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UK Graduate visa: staying in the UK to work after your degree
The Graduate visa lets you stay and work in the UK after an eligible UK degree — two years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and three years after a PhD.
Open the GOV.UK Graduate visa guidance — the official pages every figure on this page was read from.
2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026
18 months
3 years
£937
Usually £1,035 per year
10 October 2026
The short answer
The Graduate visa is permission to stay in the UK after you complete an eligible course. It gives you two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, or 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. A PhD or other doctoral qualification gives you three years.
The published eligibility rules do not ask for a job offer or an approved employer. The two things applicants get wrong are that the application must be made from inside the UK, and that it must be made before the Student visa expires.
Who can apply
GOV.UK states that you can apply only if all four of the following are true. Each one is a condition, not a preference.
You are in the UK
The application has to be made from inside the UK. It cannot be submitted from Bangladesh.
You hold a Student visa
Your current permission must be a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa.
You studied an eligible course
A UK bachelor's degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course, studied for the minimum period required on your Student visa.
Your provider has told the Home Office
Your university or college must have notified the Home Office that you successfully completed the course.
How long it lasts, and the 31 December 2026 change
The length depends on the date you apply and on the level of your qualification. The visa starts from the day the application is approved.
Apply on or before 31 December 2026
2 years
Apply on or after 1 January 2027
18 months
PhD or other doctoral qualification
3 years
What you can and cannot do
With a Graduate visa you can work in most jobs, look for work, be self-employed, continue living in the UK with your partner and children if they are eligible, travel abroad and return, and do unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, a voluntary organisation, an associated fundraising body or a statutory body.
You cannot apply for most benefits or public funds, or the State Pension, and you cannot work as a professional sportsperson. You can only study if the course is not eligible for a Student visa. A Graduate visa cannot be extended.
How to apply, step by step
1. Check you are eligible first
You must be in the UK, hold a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa, have studied an eligible UK course for the required minimum period, and have been told by your education provider that they have notified the Home Office that you completed it.
2. Wait for your provider to notify the Home Office
You can apply once your provider has told the Home Office you completed the course. You do not have to wait until you have graduated or been given a certificate — ask your provider if you are unsure whether they have notified the Home Office.
3. Apply before your Student visa expires
The application has to be submitted while your Student or Tier 4 visa is still valid. You can stay in the UK while the application is being decided.
4. Apply online and prove your identity
The application is made online. You will need to prove your identity and provide your documents, and you will find out during the application whether you need an appointment.
5. Expect a decision in about 8 weeks
The published decision window is usually 8 weeks once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents. It can take longer if an appointment is needed.
Dependants, and switching to a work visa
Your partner and children can also apply to stay in the UK if they are eligible.
A Graduate visa cannot be extended, but you can switch to another visa — including the Skilled Worker visa, which requires a confirmed job offer from a Home Office-approved employer and a certificate of sponsorship. For the study side of this route see the UK student visa guide from Bangladesh and the UK country guide.
Where these rules come from
Source: GOV.UK, “Graduate visa” (gov.uk/graduate-visa), retrieved 10 October 2026 — the eligibility conditions, the duration and its 31 December 2026 change, the £937 application fee, the healthcare surcharge figure, the 8-week decision window, the conditions of stay, the study restriction and the partner and children rules; and GOV.UK, “Skilled Worker visa” (gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa), retrieved 10 October 2026 — the switching route and the job-offer and sponsorship requirements. Reviewed by the AGB editorial desk. Deliberately left out: no success rate, no taka equivalent of the fees and no processing time beyond the published 8-week decision window, because GOV.UK publishes none of those. Requirements change — check the official source before you apply.
Questions people ask
Can I apply for the Graduate visa from Bangladesh?
No. You must be in the UK when you apply, and your Student visa must still be valid. The published eligibility rule is that you are in the UK, so the route cannot be applied for after you have left.
How long does the Graduate visa last?
Two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, or 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. A PhD or other doctoral qualification gives you three years. The visa starts from the day your application is approved.
How much does the Graduate visa cost?
£937 for the application fee, plus the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £1,035 for each year you will be in the UK.
Do I need a job offer or a sponsor?
The published eligibility rules do not ask for a job offer or an approved employer. That is different from the Skilled Worker route, which requires a confirmed job offer from a Home Office-approved employer and a certificate of sponsorship.
Can I switch to a work visa later?
Yes. A Graduate visa cannot be extended, but you can switch to another visa, including the Skilled Worker visa. Your partner and children can also apply to stay in the UK if they are eligible.
Long-term immigration pathways mapped to your case, from the services desk. Start from the Study hub to compare routes.