An American Abroad

For those who have graduated from a UK university and you’re struggling to stay in the United Kingdom because you don’t have a job offer, good news! There is a visa specifically for you. This article walks through everything you need to know about the Graduate Visa.

1. Visa Summary
2. Eligibility
3. Length of Stay
4. Application Fees
5. Required Documents
6. Applying
7. Waiting for the Decision

Visa Summary

Briefly, the Graduate Visa, or Post-Study Work Visa (PSW), allows international students who have successfully graduated from a UK university to stay in the country for at least 2 years. It grants full rights to live and work, as well as access to the NHS system.

All information regarding this visa can be found on the Gov.UK website, as well as information on other visa opportunities.

Eligibility

These are the application requirements:

• proof of successful graduation from an eligible UK university program such as
  • Bachelor’s degree level
  • Post-graduate degree level (master’s or PhD)
  • any other eligible course
• a minimum period of time spent studying on a Student visa
• your current visa is a Student visa or a Tier 4 (general student) visa
• you are applying from within the UK

Follow this link to check if your course is considered eligible for this visa application.

Length of Stay

The Graduate visa grants different lengths of stays dependent upon what level course you have completed.

Degree Completed	Length of Stay Granted
Bachelor’s Degree	2 years
Master’s Degree	2 years
PhD or other Doctoral Degree	3 years

Application Fees

The application fee and immigration health surcharge fee has been increased several times over 2023 and 2024. As of now, the fee are as follows:

• Application fee:  £822
• Immigration Health Surcharge:  £1035 for each year you will be in the UK

Example:

If you graduated from a UK university with a Master’s degree level, you will be granted 2 years upon approval of the PSW application. So, you will be charged:

 £822 (application fee) +  £1035 x 2 (annual health surcharge fee x 2 years) =  £2892

For more questions about the price breakdown, click here.

Required Documents

You will need at least these 3 documents for the Graduate visa application:

1. a valid passport or travel document
   • This must show your identity and nationality
2. Biometric Residence Permit or eVisa
   • eVisas were rolled out during the end of 2024, so if you already have one, you will need to provide a share code
3. your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number
   • you would have used this to apply for your Student visa before the start of your course
   • if you do not have this number anymore, you will need to contact your university for it

Other documents that you may need are dependent upon your individual situation. These may include proof of spousal or parental relationship, a letter from your sponsor or scholarship if your university fees were paid for, proof of financial resources. As you complete the application process, it will become clear exactly what documents you must provide.

Applying

The application for the Graduate visa is available on the UK government website: Apply

If you have already completed the Student visa application, then this process will be very straightforward. Your biometrics will already be in the immigration system, which you will have to confirm by downloading the UK Immigration: ID Check app on your phone. The Graduate visa application will describe step-by-step instructions for completing this check. Once completed, your application will be automatically submitted for consideration.

If your biometrics are not in the system already, you will have to schedule a biometrics appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point. This appointment will be set up at the end of the online visa application process, and is a requirement for the application to be submitted for consideration.

Waiting for the Decision

Responses for applications typically take 3-6 weeks. However, this is dependent upon the time of year of the application.

For example, it only took 2 weeks for me to receive a response on my Graduate visa application as I applied during a quiet application period. It can take up to 8 weeks to receive a status update.