Graduate Route 2027: 2 Years or 18 Months After Your UK Degree?

The Graduate Route is the main reason many Bangladeshi students choose the UK: after your degree you can stay and work, at any skill level, without a sponsor. From 1 January 2027 it becomes shorter. Here is exactly who is affected, what you can still do in 18 months, and how to use that time to move to a longer-term work visa.

What changes on 1 January 2027

Graduate visa application date	Bachelor’s or Master’s	PhD or other doctorate
On or before 31 December 2026	2 years	3 years
On or after 1 January 2027	18 months	3 years

The change comes from a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published in October 2025, and GOV.UK now shows both lengths. The visa starts on the day your application is approved.

Who still gets 2 years?

Only students who can apply for the Graduate visa by 31 December 2026. To apply you must have completed your course, and your university must have reported that to the Home Office. In practice that means:

• Students who finished a Master’s in September 2026 and whose results are confirmed before the end of the year
• Students whose course ended earlier in 2026 and who are still on their Student visa

If you are in this group, do not wait: ask your university when it will report your completion, and apply as soon as you can. Students starting in January, May or September 2027 will all get 18 months.

Eligibility in short

• You are in the UK on a Student visa (or the older Tier 4 visa)
• You completed a UK Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD or other eligible course with a licensed sponsor
• Your university has told the Home Office you completed the course
• You apply before your Student visa expires

You do not need a job offer, a minimum salary or an English test for the Graduate visa.

What you can and cannot do on the Graduate visa

You can	You cannot
Work in almost any job, full time or part time, at any skill level and salary	Extend the Graduate visa
Look for work and change employers without asking the Home Office	Apply for most public funds (state benefits)
Be self-employed or do voluntary work	Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
Travel abroad and come back to the UK	Bring new family members as dependants

Because no sponsor is needed, many graduates use the Graduate visa to get their first UK job, build experience, and then switch to a Skilled Worker visa with an employer who holds a sponsor licence.

A realistic timeline for a one-year Master’s

Stage	September 2026 start	January 2027 start
Course ends	About September 2027	About January 2028
Results confirmed and reported by the university	October to December 2027	February to April 2028
Graduate visa application	Before your Student visa ends	Before your Student visa ends
Graduate visa length	18 months	18 months

Your Student visa normally lasts a few months after the course end date, which gives time for results and the Graduate visa application. Check the exact end date on your BRP or eVisa and plan backwards from it.

Cost of the Graduate visa

Item	18 months (from 1 January 2027)	2 years (by 31 December 2026)
Application fee	£937	£937
Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035 a year)	about £1,553	£2,070
Total	about £2,490 (BDT 4.15 lakh)	about £3,007 (BDT 5.01 lakh)

BDT amounts use £1 = BDT 166.66 (11 November 2026). The decision usually takes up to 8 weeks.

How to make 18 months count

Eighteen months is enough to start a career, but there is less time to search. Students who move to a Skilled Worker visa usually plan from the first term:

1. Choose a course with clear job demand, such as computing, data, engineering, health and social care, accounting, or supply chain. See how to choose the right UK course.
2. Work part-time in your field during your studies (within the 20-hour term-time limit). UK experience makes the job search after graduation much faster.
3. Target employers with a sponsor licence. The Home Office publishes the register of licensed sponsors.
4. Start applying in your final term, not after the Graduate visa is granted.
5. Switch to Skilled Worker as soon as you have a qualifying offer. Read how to switch from a student visa to a work visa.

Is the UK still worth it with 18 months?

For most Bangladeshi students, yes. A one-year UK Master’s is shorter and often cheaper than two-year courses elsewhere, and 18 months of open work rights is still more than many countries give after a one-year degree. The main change is that career planning has to start earlier. Compare destinations in Is the UK still worth it?

Frequently asked questions

Does the 18-month rule apply to the January 2027 intake?

Yes. Anyone who applies for the Graduate visa on or after 1 January 2027 gets 18 months, and January 2027 starters finish their course after that date.

I finish my Master’s in December 2026. Will I get 2 years?

Only if your university reports your completion and you submit the Graduate visa application by 31 December 2026. Results and reporting can take weeks, so many December finishers will apply in 2027 and get 18 months.

Can I bring my family on the Graduate visa?

Only family members who are already in the UK as your dependants can stay with you. You cannot bring new dependants on the Graduate visa.

Can I extend the Graduate visa?

No. To stay longer you must switch to another visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, before the Graduate visa ends.

Do PhD students also lose time?

No. Doctoral graduates keep the 3-year Graduate visa.