How to Apply for the UK Graduate Visa: Timing, Cost and Documents
TL;DR: How do you apply for the UK Graduate visa? Online, from inside the UK, after your university has told the Home Office you have successfully completed your course and before your Student visa expires. You pay a £937 fee plus the immigration health surcharge, prove your identity, and usually get a decision within 8 weeks. Apply on or before 31 December 2026 and the visa runs for 2 years; apply on or after 1 January 2027 and it runs for 18 months (3 years for a PhD).
The Graduate visa lets you stay and work in the UK after a degree without a job offer or a sponsor. The application is short, but the timing is unforgiving: one date decides how long you get, and travelling at the wrong moment withdraws the application. This guide covers who can apply, when, what it costs, the documents and what you can do once it is granted. If you are applying from Sri Lanka, the local points are near the end.
Still choosing a course with the Graduate visa in mind? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
Who can apply for the Graduate visa?
GOV.UK sets out the conditions. You must:
- be in the UK;
- hold a Student visa (or Tier 4 (General) student visa) as your current visa;
- have successfully completed the course you studied on that visa, with your university reporting this to the Home Office by the date you apply;
- have studied in the UK for at least 12 months if your course was longer than 12 months, or for the whole course if it was shorter.
Your university must be a licensed sponsor with "a track record of compliance". You can hold the Graduate visa only once: the Immigration Rules exclude anyone previously granted it.
When to apply: the date that sets your visa length
You can apply once your university has reported that you completed the course. You do not need to wait for your graduation ceremony, and you must apply before your Student visa expires. The date you submit decides the length:
| Your qualification | Apply on or before 31 December 2026 | Apply on or after 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's or master's | 2 years | 18 months |
| PhD or other doctoral qualification | 3 years | 3 years |
The cut-off follows your application date, not the date you finished studying. A master's student whose results are confirmed in December 2026 and who applies before the year ends gets 2 years. Our guide to the UK Graduate Route at 18 months explains which intakes the change affects.
What it costs
| Visa length | Application fee | Health surcharge (£1,035 a year) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 months | £937 | £1,552.50 | £2,489.50 |
| 2 years | £937 | £2,070 | £3,007 |
| 3 years (PhD) | £937 | £3,105 | £4,042 |
The totals are our own sums from GOV.UK's rates. GOV.UK's cost page lists £1,152.50 for an 18-month surcharge, which does not match its own rate of £1,035 a year, so pay the figure the online form calculates for you. The Home Office fee table that took effect on 8 October 2026 left the £937 fee unchanged.
Want a second opinion on how your course end date affects your Graduate visa?
Documents you need
- A valid passport or travel document showing your identity and nationality.
- The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number from your last Student visa application. Our CAS guide explains where to find it.
- Your biometric residence permit, if you have one. GOV.UK says it can be used for 24 months after the printed expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.
- If a scholarship or sponsorship provider paid your fees and living costs in the last 12 months, a letter from them approving your application.
- Certified translations of any document not in English or Welsh.
You prove your identity either by scanning your ID with the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app or by giving fingerprints and a photo at a UKVCAS service point.
After you apply
Decisions usually arrive within 8 weeks of applying, proving your identity and providing your documents. You can stay in the UK while you wait. Do not travel: GOV.UK says you "must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man" until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn. Once granted, you get an eVisa, which you view through your UKVI account; our UK eVisa guide covers the setup. On working while you wait, the University of Bath says that if your latest Student visa was applied for on or after 6 April 2022, you can start full-time work before the decision; check your own position with your university.
What the Graduate visa lets you do
You can work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed, do voluntary work, and travel abroad and return. You cannot apply for most benefits, work as a professional sportsperson or extend the visa. Partners and children can stay with you only if they were already your dependants on your Student visa. GOV.UK adds that you may be able to switch to another visa, such as a Skilled Worker visa, later on.
Applying from Sri Lanka
- You cannot apply from Sri Lanka. The Graduate visa is applied for from inside the UK, so a trip home before you apply, or during the 8-week wait, can cost you the visa.
- Family members in Sri Lanka who were not already your dependants on the Student visa cannot join you on this route.
- Keep your passport valid for the full period you plan to stay, so renew it early if it is close to expiry.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the Graduate visa before my graduation ceremony?
Yes. You can apply once your university has told the Home Office you have successfully completed your course.
How much does the UK Graduate visa cost?
The application fee is £937, plus the immigration health surcharge of £1,035 for each year.
Is the Graduate visa 2 years or 18 months?
It depends on when you apply: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years for a PhD.
PS: Students who get the full 2 years watch one date: the day their university reports completion. Ask your university this week when it will report yours. Check your eligibility with Prosper if you are still planning your UK course.
Team Prosper
References
- Graduate visa, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Graduate visa: the course you studied, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/course-you-studied (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Graduate visa: how much it costs, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/how-much-it-costs (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Graduate visa: documents you'll need to apply, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/documents-youll-need-to-apply (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Graduate visa: apply, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/apply (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Graduate visa: your partner and children, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/your-partner-and-children (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Graduate, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-graduate (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-8-october-2026 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Healthcare surcharge: how much you pay, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/how-much-pay (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Graduate visa guide, University of Bath. https://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/graduate-visa/ (accessed 19 October 2026)
