The UK government has confirmed that the Graduate route will open for applications on 1 July 2021. The Graduate route is a visa available to international students who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above who have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa at the time of application. The Graduate Route will replace the Doctorate Extension Scheme visa once it comes into effect. 

Most successful applicants will be eligible for a two-year visa. Ph.D. graduates will be eligible for a three-year visa.

 

Graduate Visa Requirements

• You must have a valid student or Tier 4 visa at the time of application.

• You have successfully completed an eligible course.

• You cannot apply if your student or Tier 4 visa has expired before July 1, 2021.

• Applications are only available within the UK.

• You must have a student or Tier 4 visa for at least 12 months if your course is at least 12 months; and if not more than 12 months if you must have a student or Tier 4 visa for the entire period.

• If you are an international scholarship student supported by the government, you must obtain consent from that government or institution.

• If you are currently sponsored on the Doctorate Extension scheme, you will not be eligible to apply for the Graduate Route.

The application

• Students who began a course of 12 months or less in 2020 via distance learning, and who have not previously entered the UK to study that course will be able to make a Graduate route application if they make a successful Student visa application and arrive in the UK on or before 27th Sep 2021 to complete their course.

• Students who began a course of 12 months or less in 2021 via distance learning and who have not previously entered the UK to study that course will be able to make a Graduate route application if they make a successful Student visa application and arrive in the UK on or before 27 September 2021 to complete their course.

• Students who began a course of 12 months or less in 2020 or 2021 who have already applied for their student visa and travelled to the UK on that visa, will be able to apply for the Graduate Route visa if they re-enter the UK before the end date of their visa.

• If you hold a visa type other than a Student/Tier4 visa and you have been studying from inside the UK either in person or via distance learning, in most cases you will need to complete 12 months of study on a student visa to be eligible for the Graduate Route scheme.

How to apply

Graduates' visas can only be applied within the UK before the student visa expires. It includes a £700 visa fee and an annual Immigration Health Surcharge of £624.

Dependant family

If a family member is in the UK and is staying on a dependant of student or Tier 4 visa, he or she can apply as a dependent on a graduate visa. New dependants are not permitted except where a dependent child was born in the UK during a period of Student or Graduate permission.

Length of permission and condition of stay for graduate visas

• While your Graduate route application is pending, you can continue to work under the conditions of your Student or Tier 4 permission.

• Applicants will only be able to hold the graduate visa once.

• You will be able to work or look for work, in any sector, and at any level. The visa also allows self-employment. 

• The visa is not extendable and does not lead to settlement but graduates will be able to switch into the Skilled Worker route once they have found a suitable job.