Graduate visa: 2 years or 18 months? The 2027 change

Key points

• The deciding date is the date you apply, not the date your course started, your results came out or you graduated.
• gov.uk says you apply from inside the UK, after your university tells the Home Office you have completed your course and before your Student visa expires.
• Only the length changes. Who can apply and what you can do on the visa stay as gov.uk describes them today.
• You cannot extend a Graduate visa. gov.uk says you may be able to switch to a different visa, such as a Skilled Worker visa, which needs a licensed sponsor.
• Time on a Graduate visa counts towards the 4-year limit on new-entrant salary rates.

What changed, and from when?

The Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK to work, or look for work, after you complete an eligible course. Its length for bachelor’s and master’s graduates depends on the date you apply:

• On or before 31 December 2026: the visa lasts 2 years.
• On or after 1 January 2027: the visa lasts 18 months.

The Immigration Rules (Appendix Graduate, paragraph GR 8.1) set this out as the period granted from the date of the decision. The rule for PhD and other doctoral graduates is unchanged at 3 years. gov.uk’s overview now describes the visa as permission to stay “for at least 18 months” after you successfully complete an eligible course.

Who does the 18-month rule apply to?

The deciding date is the date you make your Graduate visa application. It is not the date you started your course, the date your results came out, or your graduation ceremony.

gov.uk sets out when an application can be made:

• In the UK. The application is made from inside the UK.
• You apply after your university has told the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course. gov.uk says you do not have to wait until you have graduated or received a certificate.
• You apply before your Student visa expires.

So two students on the same course can end up with different visa lengths, depending on when their university reports completion and when each of them applies. This guide does not suggest a date for anyone: your own dates depend on your course and your Student visa, and gov.uk or a regulated adviser can confirm them.

What stays the same?

The change is to the length of the visa. The rest of the route, as gov.uk describes it today, stays as it is:

• Who can apply. You need to be on a Student visa (or a Tier 4 (General) student visa), have completed an eligible course with a provider that has a track record of compliance, and have studied in the UK for long enough. gov.uk explains each condition.
• What you can do. gov.uk says you can work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed and do voluntary work. You cannot apply for most benefits or work as a professional sportsperson.
• No sponsor needed. The Graduate visa does not need a job offer or a sponsor.
• No extension. You cannot extend a Graduate visa. gov.uk says you may be able to switch to a different visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa.
• Decision time. gov.uk says you will usually get a decision within 8 weeks, and you can stay in the UK while you wait.

What does a shorter visa mean for finding a sponsored job?

The Graduate visa is the time many international graduates use to find a job with a licensed sponsor and switch to a Skilled Worker visa. A shorter visa means less of that time, so the switch, which needs an offer, a Certificate of Sponsorship and an application made before the Graduate visa ends, sits closer to the start.

Two rules connect the two visas:

• You can switch from inside the UK. gov.uk sets out how to switch to a Skilled Worker visa, and says you apply online before your current visa expires. A switch is usually decided within 8 weeks.
• New-entrant rates have a time limit that includes your Graduate visa. Graduates can often be paid the lower new-entrant rate, but gov.uk says your total stay cannot be more than 4 years if you apply on that basis, including any time already spent on a Graduate visa. The new-entrant guide explains the rule.

Which dates are worth knowing?

The two shortage lists matter only if your job is a “medium skilled” one. Jobs at graduate level (RQF level 6 or above) are in Tables 1 to 3 of the occupation tables and do not depend on either list. Our guide to the Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List explains the difference.

How can you work out your own dates?

Start from the date you expect to apply, then count the visa length from the day it is approved. The Graduate visa timeline does that arithmetic for you, using the same rules as this guide. For the switch itself, the Graduate Route to Skilled Worker guide covers what the Skilled Worker visa needs.

If your situation is unusual, for example a course change, time studying outside the UK, or a gap between visas, check gov.uk or talk to a regulated immigration adviser before you rely on any date.

How Visavi helps

Every job in Visavi is from a licensed sponsor on the Home Office register, or the advert itself says they sponsor, and adverts that say they will not sponsor are left out. Each job shows the register row, the employer’s own words and the salary against the threshold, so you can see the evidence before you spend time on an application. Visavi never guesses your visa, right-to-work or salary answers.