Graduate Route to Skilled Worker, the switch in 2026 and 2027

Key points

• You cannot extend a Graduate visa. gov.uk says you may be able to switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, applying before your current visa expires.
• A switch needs a job offer from a licensed sponsor, a Certificate of Sponsorship, an eligible job, a high enough salary and English.
• New-entrant salary rates have a 4-year limit, and gov.uk says Graduate visa time counts towards it.
• Temporary Shortage List jobs can only be used with a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026.

Can you switch from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes. gov.uk sets out that you can apply to switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, including from a Graduate visa, as long as you meet the Skilled Worker requirements. You cannot extend a Graduate visa, so switching is the usual way to keep working in the UK once it ends.

gov.uk says you apply online before your current visa expires and usually get a decision within 8 weeks. It also says the application will be withdrawn if you travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before you get a decision.

What do you need to switch?

The core requirements, in plain terms. The full list is on gov.uk.

• A job offer from a licensed sponsor. The employer must be on the Home Office register. On 5 October 2026, 121,996 organisations held a Skilled Worker licence. You can check any employer on the sponsor check.
• A Certificate of Sponsorship. Your employer assigns it through the Home Office system. You need its reference number to apply. See what a Certificate of Sponsorship is.
• An eligible job. New applications generally need an occupation at graduate level (RQF level 6 or above), with exceptions listed on gov.uk.
• A high enough salary. Usually the higher of £41,700 and the going rate for the job, with lower rates for new entrants.
• English. You need to show you meet the English language requirement. Your UK degree may count; gov.uk explains how.

The new-entrant rates, and their time limit

If you are switching from a Student or Graduate visa, you may count as a new entrant. New entrants can be paid 70% of the going rate for their occupation, but not less than £33,400 a year. For a graduate role whose going rate is well above the general threshold, that can be the difference between an offer that qualifies and one that does not.

New-entrant rates have a time limit. gov.uk says your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years if you apply on that basis, and that this includes any time you have already spent on a Graduate visa. The Immigration Rules (paragraph SW 12.3) put it as combined permission as a Skilled Worker, Graduate and Tier 2 migrant of no more than 4 years. Read when you can be paid less on gov.uk, and see the new-entrant guide and the salary thresholds guide for worked numbers.

Which dates in the rules matter?

The shortage-list date only matters for “medium skilled” jobs below graduate level, such as data analysts under code 3544. Graduate-level jobs (RQF level 6 or above) do not depend on it. Our guide to the Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List explains the two lists and what the rules say happens at the end of 2026.

When should you start?

A Graduate visa applied for on or after 1 January 2027 lasts 18 months, not 2 years, and our guide to the Graduate visa change covers who that applies to. The Graduate visa timeline works out the dates for an application date.

Plan backwards from the date your Graduate visa ends:

1. Your visa must still be valid when you apply to switch. Leave room for the offer, the Certificate of Sponsorship and the application itself.
2. Large employers often recruit graduates months ahead. Many graduate schemes open in the autumn for jobs starting the following year.
3. Use the unsponsored time well. A role on the Graduate visa with a licensed employer that sponsors can be a route to a sponsored role with the same employer.
4. Only apply where sponsorship is possible. Every application to an employer that cannot sponsor is time off your clock.

How Visavi helps

Visavi asks for your visa and what you want, then only shows jobs from employers on the register, or whose adverts say they sponsor. Each job shows the register row, the employer’s own words and the salary against the threshold. When you swipe right, Visavi tailors your CV and fills in the form. Review-before-send is on by default, so you check it before it goes. After an interview it drafts a thank-you note, and its offer checklist reminds you to ask about the Certificate of Sponsorship.