overseas where that person was not already a Student dependant. Each eligible family member must make a separate application and pay the relevant application fee and immigration health surcharge.

We can advise on dependant eligibility and prepare the applications. GOV.UK provides further information on partners and children on the Graduate visa.

What Happens After a Graduate Visa Expires?

A Graduate visa cannot be extended. If you want to stay in the UK after it expires, you will need to switch to another visa route for which you qualify or leave the UK before your permission ends.

For many Graduate visa holders, the route is a bridge between study in the UK and a longer-term work or immigration route. Planning ahead gives you time to understand the next visa category and take any necessary steps before your current permission expires.

Can I switch from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes. You can switch to the Skilled Worker route from within the UK if you meet its requirements.

You will need to undertake an eligible job with an employer that holds a sponsor licence, and your salary will need to comply with strict requirements. Your employer will also need to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to you.

JMW advises workers on Skilled Worker visa applications and employers on sponsor licence and sponsorship matters, so we can assist with both sides of the process where appropriate.

Can I return to the Student route?

You may be able to apply for further Student permission if you want to undertake another eligible course and meet the Student route requirements. Our Student visa team can advise on the correct route for further study.

Could the Global Talent visa be an option?

The Global Talent visa may be relevant if you are a leader or potential leader in an eligible field and meet the route requirements. Unlike the Skilled Worker visa, the Global Talent route does not require employer sponsorship.

Other routes, including partner or Innovator Founder routes, may also be available depending on your circumstances.

Does the Graduate Route lead to indefinite leave to remain?

No. The Graduate Route is not itself a route that leads to settlement, and time spent as a Graduate does not count towards the standard qualifying period under routes such as Skilled Worker.

Your UK residence may still be relevant to other settlement routes, including long residence which is based on 10 years continuous lawful residence in the UK. If settlement is your goal, we can provide advice about your options once we have assessed your immigration history.

What Are the 2027 Graduate Visa Changes?

The 2027 Graduate visa changes reduce the standard visa duration for most non-doctoral graduates from two years to 18 months. The change applies according to the date you make your Graduate visa application.

Under the current Immigration Rules:

• Most applicants who apply on or before 31 December 2026 will receive a visa for two years.
• Most applicants who apply on or after 1 January 2027 will receive a visa for 18 months.
• PhD graduates and people with another doctoral qualification continue to receive a visa lasting for three years.

The change is already included in the Graduate Appendix of the Immigration Rules. For applicants from 2027, the shorter visa duration makes early planning for the next route particularly important.

We can advise on the Graduate application itself and later switching options, including whether the Skilled Worker route or another visa is suitable for your circumstances.

Q

Can I get a visa after I graduate?

A

Yes, if you meet the requirements of the relevant route. The Graduate Route is designed for international students who successfully complete a qualifying UK course and want to remain in the UK afterwards.

If you have been offered an eligible sponsored job, it may also be worth comparing the Graduate visa with a direct switch to the Skilled Worker route.

Q

Can I extend my Graduate visa?

A

No. A Graduate visa cannot be extended. Before it expires, you will need to switch to another visa route if you want to remain in the UK.

Common options include the Skilled Worker visa, a further Student visa and, for eligible applicants, the Global Talent or Innovator Founder routes.

Q

Can I apply for the Graduate Route visa if I already have a job?

A

Yes. Having a job does not prevent you from applying if you otherwise meet the eligibility criteria. The Graduate Route does not require employer sponsorship, so your employer does not need a sponsor licence for your Graduate visa application.

If sponsorship is available, we can also help you compare the Graduate visa with the Skilled Worker route.

Q

What happens if my Student visa expires before I apply for the Graduate Route visa?

A

You must apply before your Student visa expires because the Graduate Route has specific requirements concerning immigration status.

If your Student visa has already expired, speak to an immigration solicitor promptly before applying. Limited provisions may be relevant in some overstaying circumstances, depending on the facts.

Q

Can I switch from a Graduate Route visa to a Skilled Worker visa?

A

Yes, provided you meet the Skilled Worker requirements. You will normally need an eligible role, a Home Office-approved sponsor, a Certificate of Sponsorship and a salary that meets the relevant rules.

JMW advises Graduate visa holders and sponsoring employers on this process.

Q

Do I need a solicitor to apply for the Graduate Route visa?

A

No. You can make a Graduate visa application without a solicitor.

You may want legal advice if you need your eligibility checked, have an unusual immigration or course history, are applying with dependants, have suitability issues such as a criminal offence or immigration breach, have received a refusal or want to plan which visa route to use next.

Q

What is the difference between the Graduate Route visa and the Post Study Work visa?

A

The terms are commonly used for the same current route, although PSW visa is the name for an older route that operated in a similar way to the current Graduate visa. The Graduate Route is often still called the Post Study Work visa or PSW visa because it allows eligible graduates to stay and work in the UK after completing their studies.

The current Immigration Rules and application process use the name Graduate visa or Graduate Route.

Q

Can I bring my family to the UK on a Graduate visa?

A

You cannot generally use the Graduate Route to bring a new partner or child from overseas as a new dependant. An eligible partner or child who already held dependant permission under your Student visa may be able to remain as your Graduate dependant.

Children born in the UK during relevant Student or Graduate permission can also qualify in specified circumstances.

Q

What are the most common reasons for a Graduate visa being refused?

A

A Graduate visa application can be refused where the Immigration Rules are not met. Issues can relate to immigration status, successful completion of the course, the study in the UK requirement, the Student sponsor's status or other validity and suitability requirements.

If UKVI refuses your application and you believe the decision contains a caseworking error, we can advise on whether an administrative review is appropriate.

Q

How long does the Graduate Route visa last?

A

For most graduates, the visa will last two years if the application is made on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months if it is made on or after 1 January 2027.

If you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it lasts three years. Permission starts on the date the application is approved.