UK Graduate Route Visa: Costs and Timelines Explained

The UK Graduate visa allows you to stay in the country after successfully completing a course on a Student visa. The application fee is £558, and you will also need to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Decisions are usually made within 8 weeks, though you may be able to pay for a faster decision. The length of your stay depends on when you apply and your qualification level: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years if you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification. This page sets out what the official guidance says about the Graduate visa’s costs and timelines, so you can plan your application and budget.

Eligibility for the Graduate visa

The Graduate visa is available to you if you have successfully completed a course in the UK on a Student visa (or a Tier 4 (General) student visa). The official guidance does not list every eligibility requirement on the pages covered here, so you should check the full Student visa guidance to confirm you meet all conditions before applying.

You can switch to a Graduate visa from a Student visa if you are already in the UK. The guidance states you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa as one of the options for staying longer in the UK after your studies. There is no separate application route from outside the UK described in the official guidance; the Graduate visa is presented as a route for those already in the UK on a Student visa.

Length of stay on the Graduate visa

The length of time you can stay on a Graduate visa depends on two factors: when you apply and the level of qualification you completed.

Qualification level	Application date	Length of stay
Any qualifying course	On or before 31 December 2026	2 years
Any qualifying course	On or after 1 January 2027	18 months
PhD or other doctoral qualification	Any date	3 years

These periods are stated in the official guidance and are not estimates. If your course is at degree level or above and you are 18 or over, the underlying Student visa itself usually allows up to 5 years of stay, but the Graduate visa is a separate permission with its own duration.

Application fee and healthcare surcharge

The fee to apply for a Graduate visa is £558. This is the same fee that applies to a Student visa application from outside the UK and to an extension or switch to a Student visa from inside the UK. The official guidance states this figure explicitly for the Student visa route, and the Graduate visa is described as a switch from a Student visa; you should confirm the exact Graduate visa fee on the official GOV.UK Graduate visa page, as the official guidance does not separately list a Graduate visa fee.

In addition to the application fee, you must pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. The amount you pay depends on how long your visa lasts. The official guidance does not state the specific surcharge rates, so you should check the official healthcare surcharge guidance for the current amounts.

Processing times

For a Graduate visa application made from inside the UK, a decision is usually made within 8 weeks. This is the same processing time stated for extending or switching to a Student visa from inside the UK. The official guidance does not give a separate processing time for the Graduate visa specifically, so this figure is the best available from the official guidance covered here.

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision. The official guidance says you will be told if you can do this when you apply. There is no fixed price for the faster service stated in the official guidance.

When to apply

The official guidance does not give a specific earliest or latest application window for the Graduate visa. For extending a Student visa, the earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts, and you must apply before your current visa expires. The Graduate visa is presented as an option after successfully completing your course, so you should check the official Graduate visa guidance for the exact application window.

If you are applying to extend a Student visa, your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. This rule applies to extensions, not necessarily to a Graduate visa switch, so verify the timing requirements on the official page.

What you can and cannot do on the Graduate visa

The official guidance does not list the specific conditions of the Graduate visa. For the Student visa, the guidance states you can study and work as a student union sabbatical officer, and you may be able to work depending on what you are studying and whether you are working in or out of term-time. You cannot claim public funds, work in certain jobs such as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, be self-employed, or study at an academy or local authority-funded school.

The Graduate visa is a separate route, and its conditions may differ. You should check the official Graduate visa guidance for what you can and cannot do on that visa.

What to do next

Before you apply for a Graduate visa, confirm the current fee and healthcare surcharge amounts on the official GOV.UK pages, as the official guidance does not list every figure. Check the full eligibility requirements and the exact application window on the Graduate visa guidance. If you are unsure whether you qualify, read the Student visa guidance in full and consider the conditions that apply to your circumstances.

Verify the processing time for your specific application when you apply, as the official guidance notes that complex applications may take longer. If your application is complex, you will be contacted, for example because your supporting documents need to be verified, you need to attend an interview, or because of your personal circumstances such as a criminal conviction.