International Students

Graduate visas

The Graduate visa is a post study work visa that allows eligible students to remain in the UK and work, or look for work, for 2 years* after they complete their studies (or 3 years if they have completed a PhD). We strongly recommend you read through each of these sections before you submit an application or if you prefer you can watch the recording of our Graduate visa webinar above .

*(reducing to 18 months for applications on or after 1 January 2027)

Important information about study and travel

Most study is not permitted on a Graduate visa, including Masters and PhD programmes at the University of Exeter.

You must remain in the UK while your Graduate visa application is pending. Leaving the UK will automatically withdraw your application.

Careers & Visas workshops

Join our workshops to help international students find employment:

Graduate Jobs – Managing Employers and Visas – 9th March, 15:30–17:00

Eligibility

You need to meet the eligibility requirements below before you submit an application, otherwise you risk losing your application fee or receiving a visa refusal. If you have any questions about your ability to meet the requirements, come along to an Online Drop‑in session for individual advice.

The requirements are:

  • You must not have been granted a Graduate visa in the past. This is a one‑time visa!
  • If you've been sponsored in the last 12 months by a government or international scholarship agency, you will need a permission letter from your sponsor allowing you to remain in the UK.
  • You must have a valid Student visa.
  • You must apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires. It is not possible to apply for the Graduate visa outside the UK.
  • You must have been physically in the UK, on a Student visa, for all of your course (if your course is less than 12 months), or for at least 12 months of your course (if your course is more than 12 months).
  • Your degree must have been awarded and confirmed to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). You must wait until you have received an email from the University confirming we have notified UKVI of your award. You do not need to request this notification; the University will notify UKVI as soon as possible after you are awarded.

Being awarded a lower degree than planned means that you will not be eligible for a Graduate visa. For example, starting a Masters programme and being awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate.

Referred/deferred assessments which are due after the original end date of the course may affect your eligibility for the Graduate visa. See the retaking exams or modules webpage  for guidance on different student situations.

Research students: You will be awarded a PhD or MPhil after your final, corrected thesis has been approved. This is after your viva and corrections are submitted.

When to apply

You should submit a visa application after you have been awarded, but before your Student/Tier 4 visa expires.

Your degree must have been awarded and confirmed to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) by the University. You must wait until you have received an email from the University confirming that we have notified UKVI of your award.

Students who do not have any outstanding assessments after their course end date can expect to be awarded in the following months:

  • Undergraduate students: late June / early July
  • 9‑month Masters students: late June / early July
  • Postgraduate taught students who started in September: November
  • Postgraduate taught students who started in January: March

PhD students first submit their thesis and usually have their viva within 3 months. Any required corrections must then be completed and the corrected thesis submitted. Once these corrections have been approved, the PhD is awarded.

If you have any outstanding assessments after your course end date has passed, you will need to contact your Hub for an estimated award date. If this date is after your visa expiry date, it may affect your Graduate visa eligibility.

Time spent outside the UK

In order to be eligible for the Graduate visa, you must be resident in the UK for at least 12 months of your programme (or the full lenth of your programme if you are a 9 or 12 month Masters student). However, absences when you are not required to attend classes are permissible. 

Universities have sought clarification of this from UKVI and the current position is that as long as you are meeting all attendance and engagement requirements from your University, absences from the UK at times when you are not required to be in class will be acceptable. The University of Exeter will confirm that you meet the residency requirement for Graduate visa eligibility as long as you have met all attendance and engagement requirements for your modules and attended in person check-ins at times where these are required. For dissertation modules, if you are not required to have in person contact, longer absences from the UK are likely to be acceptable. 

You should be aware, however, that you will need to declare your travel history on the Graduate visa application form. UKVI have said that they do not intend to carefully scrutinise this travel history, but we have to advise that there is a possibility that they will do so and that they will question any long absences during your course. We currently do not believe that they are likely to do this, but you need to be aware of the possibility. If you wish to avoid any risk to your Graduate visa application, you should ensure that any absences from the UK during term-time, including during dissertations, are short.

How to apply

Once you have met all the eligibility requirements, you will need to set up and complete the application form online. You can start your application here: www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/apply

Our Graduate Visa application form guide will help you answer key questions. If you are unsure how to answer the questions about your particular situation, come along to an online drop‑in session where we can advise you further.

