My Student visa is expiring, can I apply for a Graduate visa?

If your Student visa is expiring and you wish to remain in the UK, you may be able to apply for a Graduate visa, but this will depend on a number of factors.

The Graduate visa allows you to remain in the UK for a further two years (or three years if you have a PhD) following the completion of your course.

In order to apply for a Graduate visa, you will need to meet all of the requirements on the date of application. These requirements include being in the UK on a Student visa, having studied a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course, and successfully completing said course. In order for your application to be granted,  your education provider will need to confirm to the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course as part of the application.

At times, students may experience delays with their university confirming that the course has been completed successfully. If this is the case and your visa is expiring, you may need to contact your university and take certain steps to ensure you are able to submit a successful application.

As above, you are unable to submit a Graduate visa application from outside of the UK, and therefore it is very important that you discuss the relevant steps with your education provider, so that you are able to meet the requirements before your visa expires.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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