united kingdomvisasgraduate routepost study work
UK Graduate Route cut to 18 months from January 2027
The UK’s Graduate Route is getting shorter. From 1 January 2027, bachelor’s and master’s graduates who apply for the Graduate visa will be granted 18 months of post-study leave, down from the current two years. PhD graduates are unaffected and keep their three-year allowance. The change was confirmed in a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules and follows through on a commitment made in the government’s May 2025 immigration white paper.
What changed
The Graduate Route currently gives bachelor’s and master’s graduates two years to work or look for work in the UK after finishing their course, with no sponsor required. Under the new rules, anyone who submits their Graduate Route application on or after 1 January 2027 will instead receive 18 months.
PhD and other doctoral graduates keep the existing three-year period — the reduction only applies to bachelor’s and master’s level.
The stated rationale is to push graduates to move faster into sponsored, skilled employment — typically the Skilled Worker route — rather than spending an extended period on the more flexible Graduate visa.
Who it affects
- Bachelor’s and master’s students who will apply for the Graduate Route on or after 1 January 2027. This includes anyone starting a course now whose graduation and visa application fall after that date.
- Students currently weighing course start dates, since finishing in time to apply before the cutoff preserves the full two-year period.
- PhD candidates are not affected and continue to receive three years under the Graduate Route as before.
What you should do
- Check your expected graduation and application date. If you can realistically apply for the Graduate Route before 31 December 2026, current guidance says you’ll still get the full two years.
- Plan your post-study route earlier if you’ll fall after the cutoff. With 18 months instead of 24, there’s less runway to find a sponsor for the Skilled Worker route — start researching sponsoring employers and eligible occupations well before you graduate.
- Don’t assume your course length guarantees the old terms. It’s the date you submit the Graduate Route application that matters, not your course start date or offer letter.
What hasn’t changed
The Graduate Route itself isn’t being scrapped, and there’s no new work restriction or minimum salary requirement attached to it. The core structure — unsponsored permission to work at any skill level after graduating — remains, just for a shorter window for most graduates. For the current visa framework, see our UK visas guide, and for what’s involved in switching into skilled work afterwards, see working in the UK.