Table Of Contents
- What is a UK Graduate Visa
- Eligibility for Graduate Visa
- How to apply a UK Graduate Visa
- When can you apply
- Documents Required For UK Graduate Visa
- What you can and cannot do
- Conclusion
- How can we help
Thousands of international students want to study and then make their careers in the UK. For all those international students, the UK graduate visa is the right choice, as it allows international students to stay, work, or look for work in the UK after completing their undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD course. A graduate visa grants you a minimum of 2 years’ leave during which you can figure out your life and career post-studies. This is the reason why this visa, which was introduced in 2021, is very popular among international students.
What is a UK Graduate Visa?
The UK graduate visa is a visa route for international students studying in the UK on a student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa who wish to live and/or work in the UK after completing their studies. A UK graduate visa allows you to stay in the UK for two years if you have completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or other eligible courses.
However, if you have earned your PhD or other doctoral qualification on a UK graduate visa, you are usually granted 3 years of leave in the UK after your UK graduate visa application is successful.
You cannot stay for more than the stipulated time mentioned here on a UK graduate visa. It is a temporary visa, and it does not lead directly to settlement in the UK. There is no extension available to the visa as well. However, you can apply to switch to another visa before your UK graduate visa expires.
For this visa, you do not need a job offer or sponsorship from any UK company or organization. A UK graduate visa is a natural choice for students having completed an eligible course in the UK looking to continue living and/or working in the UK.
If your UK Visa Graduate application is not successful due to any reason or you want to stay for more than 2 years (in case you studied an eligible course other than PhD or Doctorate) then you can apply to switch to any other visa such as UK Work Visa provided you meet the eligibility criteria. With a UK work visa, for which you need an eligible job offer and certificate of sponsorship, you can stay and work in the UK after you complete your studies.
Please note that if you want to continue studying after your current UK student visa expires, you can apply for a UK graduate visa if the course you want to study is not eligible for a UK student visa.
However, if the course of your choice is eligible for a UK student visa, you can apply to extend your current UK student visa.
Eligibility For Graduate Visa
You can apply for a UK Graduate Visa only if all the conditions mentioned below are true:
- You are in the UK – At the time of the UK graduate visa application, you must be in the UK.
- You are in the UK on a UK Student Visa or Tier 4 (General Student) visa – International students in the UK on either of these 2 visas only can apply for a UK graduate visa.
- You applied on or after 1 July 2021 – This visa route was opened on July 2021, and thus you should have applied for the visa on or after 1 July 2021 only. You can apply if your course ends after this date and you still hold a UK Student Visa or Tier 4 (General Student) visa.
- You completed an eligible course – You need to have studied and completed a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, UK PhD, doctorate, or other eligible course.
- You have studied for the required duration of the course – You should have studied for at least 12 months if your course lasted more than 12 months, and if your course lasted for less than 12 months, you should have studied the full length of the course.
- Your education provider is a licensed sponsor – The education provider (such as a college or university) for your course must be a licensed sponsor with a ‘track record compliance’.
- Inform the Home Office – The College, University, or other institute you have studied from should have told the Home Office that you have completed your course successfully.
You must be in the UK when applying for a UK graduate visa.
How to apply a UK Graduate Visa?
- Apply Online – You must apply online. You can apply only until your UK student visa or Tier 4 (General Student) visa is valid. You need to prove your identity as part of your application.
- Submit the biometrics – You need to enroll your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph) on ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ or at a UK Visa Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) center.
- Do not travel outside the UK – You must stay in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until you receive a decision. If you travel outside these regions before you are given a decision by the Home Office, your UK graduate visa application will be turned down.
- Pay the fees – You need to pay the £822 application fee and the healthcare surcharge, which is currently £1,035 for each year you’ll be in the UK.
When can you apply?
- Apply before your current visa expires – You must apply for a UK graduate visa before your UK student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa expires.
- Apply after completing the course – do not apply until your course provider has informed the Home Office that you have successfully completed and passed the course and your final award has been ‘locked’ on your student record.
Documents Required For UK Graduate Visa
As part of your UK graduate visa application, you are required to submit the following supporting documents:
- Document of your identity – Your current passport or other travel document
- to prove your identity and nationality.
- The CAS number – You need the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number. You get this from your education provider when they offer you a place on the course you complete in the UK with your student visa.
- Proof of valid student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa – You need to provide one of the following documents to prove this:
- Your biometric residence permit (BRP) if you have one or
- Online proof of your immigration status if you have an eVisa (eVisa is replacing BRP).
What you can and cannot do?
You can work or look for work, be self-employed, do voluntary work, travel outside the UK, and return to the UK.
You cannot apply for most state benefits, and also you cannot work as a professional sportsperson.
Conclusion
A UK Graduate Visa is best suited for international students who are not yet clear about their future after completing their undergraduate or postgraduate course in the UK. The UK graduate visa allows a 2-year or 3-year stay in the UK without any job or sponsorship requirement. During this period, you can figure out what you want to do further in the UK or leave the UK and go back to your home country or elsewhere.
How can we help?
We can help you in preparing your UK graduate visa application without a glitch. We help make your visa application process smooth for you.
Our expert immigration caseworker gives you tailored solution depending on your circumstances.
You can reach out to us for any query or clarification.
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