Graduate Visa UK 2026: How to Stay and Work After Uni

TL;DR

  • The graduate visa UK lets international graduates work in the UK for 2 years with no sponsor.
  • Apply before 31 December 2026 to get 2 years. From 1 January 2027, it drops to 18 months.
  • The visa costs £937, plus a health surcharge of £1,035 per year.
  • PhD graduates keep 3 years, either way.

Thinking of staying in the UK after your degree? The graduate visa UK is your route in. It lets you work, look for work, or run your own business for two years after uni. You do not need a job offer. You do not need a sponsor. But here is the catch: the rules change on 1 January 2027. Apply before that date and you get 2 years. Apply after and you get 18 months.

Home Office data shows 221,335 Graduate route visas were granted in the year ending December 2025. This route is one of the most popular post-study visas in the world. This guide covers who can apply, what it costs, and how to use your time to land a graduate job.

What Is the Graduate Visa UK?

The Graduate route started in 2021. It replaced the old post-study work visa. It lets you stay in the UK after you finish an eligible course at a UK university.

With this visa, you can:

  • Work in most jobs, with no sponsor needed
  • Be self-employed or start a business
  • Look for work while living in the UK
  • Bring your partner and children, if they qualify

You cannot extend it. When it ends, you must switch to another visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, or leave the UK. See the full rules on GOV.UK.

The 2027 Change: 2 Years Becomes 18 Months

Here is the news every international student needs to know. The UK government has cut the graduate visa from 2 years to 18 months. The change was confirmed in the Immigration Rules on 14 October 2025.

Apply on or before 31 December 2026, and you still get 2 years. Apply on or after 1 January 2027, and you get 18 months. PhD graduates keep 3 years either way.

The change follows the government's May 2025 white paper on immigration control. Queen Mary University of London's Legal Advice Centre calls the cut a big loss for international students. It means less time to find a sponsored job.

Six months may sound small. But it matters. Most graduates take 3 to 6 months just to find a job. You can see the real timeline in our guide to how long a graduate job search takes.

Who Can Apply for the Graduate Visa UK?

You can apply if all of these are true:

  • You are in the UK when you apply
  • You hold a Student visa or a Tier 4 student visa
  • You have finished a UK bachelor's degree, master's, PhD, or another eligible course
  • Your university has told the Home Office that you passed

Apply before your Student visa expires. You can apply as soon as your university confirms you have passed. You do not need a job offer to apply.

How Much Does the Graduate Visa UK Cost?

The visa costs £937. You also pay the healthcare surcharge, which is £1,035 for each year you stay. So a 2-year visa costs £937 plus £2,070 in health fees. That is £3,007 in total.

You pay the full amount when you apply. Your partner and children pay their own fees. Check the GOV.UK page for up-to-date costs.

What Can You Do With the Visa?

You can work in most jobs, be self-employed, and travel in and out of the UK. You cannot claim public funds or most state benefits.

Many graduates use this time to find a firm that will sponsor them. The Skilled Worker visa needs a job offer from a licensed sponsor. The salary bar is higher now, so sponsorship is harder to get. That is why you should start early.

How to Use Your Visa Time to Land a Graduate Job

You have 2 years, or 18 months, to make it count. Here is a plan:

The Bottom Line

The graduate visa UK is still one of the best post-study routes in the world. Apply before 31 December 2026 to lock in 2 years. Start your job search now, not later. Time is the one thing you cannot buy back.

Get your applications ready with Padgrad. Run your CV through the free AI CV checker, and build a CV that UK recruiters will read. Sign up free on Padgrad and start today.