Please note that we are not expecting there to be any of the following requirements for you to need to meet as part of the visa application:

• Financial requirement
• English language – we expect this will be assumed from the fact you will have met this requirement when granted your student or Tier 4 visa to study your course
• Labor market test
• Minimum skill or salary level
• Sponsorship from your employer

We understand that you should be able to apply if you:

• Have a valid Student or Tier 4 visa (except where it was granted under the Doctorate Extension Scheme) which expires on 1st July 2021 or after; and
• You submit your application within the UK; and
• Have successfully completed a full Bachelors or Postgraduate degree (e.g., Masters or PhD) or one of the specific alternative qualifications confirmed by UKVI (see FAQ section below for a full list). Therefore, most non-degree awarding qualifications, such as Certificates or Diplomas, are not eligible for the Graduate route; and
• The University must have notified UKVI that you have successfully completed your course before you submit your visa application; and
• You must not have not previously been granted a visa under the Graduate Immigration Route; and
• You must have permission from your financial sponsor (only if your financial sponsor was a government sponsor or an international scholarship agency); and
• If your course is longer than 12 months, you must have spent at least 12 months studying your course inside the UK on a Tier 4 or Student visa (See the section on remote learning below); or
• If the length of your course is 12 months or less, you must have spent the full duration of your course studying inside the UK on a Tier 4 or Student visa. (See the section on remote learning below)

Remote learning outside the UK due to COVID-19:

Where you started a course of 12 months or less in 2020:

Where you have not travelled to the UK yet to study your course with your current Student or Tier 4 visa, we expect that you will need to enter the UK on or before 27 September 2021, or before your visa expires (whichever is sooner) in order to be eligible.

Where you have already travelled to the UK with your current Student or Tier 4 visa for a period during your current studies, you will be eligible to apply for the Graduate visa provided you return to the UK before the end date of your current visa.

Where your course is longer than 12 months:

You will need to return to the UK before your Student or Tier 4 visa expires where you spent time studying your course remotely outside the UK between 24 January 2020 and 27 September 2021 due to COVID-19.

Where your course is longer than 12 months, we are not currently expecting there to be any deadline for you to return to the UK in order to be eligible for the Graduate visa, except for returning before your student or Tier 4 visa expires. We expect that you will still be considered to meet the requirement to have spent at least 12 months studying in the UK if the following total is 12 months or more:

Time you have spent in the UK studying your course with a Student or Tier 4 visa: plus
Time you spent remote learning outside the UK between 24 January and 27 September 2021 whilst you still had a student or Tier 4 visa.

Please note that we are not expecting there to be any of the following requirements for you to need to meet as part of the visa application:

• Financial requirement
• English language – we expect this will be assumed from the fact you will have met this requirement when granted your student or Tier 4 visa to study your course
• Labor market test
• Minimum skill or salary level
• Sponsorship from your employer

We understand that you should be able to apply if you:

• Have a valid Student or Tier 4 visa (except where it was granted under the Doctorate Extension Scheme) which expires on 1st July 2021 or after; and
• You submit your application within the UK; and
• Have successfully completed a full Bachelors or Postgraduate degree (e.g., Masters or PhD) or one of the specific alternative qualifications confirmed by UKVI (see FAQ section below for a full list). Therefore, most non-degree awarding qualifications, such as Certificates or Diplomas, are not eligible for the Graduate route; and
• The University must have notified UKVI that you have successfully completed your course before you submit your visa application; and
• You must not have not previously been granted a visa under the Graduate Immigration Route; and
• You must have permission from your financial sponsor (only if your financial sponsor was a government sponsor or an international scholarship agency); and
• If your course is longer than 12 months, you must have spent at least 12 months studying your course inside the UK on a Tier 4 or Student visa (See the section on remote learning below); or
• If the length of your course is 12 months or less, you must have spent the full duration of your course studying inside the UK on a Tier 4 or Student visa. (See the section on remote learning below)

Remote learning outside the UK due to COVID-19:

Where you started a course of 12 months or less in 2020:

Where you have not travelled to the UK yet to study your course with your current Student or Tier 4 visa, we expect that you will need to enter the UK on or before 27 September 2021, or before your visa expires (whichever is sooner) in order to be eligible.

Where you have already travelled to the UK with your current Student or Tier 4 visa for a period during your current studies, you will be eligible to apply for the Graduate visa provided you return to the UK before the end date of your current visa.

Where your course is longer than 12 months:

You will need to return to the UK before your Student or Tier 4 visa expires where you spent time studying your course remotely outside the UK between 24 January 2020 and 27 September 2021 due to COVID-19.

Where your course is longer than 12 months, we are not currently expecting there to be any deadline for you to return to the UK in order to be eligible for the Graduate visa, except for returning before your student or Tier 4 visa expires. We expect that you will still be considered to meet the requirement to have spent at least 12 months studying in the UK if the following total is 12 months or more:

Time you have spent in the UK studying your course with a Student or Tier 4 visa: plus
Time you spent remote learning outside the UK between 24 January and 27 September 2021 whilst you still had a student or Tier 4 visa.

New dependants will not be permitted under the Graduate Immigration Route. If your dependants already have a a visa as your dependant partner or child, they will be permitted to extend their visa in line with you and must apply inside the UK.
If you have children born in the UK during your most recent Student or Tier 4 visa, they will also be able to apply for a visa as your dependant.
Any dependants that have received sponsorship from a Government or International Scholarship Agency in the 12 months immediately prior to the date they submit their visa application must also provide a letter from their sponsor giving consent for them to stay in the UK whilst you are on the Graduate Route.

If you are granted a Graduate Visa, we expect that you will be able to:

Do any work (including being self-employed), except as a professional sportsperson or coach Study – but only if the study does not meet the requirements of study that is allowed under a student visa Switch to a Skilled Worker visa (only if you meet the requirements for this visa category).

We expect that you will not be able to:

• Claim public funds
• Work as a professional sportsperson or coach.
• Study at an institution that has Student Sponsor Satus (including Student Sponsor Status with a Track Record of Compliance) on a course where the qualification and level of study meet the requirements for the Student visa category. I.e. Any course that a Student visa sponsor can issue a CAS to for a Student to study under a Student Visa, cannot be studied if you have a Graduate Visa.

We expect that you will require ATAS clearance if any study you do with a Graduate visa requires it.
If you are required to register with the police, you will also need to do this when you have a Graduate Visa.

You must:

• Apply inside the UK
• Complete identity, criminality and security checks
• Pay an application fee (£700) and an Immigration Health Surcharge payment (£624 per year * each year of permission you expect to be granted to you, please see above)

We will explain the visa application process in more detail when the government release more information.

The University is required to notify UKVI of all its students who meet the eligibility criteria. You must not apply online for the Graduate visa until after you have received confirmation from the University that your details have been sent to UKVI. We will be sending these notifications and informing students after course completion.