The UK Graduate visa lets international students stay and work in the UK after successfully completing an eligible UK degree. According to GOV.UK on 10 November 2026, it lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, with 3 years for PhD graduates. You apply from inside the UK, and it costs £937 plus the immigration health surcharge (IHS) of £1,035 a year. You cannot extend it, but you may be able to switch to another visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa.
Nigerian graduates are among the biggest users of this route. Home Office statistics show 20,604 Graduate visas granted to Nigerian nationals (as extensions of stay) in the year ending June 2026, the third-highest after India and Pakistan. This guide explains the rules, the cost and the change coming in January 2027, using official sources only.
General information, not immigration advice. Inspint does not help with applications and cannot tell you whether you qualify. For advice on your own case, use a regulated adviser through GOV.UK's find an immigration adviser service.
Photo: Faustin Tuyambaze / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
What the Graduate visa is
The Graduate visa is a post-study route. It does not need a job offer or sponsor, and there is no minimum salary. GOV.UK says you can:
- work in most jobs, and look for work
- be self-employed
- do unpaid voluntary work for charities and similar organisations
- travel abroad and return to the UK
- keep eligible family members with you
You cannot:
- claim most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension
- work as a professional sportsperson
- extend the Graduate visa itself
The big change: 2 years becomes 18 months
GOV.UK's Graduate visa page sets out the new lengths:
| When you apply | Length of Graduate visa | Length for PhD or doctoral graduates |
|---|---|---|
| On or before 31 December 2026 | 2 years | 3 years |
| On or after 1 January 2027 | 18 months | 3 years |
Source: GOV.UK Graduate visa overview, checked 10 November 2026.
What matters is the date you apply, not the date you graduate. The visa starts on the day your application is approved, not on the day you apply.
Under GOV.UK's rules, you can apply once your university or college has told the Home Office you have successfully completed your course. You do not have to wait for the graduation ceremony or your certificate. You must also apply before your Student visa expires. If you are finishing a course in late 2026, ask your university when it will report your completion. That date controls when you can apply.
Who can apply
GOV.UK says you can apply if all of these are true:
- you are in the UK
- your current visa is a Student visa (or a Tier 4 General student visa)
- you studied an eligible course in the UK for the required time on that visa
- your university or college has told the Home Office you successfully completed the course
Eligible courses
Usually a UK bachelor's degree, master's degree, or PhD/doctorate. Some other courses also qualify, including:
- certain law courses (law conversion, Legal Practice Course, Bar courses and their equivalents)
- a PGCE or PGDE teaching qualification
- some courses that lead to a job regulated by UK law, if your provider confirms this
Your education provider
Your university or college must be a licensed student sponsor with a "track record of compliance". It is shown as "Student Sponsor – Track Record" on the official register.
How long you studied in the UK
You must have studied in the UK for at least 12 months if your course was longer than 12 months, or for the whole length of a course that was shorter than 12 months. GOV.UK gives an example: on a one-year master's, leaving the UK during term breaks or at weekends still counts as studying in the UK for that year.
How much the Graduate visa costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (per person) | £937 (Home Office fees table from 8 October 2026) |
| IHS for an 18-month visa | £1,552.50 |
| IHS for a 2-year visa | £2,070 |
| IHS for a 3-year visa (PhD) | £3,105 |
IHS amounts are GOV.UK's own figures at the £1,035 yearly rate.
So the total Home Office cost for one person is £3,007 for a 2-year visa (£937 + £2,070), or £2,489.50 for an 18-month visa (£937 + £1,552.50). This is our arithmetic using the official figures. Each family member also pays their own fee and IHS.
There is no requirement to show maintenance funds for the Graduate visa in GOV.UK's eligibility list, but you do need to pay the fee and IHS in full when you apply. For a full breakdown of UK visa costs, see our guide to UK visa fees and the immigration health surcharge.
If you work in health or care
GOV.UK says doctors, nurses and people working in health or adult social care should check whether they qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa, which is cheaper and exempt from the IHS. If you get a public sector healthcare job after paying the IHS, you may be able to get a refund.
Documents and the application
GOV.UK lists:
- a valid passport or travel document
- your CAS reference number from the Student visa you completed the course on (ask your university if you cannot find it)
- if relevant, a letter from your scholarship or sponsor approving the application, if it paid both your fees and living costs in the last 12 months
- certified translations of any document not in English or Welsh
On BRPs, GOV.UK says that if you need to show your biometric residence permit, you can use it for 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. Your status is now held as an eVisa in your UKVI account.
You apply online and prove your identity, either with the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app or at a UKVCAS service point. A decision usually takes about 8 weeks. You can stay in the UK while you wait, but you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.
Studying, travel and other conditions
A few other GOV.UK rules are easy to miss:
- Studying: you can only study on a Graduate visa if the course is not eligible for a Student visa. If it is, you would need to apply for a Student visa instead. Some sensitive research subjects need an ATAS certificate.
