Working as a graduate
Source: https://student.sussex.ac.uk/international/visas/after/working-after-studies Parent: https://student.sussex.ac.uk/international/work
Find out about the Graduate visa route and check other options for working in the UK, your home country or somewhere else.
Graduate visa route
The government’s Graduate visa route allows you to work in the UK after you graduate for:
- two years, if you are an undergraduate or Masters student. Please note for applications made on or after 1 January 2027, this will be reduced to 18 months
- three years, if you are a PhD student.
Important: You cannot make an application under this route until you have been awarded your degree and the University has confirmed your eligibility to UKVI. See “How to apply” below for more details.
Eligibility
You can apply if you have:
- successfully completed an undergraduate degree (this includes an Ordinary degree), Masters degree, PhD degree or other doctoral qualification (PGCEs, PGDEs and a PGDip in Social Work are also acceptable, but other PG diplomas and certificates are not), and
- a valid Student visa at the time of application – in most circumstances you must be awarded your degree before your current visa expires; if you have resits or do not complete your degree in the normal timeframe this could affect your eligibility, and
- studied in the UK with Student permission for at least 12 months or the full length of your course, whichever is shorter, and
- a letter showing your financial sponsor’s consent to the application if your tuition fees and living costs were paid by a government or scholarship agency for a course you have completed within the previous 12 months.
You can read the full Graduate visa route government guidance or contact us if you have any questions. Studying is restricted under the Graduate route; you cannot study a course which could be sponsored under the Student route. You can only hold permission under the Graduate route once, so make sure that you consider your options in full before committing to the route.
Important: If you have completed your course earlier than the course end date on your most recent CAS (for example, you are a PhD student or by removing a work placement year), you must not leave the UK after we have reported this to the government as you will not then be eligible to apply for the Graduate visa.
How to apply
We must report your eligibility for the route to the government before you apply. If you apply before we make the report, your application could be refused and you may not get your fees back.
Do not apply until you receive an email from us with the subject line: “Graduate route visa – course completion notification”. You get this email after your final results appear in Sussex Direct. Optional resits can affect when we make the report. The University cannot report your eligibility to UKVI if you have any outstanding tuition fee debt.
If you have completed your course and NOT received the confirmation email, please urgently contact the UKVI Compliance team:
- studentprogressvisa@sussex.ac.uk if you’re an undergraduate or Masters student
- PGR-visas@sussex.ac.ukif you’re a PhD student.
If you haven’t completed your course, find out how resits affect Graduate visa route applications.
After you receive the email, to be eligible for the Graduate visa route, you need to apply from within the UK. You must submit the application on or before your current visa expiry date.
If you apply after your visa expiry date, your application will be refused as you will be an overstayer in the UK.
As part of the online application, you:
- pay the application fee of £880
- pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Please note Graduate Route visa application fees will increase to £937 from 8 April 2026.
If successful, you:
- get two or three years to work in the UK but you won’t get settlement rights
- can work, or look for work, in any sector, at any level
- can switch into the skilled work route if you meet the requirements.
Please note for applications made on or after 1 January 2027, the duration will be reduced to 18 months if you are an undergraduate or Masters student.
Important: You should not leave the UK or Common Travel Area while your Graduate visa application is being processed. Don’t make any travel plans until you get your new visa.
Applying for a permanent, full-time job before moving onto the Graduate route visa
You can apply for permanent, full-time jobs on your Student visa, before you transition onto the Graduate route visa. However, you need to be careful concerning the start date of your employment (see below for when you can start working on a Graduate route visa), as you cannot undertake a permanent full time role while on your Student visa. You will only be eligible to apply for the Graduate route visa after you have been awarded your degree and the University has reported your eligibility to UKVI.
It may be possible for you to negotiate the start date of your employment to begin after you become eligible to work in a permanent full time role. Alternatively, you could discuss being employed on a fixed term contract and switching to a permanent full time contract when eligible. Additionally, remember that you are restricted to working a maximum of 20 hours per week in term-time.
If you have any questions about applying for jobs (including how to answer right to work questions on applications) or negotiating with employers, contact our careers service for advice.
When can I start working on the Graduate route visa?
If you made your most recent Student application before 6 April 2022, you must wait for a decision on your Graduate application before you can start:
- a permanent full-time job
- self-employment
- work as an entertainer.
If you made your most recent Student application on or after 6 April 2022, you can start a full-time permanent job after you submit your Graduate route application. However, you must wait for a decision before you start self-employment or work as an entertainer.
You must not work as a professional sportsperson with Graduate permission. The date on which you applied for Student or Graduate permission makes no difference.
Dependants
If you have a partner and/or children already in the UK as Student visa route dependants, they can apply from within the UK to extend their stay as a Graduate route dependant.
Partners or children outside the UK cannot apply for a visa as a Graduate route dependant.
They will need to first apply as a Student dependant, if eligible, and come to the UK on that basis.
Once they are in the UK, they can apply for permission to stay as your Graduate route dependant.
Make sure you allow time for this in your plans.
See government Graduate visa route guidance if you have a partner or children.
You can also check UKCISA guidance on student dependant immigration rules and visa applications.
Contact us if you need to discuss this further.
Resits or delays to the end of your course
You should always aim to complete your course within your original visa permission.
However, if you need to resit, this could affect your eligibility for the Graduate route as you may not be awarded your degree before your current visa expiry date.
We may be able to issue you with another CAS to extend your Student visa, to cover the resit period or extension to your course. Once you are granted a visa extension, you’re eligible to apply for the Graduate route as long as you successfully complete your course before your new visa expires.
If you are an undergraduate student and have been awarded an Interim Ordinary degree with optional resits, the University can report your eligibility based on this award.
To request a CAS, or to request that your Interim Ordinary degree is reported, email:
- studentprogressvisa@sussex.ac.uk if you’re an undergraduate or Masters student
- PGR-visas@sussex.ac.uk if you’re studying a PhD.
Contact our International Advice team if you have any questions about making the visa application.
Other work visas
There are other visa routes for working in the UK, such as the Skilled Worker route. You should consider your options and compare the routes to decide what is best for you and your plans.
Find out more information on other post-study visa options on the UKCISA website.
Innovator Founder visa
After graduation, you can be self-employed on the Graduate visa. After that, you could potentially transfer to the Innovator Founder visa. Alternatively, if you have a business idea and meet eligibility requirements, you could apply for the Innovator Founder visa immediately after you graduate.
Important: If you have a student visa, your conditions mean you are not allowed to undertake self-employment or any business activity. But you can talk to our entrepreneurship team for advice about your ideas and options.