Graduate
Graduate visa for Indian applicants
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
Home Office fee
£937
about ₹1,23,993 at 132.33 INR/GBP, effective 8 April 2026
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Health surcharge
£2,070
Immigration Health Surcharge, 2 years at £1,035 a year; about ₹2,73,923
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Processing time from India
8 weeks
Priority service not offered in India for this route
Verified 8 October 2026
Our filing price
Information only
Referral to a regulated adviser for applicants in the UK
Verified 8 October 2026
Summary
In short
The Graduate visa costs £937 for applications from 8 April 2026, plus the health surcharge of £1,035 a year, and can only be applied for from inside the UK while the Student visa is still valid. It lasts 24 months for applications made before 1 January 2027, 18 months from that date, and 36 months for PhD graduates. A decision usually arrives within 8 weeks. The mistake Indian graduates make most is leaving the UK after the course without applying, which closes the route for good.
The officer’s view
What the officer checks
What the Home Office checks on a Graduate application
| What they check | Why it matters | Evidence that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| That you are in the UK with valid Student permission on the day you apply. | Appendix Graduate, validity requirements. An application made from India, or after the Student visa has expired, is rejected as invalid rather than considered. | Your eVisa or biometric residence details showing Student permission and its expiry date, and the CAS reference from the Student grant. |
| That the sponsor has reported your successful completion of the course the Student visa was granted for. | Appendix Graduate, successful completion requirement. The university notifies the Home Office through its sponsor system; the officer checks that record, not your results letter. | The university's completion confirmation and the date it reported you, plus your award letter or final transcript. |
| That the course was at the right level and you studied it in the UK for at least 12 months, or the whole course if shorter. | Appendix Graduate, qualification and study requirements. Distance learning or time spent outside the UK beyond the permitted exceptions breaks the requirement. | Transcript and award certificate at bachelor's, master's or PhD level, and travel history for the course period. |
| That you have never held Graduate or Doctorate Extension Scheme permission before. | Appendix Graduate, previous permission requirement. The route is a once-only grant. | Your immigration history as held by the Home Office; declare any earlier grant on the form. |
| That the health surcharge is paid for the full length of the grant. | The surcharge is a validity requirement for in-country applications. Underpayment produces a request for the balance with a short deadline; miss it and the application is rejected. | The surcharge reference number for 18, 24 or 36 months at £1,035 a year. |
| That nothing in your history triggers a suitability refusal. | Part 9 of the Immigration Rules. Working beyond Student hours, an NHS debt, or a conviction during the course are the usual issues. | A clean compliance record with your university, payslips within the permitted hours, and any caution or conviction declared. |
| That any dependants applying with you were already your Student dependants. | Appendix Graduate, dependant requirements. New partners or children cannot join from India on this route. | The dependants' current Student dependant permission and your relationship evidence. |
From the desk
Mistakes we see
From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Applying from India after flying home for the summer, or planning to apply at the British High Commission. | The application is invalid because the route is in-country only, and once the Student visa lapses the Graduate route is closed to you. | Apply before you leave the UK, while the Student permission is still valid and after the university has reported completion. |
| Submitting the application before the university reported successful completion. | Refusal under the successful completion requirement, with the £937 fee lost and the surcharge refunded. | Wait for the university's written confirmation that it has reported you, then apply the same week. |
| Letting the Student visa run out while waiting for a resit or a dissertation result. | No valid permission on the application date, so the application is invalid and the person becomes an overstayer. | Diarise the Student visa expiry on day one and ask the university early how a late result is reported. |
| Choosing a course end date, or delaying, so the application falls on or after 1 January 2027. | 18 months instead of 24, with no exception for anyone but PhD graduates. | Use the Graduate planner before enrolling and apply as soon as completion is reported if the date is close. |
| Trying to bring a spouse from Punjab as a dependant after the Graduate visa is granted. | Refusal, because only existing Student dependants can extend on this route. | If a partner must join, they need to qualify in their own right; plan that before the course, not after. |
| Paying the surcharge for the wrong number of months. | A request for the balance, a delayed decision, and a risk that the request is missed and the application rejected. | Pay for exactly 18, 24 or 36 months as the fee calculator shows for your application date. |
| Taking advice on this in-country application from an agent in India with no UK regulation. | Errors on the form that nobody is accountable for, and no recourse if the application is lost. | A person in the UK should use an adviser regulated in the UK; we explain the route and refer you to one. |
Step by step
Timeline
From the first document to the decision, in the order Indian applicants actually do it.
Step 1: Plan it before leaving India
Before the Student visa is issuedRun the Graduate planner with the course end date to see whether you fall under 24 or 18 months. Pick the surcharge total into the family budget now.
Step 2: Course ends
Course end date on the CASYour Student visa runs for a wrap-up period after the course, usually 4 months for a degree of 12 months or more. That window is when the Graduate application must go in.
Step 3: University reports completion
Usually within a few weeks of the final resultsThe sponsor notifies the Home Office that you have successfully completed. Ask the student visa office for written confirmation of the date reported.
