UK Graduate visa shrinks to 18 months from 1 January: apply by 31 December 2026 to keep two years

For Indian students finishing a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree this year, the calendar now matters as much as the result. GOV.UK says a Graduate visa applied for on or before 31 December 2026 lasts two years. Apply on or after 1 January 2027 and it lasts 18 months. PhD and other doctoral graduates still get three years.

The cut was announced in the May 2025 immigration white paper and written into the Immigration Rules by Statement of Changes HC 1333, laid on 14 October 2025. UKCISA, which advises UK universities on international student rules, notes that it does not apply to anyone who makes a Graduate route application before 1 January 2027. Home Office caseworker guidance ties the length of the visa to the date the application is made.

Step 1: Check that you can apply now

Under GOV.UK’s rules you can apply for the Graduate visa only when all of these are true:

• You are in the UK.
• Your current Student (or older Tier 4) visa has not expired.
• Your university or college has told the Home Office that you have successfully completed the course you studied on that visa.

You do not need to wait for the graduation ceremony or the certificate. If results are out, ask your university’s international student team whether it has already reported your completion, and when it will if not.

Step 2: Work out your deadline

Your real deadline is the earlier of two dates: 31 December 2026, and the day your Student visa expires. If your Student visa ends in, say, January 2027, waiting will not only shorten the Graduate visa, it also leaves little room if anything goes wrong with the application.

Step 3: Budget for the cost

The application fee is £937. The Home Office’s fee table for 8 October 2026 lists it as unchanged. You also pay the immigration health surcharge up front, usually £1,035 for each year:

• Two-year visa (applied by 31 December 2026): £937 plus £2,070 surcharge.
• 18-month visa (applied from 1 January 2027): £937 plus £1,552.50 surcharge.

Step 4: Apply online and keep records

Apply online from the UK on GOV.UK. Keep the submission confirmation and payment receipts showing the date you applied, since that date decides whether you get two years or 18 months. GOV.UK says a decision usually comes within eight weeks, you can stay in the UK while you wait, and the visa runs from the day it is approved.

Step 5: Plan beyond the Graduate visa

The Graduate visa cannot be extended. If you want to stay longer, you will need to switch to another route, such as the Skilled Worker visa, before it ends. Talk to your employer early, and take advice from a regulated immigration adviser if your case is not straightforward.

Key dates

• 31 December 2026: last day to apply for a two-year Graduate visa after a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
• 1 January 2027: applications from this date get 18 months; doctoral graduates still get three years.