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The United Kingdom has a world-class education system that brings in intelligent and talented students every year to its universities, colleges, and English language schools. The Graduate visa route says that graduates from foreign universities can stay in the UK for up to three years after getting their degrees. During that time, they can work or look for work at any skill level.
With the graduate route, you don’t need a job offer to apply; you can do it without one. You’ll be able to work whenever you want, switch jobs, and advance your career in the UK.
Eligibility Criteria
The graduate route is open to foreign students who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution (or one of a select few professional qualifications at the degree level or higher) and who have a valid student or Tier 4 visa when they apply.
Except for approved study abroad courses or remote study options made possible by COVID-19, you must have finished all your coursework while enrolled at a UK school.
Since you will have already shown your English proficiency by earning a degree from a UK institution, this path can only be done with the demonstration of money or financing or the demonstration of English language skills upon application.
You must have finished the specified qualification on your Student (or Tier 4) visa’s Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), or have done so after a change of course that did not need further approval.
Fees
To apply for the Graduate route (two- or three-year choices), you must pay a total of £700. This includes the Immigration Health Surcharge. Once you have this, the UK’s National Health Service will treat you the same way it treats people who live there permanently. When you apply for the Immigration Health Surcharge, you must pay a fee of £624 per year.
Dependents must also pay these fees on top of the £700 application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
When should I apply for the graduate route?
You can apply for the graduate path once you get your final course scores from your school. Please let us know from your school that you have completed your degree before we can consider your application. You can use it at any time, not just after you finish.
At the time of the application, you must be in the UK. People from outside the UK who apply will be accepted and able to enter the UK, but they might need help to use the graduate route. You also need help getting the application fee back.
You should stay in the UK or the Common Travel Area until we decide what to do with your application. If you do this, you might not be able to come back to the UK and won’t be able to use the graduate method.
You can stay in the UK if you apply for the Graduate route before your visa ends.
How do I apply to the Graduate route?
This application to study in the UK will be different from the last one.
Most candidates may expect the whole process to be done online, and those chosen will be sent an eVisa. You can start the application process by going to GOV.UK. That’s where you can create an account with UK Visas and Immigration and use the “UK Immigration ID Check” app to prove who you are. You will need either your biometric passport (if you are from the EU, an EEA country, or Switzerland) or your biometric residence card (BRC/P) if you got one with your student visa (or Tier 4) or both. Getting an eVisa means that your application was successful—people from the countries on GOV.UK can get extra British Travel Passes (BRPs) that they can use when entering and leaving the country.
You can use the free apps on any Android phone or iPhone 7 or later. You can utilise the app on a friend’s or family member’s phone if you don’t have one that works with it. The app or phone will lose any data you have saved on it when you close it.
People who can’t use the “UK Immigration: ID Check” app must go to a UK Visas and Citizenship Application Services Centre (UKVCAS) to finish the application process. They will tell you how to set this up when you apply.
Please keep your current Student (or Tier 4) visa’s Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number handy if you want to apply this way. You can call your school if you can’t find your CAS number. You don’t need a new CAS to apply; you can use the one you already have.
If you are struggling with the application process, contact UK Visas and Immigration.
Receiving your decision and accessing your eVisa
The working time is based on the way of entry. Once you share the required papers, the app will verify your name. For applications who visit a UKVCAS location, the working time begins after they have been there. The majority of people hear back from the system within 8 weeks.
If you apply online, you will quickly hear the outcome of your graduate application. To show that you have the right to be in the UK, you can check your visa status online (eVisa).
Go to GOV.UK and log in to the View and Prove Service with your UKVI account if you want to get to your eVisa.
What are the conditions of the Graduate route?
If you’re a graduate, you may take classes on your own time, but you can’t attend a public university or go to a school that sponsors students to fulfil student visa requirements.
Additional family members cannot accompany you. If a graduate’s dependents are currently studying in the UK, they may apply as dependents of the graduate on the same method.
You cannot extend your graduate route, which does not count towards settling. You may move to several job routes from the graduate route if you find acceptable employment.
Can I switch to the Skilled Worker Route?
To stay in the UK and work for an authorised employer, you may transfer from the Graduate route to the Skilled Worker route, provided you fulfil the necessary criteria. After this five-year visa, you may seek to reside permanently in the UK, which adds to settlement rights. When it comes to settlement rights, the graduate route doesn’t matter.
To qualify for the skilled worker route, you need to show that you have:
- Assuming you meet the necessary skill requirements and have received a work offer from a Home Office-licensed sponsor, your sponsor will pay you at least the minimum wage threshold, typically £25,600 or the market rate for your position, whichever is greater.
- According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, you can communicate in English at an intermediate level, namely B1.
