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Graduate visa

This visa allows students to remain in the UK and work for two years (this is changing to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027) after they successfully complete their degree at Birkbeck. PhD students will be granted three years.

Key information

  • If you hold a Student visa and have completed a bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree at the College, you may be eligible to apply for the Graduate Route. To qualify, your degree award must:
    • be officially published by the College, and
    • be formally reported to the Home Office.
  • The official Award Publication Date is when your degree is confirmed and made publicly available to you. This follows the relevant College Board meeting, where your award is formally approved. The Award Publication Date will differ to your Award Date, which is a predetermined date that is separate to the publication date. Award Dates are defined under paragraph 56.2 of the Common Award Scheme regulations:
    • if you complete your degree during the summer examination period, your award date is fixed as 31 July
    • if you complete your degree at another time, your award date is the first day of the month in which the College Board formally approves your award.
  • The Award Publication Date usually comes after the Award Date and is the point at which your degree is officially confirmed and recognised by the College. This is also when your award can be reported to the Home Office.
  • Students will need to be in the UK and hold a valid Student (or old-style Tier 4) visa to apply.
  • There is no requirement for students to demonstrate English ability or provide evidence of finances, but students must meet the UK residency requirements (see below).
  • Students will not be automatically granted the visa: a separate immigration application will need to be made and students must pay the associated fees.
  • The visa will allow students to work full time in most type of jobs, including self employment, but excluding working as a sportsperson or coach.
  • This visa is not extendable and students will only be eligible to apply for this route once in their lifetime.
  • It will not count towards settlement rights.
  • Applicants must have studied in the UK for a minimum period, except for permitted study abroad programmes or when distance learning has been necessary due to COVID-19.
  • UK residency requirements: 
    • If your degree was at least 12 months in length, then you are required to have studied in the UK for a minimum of 12 months.  
    • If your degree was less than 12 months in length, then you must have spent the entire length of the course studying in the UK.
  • Under the Graduate visa, you are allowed to take up extra study, but you cannot study with a student sponsor on a course which would meet the requirements of a Student visa. For example, you cannot study a master's degree either full-time or part-time, because Student visa sponsorship is theoretically possible for both.

FAQs

I have not passed all of my modules, will I still be eligible to apply for the Graduate visa?

  • This will depend on whether you need to retake a module or simply resubmit work. 
  • If you retake a module, Birkbeck will consider a request for another CAS to extend your Student visa. If your official degree award is published before your new Student visa expiry date, you can apply for the Graduate visa.
  • However, if you are only submitting coursework or attending an exam, then unfortunately we cannot extend your Student visa. You will need to leave the UK when your current visa expires. This will mean you are not eligible for the Graduate visa. 

Do I have to be studying a specific course to be eligible?

  • Students who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above (bachelor's, master's, PhD) at Birkbeck will be eligible to apply. 
  • Students studying graduate diplomas or postgraduate diplomas will not be eligible, nor will students who obtain one of these diploma programmes as an exit award. The exception to this is the Graduate Diploma in Law. Students who study this programme will be eligible as it is a law conversion course which is regulated by the Solicitor's Regulation Authority. 

Will I have to leave the UK to apply?

  • No, you must apply from the UK while holding a valid Student (or Tier 4) visa.

When can I submit my application?

  • You can apply from the UK after Birkbeck has informed the UKVI of your final degree result, following the official publication of your degree award. The time frame below is approximate and should be used for guidance only:
    • bachelor’s degrees: August-September
    • master's degrees (October 2024 start): Tuesday 9 December 2025
    • master's degrees (January 2025 start): before end of April 2026
    • PhDs: these are awarded the month following successful completion of your thesis submission.
  • Late submissions: Sub-board reports submitted after the standard timeframe for the relevant College Board may result in degree awards being published much later in the year. Students in this situation may not be eligible for the Graduate Visa.
  • You must make the application from the UK before your current Student (or Tier 4) visa expires. Once your application is submitted, you must not leave the UK or Common Travel Area until a decision is made.

Can I apply for the Graduate visa more than once? 

  • No, students will only be eligible to apply for this route once in their lifetime. At the end of the Graduate visa period, students will be expected to switch to a different immigration category, such as Skilled Work route, or leave the UK. 

Will PhD students who were previously granted the Doctorate Extension Scheme be eligible?

  • No. The Graduate visa's validity requirements state that an applicant who has previously been granted permission under the Doctoral Extension Scheme is not eligible.

How much does it cost to apply?

  • The application fee for the Graduate visa is £880, effective from 9 April 2025, per person and you’ll need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The IHS costs £1,035 per person per year, which needs to be paid in full (two or three years depending on your qualification level) when applying. The fees are correct at the time of publishing.

Which documents do I need to submit in the application?

  • A valid passport.
  • Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number from when you applied for your Student visa.
  • Please see the UK Government website for a full list of documents required.

Can I leave the UK during my Graduate visa application?

  • You should not leave the UK or Common Travel Area while your visa application is being decided, otherwise you will be considered to have withdrawn your Graduate visa application.

Further information