The Graduate visa allows you to remain in the UK after completing your course to undertake employment. In order to be eligible, you must successfully complete your course and remain in the UK whilst making your Graduate Route application.

Depending on the course you completed, the Graduate visa will allow you to stay in the UK for two or three years to undertake employment.

Who is eligible for the Graduate visa?

To apply via the Graduate route, you must:

• Be present in the UK to make your application
• Hold a current UK visa that is either a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa
• Successfully completed a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree or another eligible course; your institution must have confirmed your successful completion
• Studied in the UK for 12 months or the duration of your course (which is shorter).

Successful completion of your degree

Successful completion means you completed your undergraduate or postgraduate degree course, and your degree award has been confirmed by a university award board.

If you owe fees to the University, your award will not yet be confirmed, so it is very important to clear any debts before completing your degree.

Costs

The application fee for the Graduate visa is £700 for most applicants. Citizens of the following countries are eligible for a £55 reduction in the application fee.

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, or Turkey.

Applicants will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

• Cost for two years: £1248
• Cost for three years: £1872.

If you become employed in a position in public healthcare, you may be eligible to claim for a refund for the healthcare surcharge.

Dependents

If you came to the UK with dependents on your Student visa or Tier 4 (General), your dependents can apply to remain in the UK as dependents on your Graduate visa. Dependants are your civil partner, husband, wife, or unmarried partner and/or children.

Your partner must have been a dependent on your previous study visa in order to apply as a dependent of your Graduate visa. You can show that your dependent is your partner by providing evidence of the following.

• Marriage or civil partnership (must be recognised in the UK)
• Or, that you have lived together for the last two years and are living together at the time of the application.

Unless your child was born in the UK whilst you were studying on your previous visa, your child must have been a dependent on your pervious visa in order to be a dependent on your Graduate visa. You will need to provide evidence of your relationship, such as a birth certificate, adoption certificate, or legal guardian documentation.

Children over 18 must live with you unless they:

• are enrolled in full-time education
• must not be in any marriage or civil partnership
• have children
• must be financially supported by you. 

Evidence of your child’s address will be required with the application. Your dependents will need to make separate applications.

Making your application

You should only make an application to the Graduate visa once our UKVI Compliance Team have confirmed you can proceed. The University is required to report your successful completion of your course to UKVI before you apply.

You will need the following documents to make your Graduate visa application:

• Your CAS number used in your Student visa or Tier 4 (General visa); please advise us if you no longer have record of your CAS number.
• Your BRP card if you were given one with your previous visa
• Your in-date and valid passport
• Any documents needed to evidence your relationship with dependents
• If you had a scholarship or sponsorship, you will need a letter from the organisation or institution showing approval of your Graduate visa application.

If you do not successfully complete your course within the period given on your visa, you may not be able to apply for the Graduate visa if you are required to sit reassessments from your home country.

The Graduate visa can only be obtained once even if you study in the UK again.

Contact the UKVI Compliance Team: ukvi.compliance@canterbury.ac.uk