 

Identity Checks

You will need to prove your identity as part of the application process. You will usually do this using the UK Immigration: ID Check app. You will be directed to scan either your passport, your BRP or both.

If you cannot scan your passport or BRP with the app, you’ll be asked to get your fingerprints and photograph taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

Money

There is no financial requirement for the Graduate visa. Unlike other visas, you will not need to keep a certain amount of money in your bank account or submit bank statements with your visa application.

You will need to make the following payments at the point of application by debit or credit card:

  • Application fee: £880 (rising to £937 from 08/Apr/26).
  • Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year. Undergraduate and Masters graduates will pay £2,070 for a 2‑year visa; PhD graduates will pay £3,105 for a 3‑year visa. The same charge applies for dependants over 18. The fee is reduced to £776 per year for dependant children under 18.

*Reducing to £1,552.50 in line with the length of the visa reducing to 18 months for applications on or after 1 January 2027.

Documents

  • Passport
  • BRP card
  • CAS number from last visa application
  • Sponsor permission letter if sponsored by a government or international scholarship agency in the past 12 months. 

Dependants

Family members who are currently in the UK with you as dependants on your Tier 4 / Student visa will be able to extend their visas with you. You will need to pay the same application and Immigration Health Surcharge fees for each dependant.

Documents for dependants:

  • Unique Application Number (UAN) found on the email from the Home Office about your application.
  • Passport
  • BRP card
  • If your partner has received financial sponsorship from a government or international scholarship agency in their own right in the last 12 months, they will need a letter from the provider approving their Graduate visa application.
  • Evidence of relationship:
    • For a child, the birth certificate is required.
    • For a spouse, the marriage certificate is required. If you have married recently or do not yet live together, we recommend including additional documents to show your relationship is long‑term and subsisting. Contact us; what we advise will depend on your individual circumstances.
    • An unmarried partner must provide substantial evidence from official sources showing you have lived together for at least two years. This requirement can be difficult to meet, and we recommend you contact us for detailed advice.

Dependent application form:

Conditions

Important information you need to know before applying for a Graduate visa along with information you can share with potential employers.

After your application

You will receive an email to inform you of the outcome of your visa application. Read this carefully as it will list your visa expiry date and the conditions of your visa. All applicants will receive a digital immigration status.

You can access your eVisa by clicking on the link in your grant email or via the View and Prove service. You should sign in and check your details and expiry date are correct.

If there are errors, you should report it to UK Visas & Immigration as soon as possible. UKVI will contact you within 10 working days to either confirm the correction or ask for more detail.

You must add your passport as an identity document on your UK Visas & Immigration account, and it is essential you do this before travelling overseas.

Studying on a Graduate visa

Study is restricted on the Graduate visa. If it is possible to apply for a Student visa for the course you wish to study, you will not be allowed to study it while you have a Graduate visa. In practice, this means that you cannot study most degree-level courses and will also be prevented from studying a significant number of courses below degree level.

If you are unsure whether you wish to seek employment or pursue future study, you need to make this decision before you apply for your Graduate visa.

If you are granted a Graduate visa and then wish to study a further degree course (for example, progressing from a BSc to an MSc), you will have to apply for a Student visa to study that course. Your Graduate visa will be cancelled and you will not be eligible to apply for another one after your new course as you can only hold a Graduate visa once.

Working on a Graduate visa

You are allowed to work full or part time. You can be self-employed, freelance, undertake an internship, volunteer, or do a combination of these on your Graduate visa. The only restriction is that you cannot work as a professional sportsperson or coach.

Working while your application is pending

If your Student visa was applied for on or after 06 April 2022, you can start work on a full-time permanent contract while your application is pending.

If your Student visa was applied for before 06 April 2022, you must continue following your Student visa conditions until your Graduate visa is granted.

In all cases, you must wait until you have the outcome of your application before starting any self-employment work or work as an entertainer.

Other conditions

You cannot access public funds (benefits).

Information for employers

If you feel a prospective employer would benefit from further information on the working visa options for international students, you may want to share the following documents with them:

Our advice service

Click here to read the terms of our advice service.

UKCISA FAQs

UKCISA provide a summary which answers frequently asked questions.