Graduate Visa

In order to be eligible, students are expected to complete at least one semester of their degree in the UK with a Student Visa.

The latest date that students need to have arrived in the UK varies depending upon the course start date and how long the course was:

The Graduate Visa is a two-year visa (three years if you are a doctorate student) which you can apply for after you complete your studies with us. You will not need a CAS from us or sponsorship from an employer to apply.

You can apply so long as you meet the Graduate Visa's strict eligibility requirements:

Complete all academic requirements of your course.
Complete with an eligible qualification - a bachelors, masters or doctorate level courses are all considered eligible qualifications as is the Foundation in medicine or dentistry, Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Education and the Legal Practice Course.
The visa requires you to study all or some of your course time in the UK (with some allowances due to COVID 19): if your course is for 12 months or less and you started it in 2020, you should be back in the UK by the end date of your Student visa if it expires before 27 September. If your visa expires after 27 September, the latest date to arrive in the UK to qualify is 27 September 2021. If you are studying a course that is more than 12 months, you must study at least 12 months of the course in the UK to qualify.

The university's International Student Support Team will be holding information sessions to explain more about what the Graduate Visa is (including qualifying for it), the documents you will need to apply and how to apply.

Be sure to look out for their free sessions on Wayfinder and on the student portal.

Please note the dates quoted above are for eligibility for the Graduate Visa. You should also carefully check the arrival deadline on your CAS.

You can find the latest information in the government guidance document: COVID-19: student sponsors, migrants and short-term students or on the UK Government website.