Study and graduate visas in the UK

Guides in this hub

Two ways to stay — study more, or stay after study

If you are an international student in the UK and your visa is expiring, you generally have two ways to stay legally: extend your Student visa to continue studying, or apply for the Graduate visa to stay after you have finished your course.

Staying to study: extending a Student visa in outline

To keep studying on a further course, the route is extending the Student visa: you must be in the UK on a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa, hold an unconditional offer shown by a CAS from a licensed student sponsor, and meet the academic progress requirement (exceptions apply); the fee is £558 per person plus the healthcare surcharge, with a decision usually within 8 weeks.

Staying after you finish: the Graduate visa in outline

After successfully completing an eligible course, the Graduate visa gives permission to stay for at least 18 months — 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, 3 years for a PhD or other doctoral qualification — and it cannot be extended, though switching to a different visa may be possible. The fee is £937 plus the healthcare surcharge usually £1,035 per year. A course that is eligible for a Student visa is studied by extending the Student visa; the Graduate visa is for staying after completion, and study on it is limited to courses not eligible for a Student visa.

Which page answers my question?

Which page you need depends on your situation: - Graduate visa (path: /graduate-visa) – For staying in the UK after you successfully finish an eligible course. Full eligibility, fee, duration and application details are covered in our Graduate visa guide. - Student visa extension (path: /student-visa-extension) – For extending your stay to continue studying on another course, when your current Student visa is about to expire. The full requirements, academic progress rules and application steps are in our Student visa extension guide.

Frequently asked questions

I want to stay in the UK after my course — should I extend my student visa or apply for the Graduate visa? If you have finished your course and want to work or look for work, you would normally apply for the Graduate visa. If you want to continue studying on another course that is eligible for a Student visa, you would normally extend your Student visa. My course is not finished yet — which route keeps me here legally? If you are still studying and need more time to finish, or want to start another course while holding a Student visa, you would apply to extend your Student visa before your current permission expires. I have finished my degree and want to work — what are my options? After successfully completing an eligible course, the Graduate visa is the route for staying on after study: it gives permission to stay for at least 18 months (2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026; 3 years for a PhD or other doctoral qualification), and it cannot be extended, though switching to a different visa may be possible. What you can do on it is covered in the full Graduate visa guide (path: /graduate-visa). Can I do another course on the Graduate visa instead of extending my student visa? Study on a Graduate visa is limited to courses that are not eligible for a Student visa. If your next course is eligible for a Student visa, you would normally extend your Student visa instead. What changes for the Graduate visa on 1 January 2027? From 1 January 2027, a non‑doctoral Graduate visa application will give 18 months rather than two years, while a PhD or other doctorate keeps three years. The change applies based on your application date. How much does each route cost, roughly, before I read the full guides? Extending a Student visa costs £558 per person plus the healthcare surcharge. A Graduate visa costs £937 plus the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £1,035 per year. Both amounts are the official government charges, checked on 31 October 2026. General information only — not legal advice. For individual route choices, you may wish to seek advice from an OISC‑regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor.