Graduate visas Eligibility and how to apply
A Graduate visa (also known as the post-study work visa) gives you permission to stay in the UK for two years (or three years if you have completed a PhD) after successfully completing a degree course in the UK.
Eligibility
You can apply for a Graduate visa if you meet the following requirements:
1) You have successfully completed your degree
The list of eligible courses includes:
- UK Bachelor degree
- UK Masters degree
- UK PhD or doctorate
- UK Integrated Masters degree – if your CAS was issued for a four-year integrated masters course, but you leave the University with a Bachelor degree at the end of the third year, you will be reported as eligible to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and can apply for a Graduate visa. You will need to apply before the remainder of your Student visa is cancelled by UKVI.
The course you have completed must match the course named on the CAS linked to your current Student visa, unless you were permitted to change to a different programme without needing to apply for a new visa.
2) You have received a confirmation email from the University confirming your eligibility
After you have received your final results and been officially awarded your degree classification or after you have been awarded your research degree, the University will inform UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) about your eligibility for the Graduate visa route. We cannot confirm your eligibility based on provisional results.
You can only start your application after the University has notified UKVI and you have received an email confirming that the notification has been sent.
This email will include the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number, which was assigned for your Student visa application. The information on your degree award must match that shown on your CAS, unless you have been permitted to change your programme and the University has reported this to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
You will need your CAS number to apply for your Graduate visa.
3) You have permission to apply for a Graduate visa (if you are a sponsored student)
If you have completed a UK course in the last 12 months for which you were financially sponsored by a national government or international scholarship agency (covering both fees and living costs), you must have your sponsor's written permission to apply for the Graduate visa. You will be required to submit this written permission with your application.
You do not need permission if you received a scholarship or other financial assistance from the University of Leeds.
4) Your Student visa is valid on the date you apply for a Graduate visa
If your most recent Student visa has expired, you cannot apply to switch to a Graduate visa.
5) You are in the UK
You cannot apply for a Graduate visa if you are outside the UK.
6) You have studied in the UK for at least 12 months with a valid Student visa.
If you are currently studying at the University on a different type of visa (such as a Skilled Worker or Dependant), then you must switch to the Student route at least 12 months before the end of your course to be eligible for the graduate visa. If your course is shorter than 12 months then you must have held a Student visa for the full duration of the course. Permitted study abroad as part of your course does not impact your eligibility.
7) You have not previously received immigration permission on the Graduate route or the Doctorate Extension Scheme
A Graduate visa can only be obtained once, even if you study multiple eligible courses.
Eligibility considerations before you apply
The following points will impact whether you can or cannot apply for a Graduate visa:
Appealing results
You will lose the opportunity to apply for the Graduate visa if you are not awarded your degree before your Student visa expires.
You cannot extend your Student visa to give you more time to wait for the outcome of an academic appeal.
Resits and examinations
If you are granted an extension, or need to resit an examination or part of your course resit modules, your Graduate visa application depends on whether you’ll be resitting your modules as an ‘internal’ or as an ‘external’ candidate.
Your academic school will decide whether you need resit as an ‘internal’ or an ‘external’ candidate after the exam board has taken place and tell you what next steps you need to take. If you have any general questions about assessment, contact the Student Information Service.
If you resit modules with teaching as an ‘internal’ student, you can request a new CAS to extend your Student visa.
Resitting as an internal student
If you are allowed to resit or repeat part of your course internally, then you will need to request a new CAS and use this to apply for a new Student visa. You will then be able to apply for the Graduate visa only if your degree can be awarded prior to your new visa expiry date. Award timings will vary so you should check with your school to confirm when your resit results will be released.
Resitting as an external student
If you are granted an extension, or need to resit an examination or part of your modules as an ‘external student’, you cannot extend your Student visa to cover the resit period. This means you will not receive your results before the expiry of your Student visa and you will not be able to apply for a Graduate visa.
If you are told that you must resit as an external candidate, you will not be allowed to change to an internal candidate for the purposes of extending your Student visa and applying for the Graduate visa.
Masters students and dissertation periods
If you are studying a full-time Masters course, you are expected to remain in the UK over the summer period to complete your dissertation. UKVI doesn’t currently allow Student visa holders to study remotely.
To be eligible for the Graduate visa route, you must show that you have studied within the UK for 12 months.
If you decide to complete your dissertation from home, the University may withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa and you will not be eligible to apply for the Graduate visa.
Dissertation extensions
Students who are granted an extension to their dissertation deadline, and become registered as an external student, will not receive their results before the expiry of their Student visa.
This means you will not be eligible to apply for a Graduate visa.
Family dependants
Your dependants are eligible to apply with you as long as they are inside the UK and currently hold immigration permission as your dependant partner or dependant child. Your dependants cannot apply to join you in the UK at the point you apply to switch into the Graduate visa route.
If you have dependant children in the UK, and wish for them to remain in the UK on the basis of your Graduate visa, in most cases both parents must be applying for permission to stay. If you give birth to a child whilst you are in the UK on a Student visa, they can apply for dependant status despite not being included on your Student visa.
Outstanding fees to the University
If you have an outstanding debt to the University, you must pay any outstanding fees before your Student visa expires. The University won’t issue your degree award until your debt has been fully paid.
The University will only report your eligibility for a Graduate visa when you have cleared all your outstanding debts and you have formally received your degree award.
Studying other courses while on a Graduate visa
The UKVI rules state that you cannot study any course which could be sponsored under the Student visa route while you hold a Graduate visa. Examples of permitted study would include:
- some professional courses
- online study
- evening classes
- recreational courses.
Switching from a PhD to an MPhil
If you are issued a CAS to return to the UK and complete an MPhil, you will be eligible for the Graduate visa provided you complete the rest of your studies from within the UK.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for a Graduate visa, email the Student Visa Advice team at studentvisaadvice@leeds.ac.uk.
How to apply for a Graduate visa
- Wait for an email notification from the University confirming that your eligibility for the Graduate visa has been reported to UKVI – this email will have your CAS number, which you are required to provide.
- Collate all the documents you’ll need before you start your application.
- Complete the online graduate visa application form.
- Pay the visa fee (£822) and Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035 per year) and submit your application.
- Provide your biometrics to UKVI either via the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or by booking a biometric appointment with UKVCAS.
UKVI aim to process Graduate visa applications within 8 weeks, but you can get a decision more quickly if you pay for the ‘priority’ or ‘super priority’ services. UKVI will notify you when a decision has been made.