Immigration Rules Appendix Graduate
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-11)

This route is for a Student in the UK who wants to work, or look for work, following the successful completion of an eligible course of study at UK bachelor’s degree-level or above. The study must have been with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.

The Graduate route is an unsponsored route.

Individuals who already have permission as a dependant of a Student who is applying on this route can also apply to extend their permission as a dependant on this route; other types of dependants are not permitted on this route.

The Graduate route is not a route to settlement.

Validation requirements for a Graduate

GR 1.1. A person applying for permission to stay as a Graduate must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Graduate”.
- (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
- (b) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality; and
- (d) the applicant must be in the UK.
GR 1.3. The applicant must have, or have last had, permission as a Student.

GR 1.4. The applicant must not have been previously granted permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme or as a Graduate.

GR 1.5. If the applicant has in the 12 months before the date of application completed a course of studies in the UK for which they have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent to the application from that Government or agency.

GR 1.6. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a Graduate may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a Graduate

GR 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.
- (a) in the UK in breach of immigration laws, except that where the Exceptions for overstayers section of Part Suitability applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
- (b) on immigration bail.
Eligibility requirements for a Graduate

Points requirement

GR 3.1. The applicant must be awarded all 70 points in the table below.

Successful completion requirement

GR 4.1. The applicant must have last been sponsored by a Student sponsor which is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance on the date of application.

GR 4.2. The applicant must have successfully completed the course of study which was undertaken during their last grant of permission to study on the Student route (where the applicant was allowed to change their course of study without applying for further permission as a Student, this requirement only applies to the course to which they changed).

GR 4.3. The student sponsor must have notified the Home Office, by the date of application, that the applicant has successfully completed the course of study in GR 4.2.

Qualification requirement

GR 5.1. The applicant will meet the qualification requirement if they have successfully completed a course of study for which they have been or will be awarded a UK bachelor’s degree, a UK postgraduate degree, or successfully completed a relevant qualification listed in GR 5.2.
- (a) a law conversion course validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in England and Wales; or
- (b) the Legal Practice Course in England and Wales, the Solicitors Course in Northern Ireland, or a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland; or
- (c) the Bar Practice Course in England and Wales, or the Bar Course in Northern Ireland; or
- (d) DELETED
- (e) a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE); or
- (f) a professional course requiring study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above in a profession with reserved activities that is regulated by UK law or UK public authority.
GR 5.3. If the name of the applicant’s course of study was changed by the Student sponsor, but the course content remained the same, or if an integral and assessed work placement or permitted study abroad programme was added, this will not prevent the applicant being able to meet the qualification requirement.

GR 5.4 The qualification must have been gained during the last grant of permission to study as a Student, or in the period of permission immediately before the applicant’s last grant of permission, if the last grant of permission was to undertake a role as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.

Study in the UK requirement

GR 6.1. The applicant must have held permission as a Student, which was granted to study the relevant qualification in the UK, for a minimum period of time (the relevant period), as in the table below.
- (a) they began a course of 12 months or less prior to 21 June 2021 and entered the UK on or before 27 September 2021 with permission as a Student; or
- (b) they began a course of 12 months or less between 21 June 2021 and 30 June 2022 and entered the UK on or before 30 June 2022 with permission as a Student.
GR 6.3. Any period of distance learning that took place between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2022 as part of a course of study lasting longer than 12 months whilst the applicant held permission as a Student, will not prevent the applicant from meeting the requirement to spend the relevant period at GR 6.1. studying in the UK.

Decision on an application as a Graduate

GR 7.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for a Graduate are met the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.

GR 7.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Period of grant for a Graduate

GR 8.1. The applicant will be granted the period of permission as set out in the table below:

Conditions of grant for a Graduate
- (a) no access to public funds; and
- (b) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted, apart from work as a professional sportsperson; and
- (c) study is permitted, except study with an education provider which is a Student sponsor, and which would meet the approved qualification and level of study requirements of the Student route which are set out in Appendix Student; and
- (d) study is subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.
- (e) DELETED
Dependants of a Graduate

Validity requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

GR 9.1. A person applying for permission to stay as a partner or child of a Graduate must apply on the specified form on the gov.uk website as follows:
- Dependant partner
- Dependant child
- (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
- (b) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality; and
- (i) has made a valid application for permission to stay on the Graduate route that has not been decided; or
- (ii) has permission to stay on the Graduate route.
GR 9.3. If the applicant has in the 12 months before the date of application completed a course of studies in the UK for which they have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent to the application from that Government or agency.

GR 9.4. The applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.
- (a) they must have, or have last been granted, permission as a dependent partner of a Student and that Student is applying for, or has now been granted, permission to stay in the Graduate route; or
- (b) they must have, or have last been granted, permission as a dependent child of either a Student or dependent partner of the Student and that Student is applying for, or has now been granted, permission to stay in the Graduate route; or
- (c) they must be a child born in the UK during the last grant of Student permission of a Student and that Student is applying for, or has now been granted, permission to stay in the Graduate route.
GR 9.5. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a partner or child of a Graduate may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

GR 10.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.
- (a) in the UK in breach of immigration laws, except that where the Exceptions for overstayers section of Part Suitability applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
- (b) on immigration bail.
Eligibility requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

Relationship requirement for dependent partner of a Graduate
- (a) P has permission to stay on the Graduate route; or
- (b) P is, at the same time, applying for (and is granted) permission to stay on the Graduate route.
GR 11.2. The requirements of Appendix Relationship with Partner must be met.

GR 11.3. DELETED

Relationship requirement for dependent child of a Graduate

GR 12.1. DELETED.

GR 12.2. DELETED

GR 12.3. DELETED.

Care requirement for dependent child of a Graduate

GR 13.1. DELETED.

Age requirement for a dependent child of a Graduate

GR 14.1. DELETED.

GR 14.2. DELETED.

Requirements for a dependent child of a Graduate
- (a) relationship requirement: entry clearance and permission to stay; and
- (b) care requirement; and
- (c) age and independent life requirement.
Decision on an application as a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate
- GR 15.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate are met, the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.
GR 15.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR.

Period of grant for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

GR 16.1. A dependent partner will be granted permission which ends on the same date as the Graduate partner’s permission.

GR 16.2. A dependent child will be granted permission which ends on the same date as whichever of their parents’ permission ends first.

Conditions of grant for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate
- (a) no access to public funds; and
- (b) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted except as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); and
- (c) study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS (if the study will commence when the person is aged over 18).
- (d) DELETED