Graduate Visa

In order to qualify for a Graduate Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration that:

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances. You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

In order to extend your stay on the Graduate Immigration Route you need to have successfully completed a degree at UK bachelor’s or postgraduate level, or a professional course requiring study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above, in a profession with reserved activities that is regulated by UK law or UK public authority.

You will also be eligible to apply for a Graduate Visa if you have been sponsored to undertake a role as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer following the completion of an eligible qualification in your most recent grant of permission to study.

In order to qualify for a UK Graduate Visa, you must have held permission as a Student, which was granted to study the relevant qualification in the UK, for a minimum period of time. The minimum period for which you must have held permission as a Student will depend on the length of the course.

If you have completed a course lasting 12 months or less, you will need to have held Student permission throughout the whole course in the UK.

If your course lasted more than 12 months, you will need to have been granted permission for at least 12 months on the Student route and have spent that time studying in the UK.

The Graduate Visa Route is an unsponsored route, meaning that applicants do not need a job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) in order to be eligible.

It is not possible to extend permission to stay on the Graduate Immigration Route.

The Graduate Visa does not lead directly to settlement or indefinite leave to remain. However, once on the Graduate Immigration Route you will be able to extend your stay by switching into other work-based routes, such as the Skilled Worker route, the Global Talent route and the Innovator route, all of which can lead to settlement. Applicants will of course need to satisfy the requirements of the route.

J & S Law Firm are experienced UK immigration specialists offering guidance and support to individuals in relation to their UK immigration status and making Home Office applications. We can advise on the eligibility criteria you will need to evidence and the process you will need to follow for your application. With over decades of experience, we always provide rock-solid support to our clients and help them achieve their goal efficiently and smoothly.