- Travel: once the visa is granted, you can travel abroad and come back. Before the decision, you must stay in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
- Refusals and withdrawals: GOV.UK says you only get the application fee back if you cancel before UKVI starts processing. The IHS is refunded in full if the visa is refused.
- Voluntary work: this must be unpaid and for a registered charity, a voluntary organisation, an associated fundraising body or a statutory body.
A planning timeline for 2026 finishers
Based on the GOV.UK dates above:
- Before your final assessments: ask your university when it will report your successful completion to the Home Office.
- After it reports completion, and before your Student visa expires: apply. If you apply on or before 31 December 2026, you get 2 years. If you apply from 1 January 2027, you get 18 months.
- While you wait (about 8 weeks): stay in the UK. Once approved, your status is an eVisa in your UKVI account, and GOV.UK says you add your passport details there before you travel.
Family members
Your partner and children can stay with you on the Graduate visa only if they were already your dependants on your Student visa. A child born in the UK during your Student or Graduate visa can also apply. Their visas end on the same date as yours, and each pays the fee and IHS.
The January 2024 rule change limited dependants on the Student visa to PhD and research students and government-sponsored students. This means fewer graduates now have family members who can join them on this route. Home Office statistics show Graduate route grants to dependants fell by 81% in the year ending June 2026.
GOV.UK notes that new dependants may be able to join you from outside the UK if you later switch to a different visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa.
After the Graduate visa: switching to a Skilled Worker visa
Because the Graduate visa cannot be extended, many graduates plan to switch to the Skilled Worker visa with a licensed employer. Graduates have one important advantage here.
GOV.UK's Skilled Worker rules allow you to be paid 70% of the standard going rate for your job, as long as the salary is at least £33,400 a year, if you are on a Graduate visa (or were within the last 2 years, with a Graduate or visit visa as your most recent visa). The same discount applies if you are on a Student visa at bachelor's level or above, or are under 26.
Two limits apply:
- your total stay on these "new entrant" terms cannot be more than 4 years, including any time already spent on a Graduate visa
- the job must still be an eligible occupation at the right skill level, with a licensed sponsor
For the standard rules, including the £41,700 general threshold and the going rates, see our Skilled Worker visa 2026 guide.
Planning tips based on the rules
- Do the arithmetic early. An 18-month visa leaves less time to find a sponsored job. Starting your search during your final term gives you more time.
- Check sponsors yourself on the official register of licensed sponsors (workers), and never pay an employer or agent for a certificate of sponsorship. GOV.UK says a sponsor's licence may be revoked if it asks a worker to pay these costs.
- Mind your English evidence. The Skilled Worker route needs B2. A UK degree taught in English can usually count, according to GOV.UK.
The Graduate route in numbers
| Measure (year ending June 2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total Graduate route extensions of stay granted | 157,356 (down 39%) |
| Grants to Indian nationals | 64,495 |
| Grants to Pakistani nationals | 22,383 |
| Grants to Nigerian nationals | 20,604 |
| Change in grants to dependants | down 81% |
Source: Home Office, "Why do people come to the UK? Study", immigration system statistics year ending June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UK Graduate visa still 2 years?
Only if you apply on or before 31 December 2026. GOV.UK says applications made on or after 1 January 2027 get 18 months. PhD and doctoral graduates still get 3 years.
Can I apply for the Graduate visa from Nigeria?
No. GOV.UK says you must be in the UK when you apply, and your current visa must be a Student visa (or Tier 4 General student visa).
How much does the Graduate visa cost in total?
The application fee is £937. The IHS is £2,070 for 2 years, £1,552.50 for 18 months or £3,105 for 3 years. The Home Office total for one person is £3,007 (2 years) or £2,489.50 (18 months).
Can I extend my Graduate visa?
No. You may be able to switch to another visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, if you meet its requirements.
Do I need a job offer to get a Graduate visa?
No. There is no job offer or sponsor requirement. You can work in most jobs, look for work or be self-employed.
Can my spouse join me on a Graduate visa?
Only if they were already your dependant on your Student visa. New dependants may be able to join you if you later switch to a route such as the Skilled Worker visa.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Graduate visa (overview, eligible course, costs, documents, apply, family): https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa
- Home Office, Immigration and nationality fees (8 October 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table
- GOV.UK, Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
- GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa, when you can be paid less: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/when-you-can-be-paid-less
- GOV.UK, Student visa, your partner and children: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/family-members
- GOV.UK, Register of licensed sponsors: students and workers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-students and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers
- GOV.UK, eVisas: https://www.gov.uk/evisa
- Home Office, Why do people come to the UK? Study (year ending June 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2026/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-study
Last checked: 10 November 2026. General information, not immigration advice.