# Graduate visa for Indian applicants

The Graduate visa lets you stay and work in the UK after finishing a UK degree. It is 24 months today, 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027, and 36 months for PhD graduates. It can only be applied for from inside the UK.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

## 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.

Information only: we do not file this route. Applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.

## 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. |

## Mistakes we see
| 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. |

## Timeline
1. **Plan it before leaving India** (Before the Student visa is issued): Run 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.
2. **Course ends** (Course end date on the CAS): Your 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.
3. **University reports completion** (Usually within a few weeks of the final results): The sponsor notifies the Home Office that you have successfully completed. Ask the student visa office for written confirmation of the date reported.
4. **Check the 1 January 2027 line** (Autumn 2026 for courses ending late 2026): Applications 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.
5. **Apply online from inside the UK** (While the Student visa is still valid): Pay 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.
6. **Identity check** (Within days of applying): Most 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.
7. **Decision** (Usually within 8 weeks): You 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.
8. **eVisa and onward plan** (On grant, then through the 18 or 24 months): Your 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.

## 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.

## 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

## Documents
- 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

## Cost from India
| 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 year | £2,070 | ₹2,73,923 |
| Each dependant: Graduate dependant, each (optional) | £937 | ₹1,23,993 |
| Priority service (optional) (optional) | £500 | ₹66,165 |
| Super priority service (optional) (optional) | £1,000 | ₹1,32,330 |
| Required Home Office charges | £3,007 | ₹3,97,916 |

Fees effective 8 April 2026, verified 2026-10-08; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (2026-10-08). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk.

## Processing time
Standard 8 weeks; priority not offered in India; super priority not offered. UKVI figures as of 2026-09-09, verified 2026-10-08. In-UK application only. gov.uk Graduate visa page: a decision usually within 8 weeks. Confidence medium: not re-fetched on 8 Oct 2026.

## Refusal reasons
- 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

## Refusal paragraphs decoded (verified 2026-10-08)
### Appendix Graduate: successful completion (GR 5.1): 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

### Appendix Graduate: qualification and study in the UK (GR 6.1, GR 7.1): 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

### 9.2.1: 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

### 9.3.1: Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation

## FAQ
**Can I apply for the Graduate visa from India?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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.

## In depth
- [Fees in rupees](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/fees.md)
- [Documents](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/documents.md)
- [Eligibility](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/eligibility.md)
- [Refusal reasons](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/refusal-reasons.md)
- [Processing time](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/processing-time.md)
- [Cost from India](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/cost-from-india.md)
- [FAQ](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/faq.md)
- [Mistakes](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/graduate-visa/mistakes.md)

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.