Graduate route

Once the Graduate route visa is granted you can:

• Do any job, except work as a professional sportsman or coach
• Do any type of work including full time, part-time, temporary, contract, work experience or an internship
• Work for any employer, as this route does not require employer sponsorship
• Be self-employed, work free-lance, offer consultancy or contract work
• Open a business without the restrictions the Start-up visa presents, including endorsement, monitoring or the business succeeding
• You can undertake professional training such as teacher training or professional law training (this includes salaried training)

Those granted a Graduate visa will be able to work or look for work after their studies for 2 years. Those who have completed a PhD-level course will be granted 3 years of permission.

• This visa is unsponsored, meaning you will not need a job offer to apply for the route
• There are no minimum salary requirements and there is no cap on numbers
• Graduates on the route will be able to work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career as required
• There are no maintenance fund requirements
• There is no English language requirement

Scholarships during your student permission

If you have a government scholarship for your Student permission you will need to gain permission to apply for the Graduate route visa.

Starting a business

If you open a business on the Graduate route visa and start trading, you will not be eligible for the Start-up visa so to continue your immigration permission and run your business in the UK you will need to check your eligibility under the separate Innovator route.

Dependants

You can only bring dependants with you under the Graduate route visa if they were your dependants while you had Student or Tier 4 (General) permission, with the exception of babies born in the UK during your last period of Student permission. Dependents must apply in the UK. 

If you have dependants that will need to apply with you under the Graduate route visa, please refer to pages 21-26 of the Home Office Graduate route visa guidance. 

Study restrictions

You cannot study a course on the Graduate route visa that would normally be sponsored under the Student route. You can study online, evening or recreational courses or any course at an education provider that does not sponsor student visas. You can study part-time undergraduate courses.

No extensions

The Graduate route cannot be extended and you cannot apply for it again in the future, even if you complete more study. If you are interested in staying in the UK after the Graduate route, see the 'After the Graduate route' options further down the page. 

• Your current visa must be a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) Student visa and you cannot switch to the Graduate Route from any other immigration category
• You are not eligible for further Graduate permission if you have already had a Graduate visa before, or if you were ever given permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme.

• The qualification must be a UK degree or other eligible qualification (this includes a PGCE)
• The qualification must have been completed during your current Student or Tier 4 (General) Student permission. It must also be the qualification for which the Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) was issued, or the qualification for a course to which you made a permitted switch.

• Courses of 12 months or less must have been studied entirely while you were in the UK
• Courses of more than 12 months must have been studied whilst you were in the UK for at least 12 months
• There are COVID-19 concessions for meeting this requirement.

When?

Before you apply you must have finished your course of study, received official results and received confirmation that your results have been sent to the Home Office. We are aware of the results days and will work hard to get results sent as quickly as possible but you must not apply until the Home Office has received your results. 

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you should get a decision on your visa within 8 weeks. You can stay in the UK while you wait for a decision.

While still on the Student route and waiting for the outcome of the Graduate route application, you can work according to the Student route visa conditions.

Where?

You can only apply from within the UK. 

How?

The application must be made online using this application form.

Details of fees and eligibility requirements can be found on the gov.uk website.  You may also wish to review the Graduate caseworker guidance before applying.

If you're able to verify your identity using the UKVI ID Check app as part of your application, then you won't need to provide new biometric information.  If you're not able to use the UKVI ID Check app, you'll be required to attend a visa application centre in-person after submitting your application to give your fingerprints, photo, and facial scan.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a valid passport or other travel document that shows your identity and nationality
• your biometric residence permit (BRP), if you were given one when you applied for your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
• your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number from when you applied for your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa
• if you have received official financial sponsorship for your studies in the last 12 months, you'll also need to provide a letter from your financial sponsor giving their consent for your application.

If your application is successful, you'll receive an eVisa.  UKVI no longer issue any physical proof of your new immigration status.  UKVI recommend that you keep your most recent BRP card in case you need it to verify your identity in the future.

In order to view and prove your immigration status you'll need to use the Home Office website to get a 'share code' and provide this to those concerned, such as an employer. 

If your graduate visa application is refused, inform us immediately and send a copy of your decision letter in an email to immigrationadvice@bathspa.ac.uk so we can advise you of your options.

• Graduate route guidance
• Appendix Graduate

• You can switch to the Skilled Worker route for sponsored work
• You will be considered a “new entrant” whereby you will only need to meet 70% of the salary requirement
• If you find a job whilst on the Graduate route and then need to apply for the Skilled Worker route, you can stay in the same job providing it meets the criteria for this visa

• You will be able to switch into other routes including Partner and Innovator
• You are also able to switch back to the Student route, provided that you meet UKVI’s academic progress requirements.  Please be aware that you cannot study a course eligible for the Student route using a Graduate visa, so your new Student visa must be granted (and not merely applied for) before your new course starts.