Step 1: Check you meet the visa requirements

Visa requirements you need to meet 

To be able to apply for a Graduate visa you must: 

• have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa  

• make your application in the UK before your Tier 4/Student visa expires  

You will not be able to be granted as a Graduate under the Graduate route visa if have already been granted on this route, as a Graduate previously. Furthermore, if you have been granted previously under the old Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES) visa route, you will also not be able to be granted on the Graduate route. 

 If you have previously been granted permission on the old Tier 1 (Post-study work) route, International Graduate Scheme (IGS) or the Future Talent Working in Scotland Scheme, this would have no implications. 

We recommend that you check that your contact information and the details of your Tier 4/Student visa in your EUCLID student record are up to date. 

Qualifications you need to have completed 

You must have been awarded one of the following:  

• a UK bachelor’s degree (an honours or ordinary degree) 

• a UK masters degree (including integrated masters degrees) 

• a PhD or doctorate 

• a diploma in Professional Legal Practice (Scotland)

• a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) 

• a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) 

• other professional courses requiring study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above in a profession with reserved activities regulated by UK law or UK public authorities. Professional roles that have reserved activities include medical practitioners, architects, lawyers, teachers, and nurses.  

You need to have successfully completed the programme while you were in the UK on your most recent Tier 4/Student visa. You cannot use a qualification completed before starting your most recent degree programme. 

If you finished your studies with a non-degree qualification (for example, a postgraduate diploma that is not a masters degree), you are not able to apply for a Graduate visa. 

Visiting students

If you have studied at the University as a visiting student and your qualification has been or will be awarded by an overseas institution, then you cannot apply for the Graduate route.

Study time you need to spend in the UK 

To qualify for the Graduate route you must: 

• spend a minimum amount of time physically present in the UK during your studies 

• hold a valid Tier 4/Student visa for the duration of the qualifying period in the UK  

Minimum stay in the UK 

The minimum time you must spend in the UK depends on the length of your programme: 

• If your programme is longer than 12 months, you must spend at least 12 months studying in the UK. 

• If your programme is 12 months or less, you must spend the full duration of the programme studying in the UK. 

However, you can take holidays outside of term time. 

The University’s semester dates

Any study periods you spend overseas for an integral and assessed part of your programme should not affect the study in the UK requirement of the Graduate route. 

Documents you need to provide 

You will need to provide evidence of: 

• your current passport  

• your Tier 4/Student visa permission (for example, an eVisa, a BRP or a vignette in your passport) 

You do not need to meet financial requirements for a Graduate visa. 

Documents for scholarships

You might have completed a programme for which you been awarded and have received a full scholarship or sponsorship. In this case you must provide a letter of consent from the scholarship sponsor if all the following criteria apply: 

• you have completed the programme in the 12 months before the application for a Graduate visa 

• the scholarship or sponsorship was provided by a government or International Scholarship Agency (for example, a Chevening or Marshall scholarship) 

• the scholarship or sponsorship covered both, tuition fees and living costs 

Check if a Graduate visa meets your needs 

If you are granted a Graduate visa, you are allowed to: 

• live and work in the UK 

• travel overseas (this means, you can leave and return to the UK during the duration of your Graduate visa) 

• study short or recreational courses   

Find out what kind of work you can accept

You cannot: 

• study a programme that would meet the requirements of the Student visa route

• apply for an Innovator Founder visa if you start a business while you are on a Graduate visa 

• access public funds 

Read the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) guidance on public funds 

Next step 

Go to Step 2: Student Immigration Service reports your completed award