The Graduate Route ("Post-study work") is a work route for students who have completed an eligible programme of study to remain in the UK to work after their studies. Most graduates will be able to stay for 2 years while PhD or doctoral graduates can stay up to 3 years.
In general, to be eligible for the Graduate Route, you must have:
Successfully completed an eligible programme of study;
Studied at least 12 months in the UK; and
Hold a Tier 4 or Student Route visa
Please note that if you currently have or had previously been granted a Doctorate Extension Visa or a Graduate Route visa, you will not be able to apply under the Graduate Route.
If you have been financially sponsored by a government or international scholarship agency in the 12 months before you apply under the Graduate Route, which covers both tuition fees and living cost, you will need written consent from the financial sponsor to remain in the UK under the Graduate Route.
UK postgraduate degree (for example, a master’s degree); or
PhD or Doctoral qualification
Apart from the qualifications listed above, only the following qualifications are eligible for the Graduate Route: law conversion course validated by the Joint Academic Stage Board in England and Wales, Legal Practice Course in England and Wales, the Bar Practice Course in England and Wales, foundation programme in Medicine or Dentistry, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE); a professional course requiring study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above in a profession with reserved activities that is regulated by UK law or UK public authority.*
* please note that some of these programmes are not offered at Newcastle University.
You must have successfully completed the qualification for which you were last granted a Tier 4 or Student Route visa. You will also be eligible if you completed the qualification where you were allowed to change your programme of study without applying for a new student visa.
In general, you must have studied at least 12 months of your programme in the UK.
If your programme was 12 months or less, you must have studied the full duration of the programme in the UK. If your programme was longer than 12 months, you must have studied at least 12 months in the UK.
If you are studying on an articulation programme (example, 2+1 degrees), you must have successfully completed the final year of study in the UK.
Remote study due to the Coronavirus
If you started your programme of study in 2020 or 2021 and studied remotely between the period of 24 January 2020 and 27 September 2021, you will not be prevented from being eligible for the Graduate Route for any period spent studying remotely. Please see the UKVI guidance for the Graduate Route for further details.
You must apply for the Graduate Route from inside the UK and before your current Tier 4 or Student Route visa expires.
For family members to be eligible as dependants under the Graduate Route, they must already have permission as a dependant on your student visa. Exceptionally, a child born in the UK can be eligible as a dependant where the child was born in the UK during your most recent grant of study visa.
Shortly after you have successfully completed an eligible programme of study, you should also receive an email from the university informing you that the university has confirmed your eligiblity for the Graduate Route Visa to UKVI. You should be aware that the university can only confirm your eligibility for the Graduate Route if we have all the required immigration documents for you, to determine if you have spent the required time studying in the UK. Please check your university email regularly as you will have access to this email for a limited time after completing your studies.
You will then proceed to make the Graduate Route application by following the steps on the UKVI website.
The visa application fee is £715 for each application, and the Immigration health surcharge is £624 per year of the visa.
If you have a BRP card that is valid and readable, you will not need to enrol biometrics for the Graduate Route application.
If you make an application before the university have reported your eligibility to UKVI, UKVI have advised us that your application is likely to be rejected.
If your application under the Graduate Route is successful, you will be granted a digital status visa. Additionally, if you are a visa national, you will also be issued with a BRP card.
Conditions of the visa
While on the Graduate Route, you will be allowed to work in any job and at any level. You are also able to undertake self-employment. You will not be permitted to work as a professional sportsperson.
The Graduate Route visa will not permit you to study on a programme of study which would meet the requirements of a Student Route visa. As such, if you are thinking of undertaking further studies, you may need to consider if the Graduate Route is the best option for you.
The Graduate Route visa will allow you to leave and re-enter the UK and there is no stipulation that you must have a job or be actively looking for a job. You should, however, bear in mind that the Graduate Route is a work route.
The Graduate Route is a short-term visa that allows you to work in the UK. If you plan to remain in the UK for work purposes, you should explore switching into a suitable long-term work visa such as the Skilled Worker Route.
The university will notify the UKVI of your eligibility after you have received the results of your programme. If you are awarded the qualification you hold a Student Visa for, the University will inform the UKVI of your eligibility within 2 weeks of receiving the result. You will also receive an email to your university email informing you when this has been done.
You can apply for the Graduate Visa if you will be awarded an eligible qualification and if you can apply for the Graduate Visa before your Student Visa expires.
This means that you must also be notified of your results before your Student Visa expires. You may wish to check with your school when your results will be known. If your results are only available after your Student Visa expires, then you may not be eligible to apply for the Graduate Visa.
If you are re-sitting as an external student, you will not be able to extend your Student Visa. If you are not re-sitting as an external student, you should contact the Visa Support Team for further advice. Please contact your school if you are not sure whether you are classed as an external student.
If you have a job offer which begins after completing your programme of study, you can start working full-time on the Student Visa once you have completed your course. Completing your course means handing in your final piece of work or sitting your final exam. However, you should be aware that you can only fill a non-permanent vacancy while on a Student Visa.Additionally, you should be aware that there are certain types of work which you are not allowed to do.
If you apply for a Graduate Visa, you can only start working in a full-time permanent position while the Graduate Visa application is in process if your most recent Student Visa was granted on or after the 6 April 2022. Otherwise, you will need to wait until the Graduate Visa is granted before starting a full-time permanent job.
Temporary absence from the UK will not usually affect eligibility for the Graduate Visa, for example, if you return home during the Christmas and Easter break.
Similarly, if you decide to leave the UK for holiday purposes after finishing your course, then as long as you re-enter the UK using the Student Visa, you should be eligible for the Graduate Visa if you apply before the Student Visa expires.
The visa processing time can take up to 8 weeks, although most applications are usually processed much quicker than this. You must not leave the UK while the visa application is in process. Leaving the UK will automatically void the pending visa application.
If you apply for the Graduate Visa before the Student Visa expires, you can continue to remain in the UK while waiting for the outcome of the visa application, even after your Student Visa expires.
Working in the UK after your studies on a Student Route visa and GR (Graduate Route) timeline*
*This only applies to UG and PGT students. Those students at Research level (such as PhD candidates) will only be able to start working full-time after successful completion.
**According to the official University term dates and as stated on your Certificate of Registration. Available through S3P.
† This timeline is designed to provide generic support and is not intended to be exhaustive. Immigration rules can be far-reaching and based on your personal circumstances – please fully read and prepare according to your individual circumstances.