Step 4: Check the 1 January 2027 line
Autumn 2026 for courses ending late 2026Applications made before 1 January 2027 get 24 months; those made on or after get 18. If completion is reported in December 2026, apply in December.
Step 5: Apply online from inside the UK
While the Student visa is still validPay the £937 fee and the surcharge at £1,035 a year for the full grant. Dependants who are already your Student dependants apply at the same time.
Step 6: Identity check
Within days of applyingMost applicants confirm identity through the UK Immigration ID Check app on their phone; others book a UKVCAS appointment. Your Student permission continues while the application is pending.
Step 7: Decision
Usually within 8 weeksYou can work, including for yourself, from the date of grant, with no sponsor and no minimum salary. Time on the visa does not count towards settlement.
Step 8: eVisa and onward plan
On grant, then through the 18 or 24 monthsYour status is held as an eVisa linked to your UKVI account. Switching to a sponsored route later is an in-country matter for a regulated UK adviser, outside what we handle.
Home Office data
How Indian applicants fare
Indians are the largest group on the Graduate route. You apply from inside the UK while your Student visa is still valid and after the university reports your completion. We cannot file this for you from India, and a person in the UK should take advice from an adviser regulated there; we refer you. What we do is plan it with you before you leave Patiala: which course end date keeps the 24 months, what the surcharge costs, and how the Graduate visa connects to a longer stay.
The rules
Eligibility
- In the UK on a Student visa when you apply
- Completed a UK bachelor's, master's or PhD, or an eligible course, with the sponsor having reported completion to the Home Office
- Studied in the UK for at least 12 months, or the full course if shorter
- No English test, no job offer and no sponsor needed
- Dependants already in the UK as your Student dependants can apply to extend with you; new dependants cannot join from India
- Time on the Graduate visa does not count towards settlement
Checklist
Documents, named the Indian way
- Passport and current biometric details or eVisa
- CAS reference used for the Student visa
- Confirmation from the university that the course has been completed and reported
- Health surcharge payment for the full visa length
- Dependant partner's and children's documents if extending together
In rupees
Cost from India, in rupees
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate visa, main applicant (applied in the UK) application fee | £937 | ₹1,23,993 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, 2 years at £1,035 a yearCharged for the full grant length up front; refunded only if the visa is refused. | £2,070 | ₹2,73,923 |
| Required Home Office charges | £3,007 | ₹3,97,916 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Risk
Why Indian applications are refused
- Applied after the Student visa expired
- University had not yet reported successful completion when the application went in
- Course not eligible, for example a non-degree course below the threshold, or studied mostly outside the UK
- Previous Graduate or Doctorate Extension Scheme leave held, which bars a second grant
Graduate route: course not successfully completed or not reported by the sponsor
Either you applied before the university reported your completion to the Home Office, or you did not pass, or the course you finished is not the one on your last Student visa.
What to fix: ask the university's visa compliance team for the date they reported completion, then apply; do not apply before your Student visa expires without the report; if the visa is about to expire, ask the university to report urgently.
Decode Appendix Graduate: successful completion (GR 5.1)Graduate route: qualification level or study-in-the-UK requirement not met
The qualification is below the level, the provider is not a track-record HEI, or too much of the course was taken outside the UK (online from India, for example).
What to fix: check the qualification against the list before applying; evidence of UK study periods (attendance, tenancy, travel history) where distance learning was permitted.
Decode Appendix Graduate: qualification and study in the UK (GR 6.1, GR 7.1)Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Free tools
Tools for this route
Questions
Questions Indian applicants ask
Can I apply for the Graduate visa from India?ShowHide
No. It is an in-country application only. If you leave the UK after your course without applying, the route is closed to you. We can inform you and refer you to a regulated adviser in the UK, but the application is theirs to handle.
What changes on 1 January 2027?ShowHide
Applications made on or after that date get 18 months instead of 24. PhD graduates keep 36 months. The date of application is what counts, not the course end date, so some students will apply as soon as the university has reported completion.
What does the Graduate visa cost?ShowHide
The Home Office application fee plus the health surcharge at £1,035 a year for the full length. Our fee calculator shows the rupee total for 18, 24 and 36 months.
Can I bring my spouse from India after I get the Graduate visa?ShowHide
No. Only partners and children who were already your dependants on the Student visa can extend with you. New dependants cannot be added.
Does the Graduate visa lead to settlement?ShowHide
Not by itself. Time on it does not count. Most people switch to a sponsored work route from inside the UK, which is outside what we handle.
Can I switch from Graduate back to Student?ShowHide
Yes, from inside the UK, for a new course at a higher level. A regulated UK adviser should check the academic progression rule before you commit.
How do I use your Graduate planner?ShowHide
Enter your course end date and intended application date. The planner tells you whether you fall under 24 or 18 months and the surcharge difference in rupees.
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Dataset dates: fees 8 October 2026. This page is information, not advice.