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Graduate Route Visa (Post-Study Work Visa)

You can apply for the UK Graduate route visa if you’ve been on a student visa and want to stay in the UK to work. You must be in the UK when you apply.

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Graduate Route Visa (Post-Study Work Visa)

If you are an international student in the UK, you may be eligible to apply to the Graduate Route Visa opening from July 2021.

The Graduate visa allows student visa holders to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after they have successfully completed their course of study. The Graduate route has replaced the Doctorate Extension Scheme and international students who have a PhD or other doctoral qualification will be able to stay for at least 3 years. This visa is a post-study work visa that gives you the right to both live and work in the UK.

The Graduate Visa cannot be extended but if you wish to remain in the UK after your visa expires you could be eligible to switch to the Skilled Worker Visa instead.

Graduate Route Visa Specialists

You can contact our leading team of immigration solicitors in Manchester for detailed immigration advice. Our leading immigration lawyers in Manchester can go through with you the details of the new route and the eligibility criteria to apply. Our highly experienced immigration solicitors based in Levenshulme, Manchester can provide free general immigration advice online via email, online chat, or an enquiry form. For detailed advice, please book an appointment with our expert immigration solicitor today.

You can contact us on 01612258181 or leave your details here for a call back request regarding your immigration matter.

Eligibility Requirements For Graduate Route

To be eligible for the Graduate Visa you must be able to meet a number of certain requirements, you could be eligible if you:

  • Are currently in the UK
  • Hold a valid Student Visa (Including the old Tier 4 Student Visa)
  • have held valid permission on the Student or Tier 4 (General) routes which expired but either one of the paragraph 39E exceptions for overstayers applies or the applicant has been given a period of exceptional assurance and has not overstayed that period. In either case, the period of overstaying will be disregarded when considering their application
  • Have studied on an eligible course
  • Have successfully completed your course of study in the UK

You will need to have studied at an educational institution that is a licensed sponsor (holds tier 4 student sponsor licence) and you will need to have studied for 12 months or the full length of your course, whichever is shorter.

Eligible courses include:

  • Bachelor’s degrees
  • Master’s degrees
  • PhD or doctorates
  • Law conversion courses that have been approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
  • The Legal Practice Course in England and Wales, the Solicitors Course in Northern Ireland, or a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland (LPC)
  • The Bar Practice Course in England and Wales, or the Bar Course in Northern Ireland (BPTC)
  • Foundation programmes in medicine or dentistry
  • Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE)
  • Postgraduate Diplomas in Education (PGDE)

How To Apply For Graduate Route Visa?

You can apply for the Graduate Visa before your student visa expires or after it expires, only if you have a leave under section 39E or exceptional assurance leave. You can apply as soon as your course provider has informed you that you have successfully completed your course of study, you do not need to wait until you have officially graduated.

Our team of immigration lawyers in Manchester can help you to apply for Graduate visa providing the required legal assistance. You maybe able to apply using IDV UKVCAS app or apply online, if you don’t have access to the online app. If you are from a country outside the EU or EEA you can prove your identity by scanning your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) in the app. If you cannot scan your BRP then you will need to attend an appointment to have your biometric information taken (your photograph and fingerprints).

Once you have completed the application form and proven your identity you can expect to receive a decision about your visa application within 8 weeks.

How Long Can You Stay On Graduate Route?

A Graduate visa lasts for only 2 years. If you have a PHD or other doctoral qualification, it will last for 3 years. Your visa will start from the day your application is approved. You maybe able to switch to skilled worker visa before the expiry of your Graduate Route.

Graduate Route For Dependants

You can apply for switching into PSW Dependant visa from inside the UK if you are a dependent of a student and already in the UK with leave to remain other than as a visitor.

Our specialist team of dependent visa solicitors can provide honest, genuine and fixed fee legal services for your application for switching into Graduate route dependent visa. As specialist work visa solicitors in Manchester, we have wealth of knowledge and extensive experience of dealing with all types of dependent visa applications.

Switching From Graduate Route Visa

The Graduate Visa cannot be extended and does not lead to settlement, however, if you would like to continue living in the UK after your Graduate Visa expires, you could be eligible to switch to other types of UK visas such as the Skilled Worker Visa and Health Care Visa.

To be eligible for the Skilled Worker route you must have a job offer from a registered UK sponsor company (an employer, who holds the Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence), you will also need to meet other eligibility criteria like the minimum salary requirements. As a Skilled Worker, you will be able to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years, after which your visa can be extended or you could be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Other visas that you could be eligible for include: 

  • The Health and Care Visa – if you’re a medical professional who has been offered a job with the NHS
  • The Start-up Visa – If you plan to start an innovative business in the UK
  • A partner visa – if you are married to, in a civil partnership with or in a long term relationship with a British citizen or settled person

Our legal fee

We charge a fixed fee starting from £500 + VAT to £800 + VAT for our professional legal services in relation to Graduate Route visa application. The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.

How Can We Help With Your UK Visa Application?

Our expert UK immigration solicitor will guide you through every step of your application process including advice about legal requirements, eligibility criteria and required documents.

  • Detailed immigration advice
  • List of documents and assessment of supporting documents
  • Direct Access to your case handler and supervisor
  • Remote & face to face service
  • Submission of your immigration application after your approval
  • We book an appointment for you to enrol your biometrics
  • We prepare our legal representations/cover letter
  • We upload all the supporting documents
  • Unlimited chase up letters to the Home Office
  • We keep you updated with every stage of your application
  • 24/7 support in urgent matters

Graduate Route Visa