Immigration Rules Appendix Graduate

This route is for a Student in the UK who wants to work, or look for work, following the successful completion of an eligible course of study at UK bachelor’s degree-level or above. The study must have been with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.

The Graduate route is an unsponsored route.

Individuals who already have permission as a dependant of a Student who is applying on this route can also apply to extend their permission as a dependant on this route; other types of dependants are not permitted on this route.

The Graduate route is not a route to settlement.

Validation requirements for a Graduate

  1. GR 1.1. A person applying for permission to stay as a Graduate must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Graduate”.
  1. GR 1.2. An application for permission as a Graduate must meet all the following requirements:
    1. (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
    2. (b) the applicant must have provided any required biometrics; and
    3. (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality; and
    4. (d) the applicant must be in the UK.
  1. GR 1.3. The applicant must have, or have last had, permission as a Student.
  1. GR 1.4. The applicant must not have been previously granted permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme or as a Graduate.
  1. GR 1.5. If the applicant has in the 12 months before the date of application completed a course of studies in the UK for which they have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent to the application from that Government or agency.
  1. GR 1.6. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a Graduate may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a Graduate

  1. GR 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.
  1. GR 2.2. The applicant must not be:
    1. (a) in the UK in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
    2. (b) on immigration bail.

Eligibility requirements for a Graduate

Points requirement

  1. GR 3.1 The applicant must be awarded a total of 70 points based on the table below.
Points type Relevant requirements to be met Number of points
Successful course completion • Successful completion requirement
• Qualification requirement
• Study in the UK requirement		 70

Successful completion requirement

  1. GR 4.1. The applicant must have last been sponsored by a Student sponsor which is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance on the date of application.
  1. GR 4.2. The applicant must have successfully completed the course of study which was undertaken during their last grant of permission to study on the Student route (where the applicant was allowed to change their course of study without applying for further permission as a Student, this requirement only applies to the course to which they changed).
  1. GR 4.3. The student sponsor must have notified the Home Office, by the date of application, that the applicant has successfully completed the course of study in GR 4.2.

Qualification requirement

  1. GR 5.1. The applicant will meet the qualification requirement if they have successfully completed a course of study for which they have been or will be awarded a UK bachelor’s degree, a UK postgraduate degree, or successfully completed a relevant qualification listed in GR 5.2.
  1. GR 5.2 A relevant qualification is one of the following:
    1. (a) a law conversion course validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in England and Wales; or
    2. (b) the Legal Practice Course in England and Wales, the Solicitors Course in Northern Ireland, or a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland; or
    3. (c) the Bar Practice Course in England and Wales, or the Bar Course in Northern Ireland; or
    4. (d) a foundation programme in Medicine or Dentistry; or
    5. (e) a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE); or
    6. (f) a professional course requiring study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above in a profession with reserved activities that is regulated by UK law or UK public authority.
  1. GR 5.3. If the name of the applicant’s course of study was changed by the Student sponsor, but the course content remained the same, or if an integral and assessed work placement or permitted study abroad programme was added, this will not prevent the applicant being able to meet the qualification requirement.
  1. GR 5.4 The qualification must have been gained during the last grant of permission to study as a Student, or in the period of permission immediately before the applicant’s last grant of permission, if the last grant of permission was to undertake a role as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.

Study in the UK requirement

  1. GR 6.1. The applicant must have held permission as a Student, which was granted to study the relevant qualification in the UK, for a minimum period of time (the relevant period), as in the table below.
Total length of course Relevant period of Student permission granted during which all study took place in the UK (apart from permitted study abroad programmes)
12 months or less Full duration of course
Longer than 12 months At least 12 months
  1. GR 6.2. Where distance learning took place overseas between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2022, this will not prevent the applicant meeting the requirement to spend the relevant period at GR 6.1 studying in the UK if either:
    1. (a) they began a course of 12 months or less prior to 21 June 2021 and entered the UK on or before 27 September 2021 with permission as a Student; or
    2. (b) they began a course of 12 months or less between 21 June 2021 and 30 June 2022 and entered the UK on or before 30 June 2022 with permission as a Student.
  1. GR 6.3. Any period of distance learning that took place between 24 January 2020 and 30 June 2022 as part of a course of study lasting longer than 12 months whilst the applicant held permission as a Student, will not prevent the applicant from meeting the requirement to spend the relevant period at GR 6.1. studying in the UK.

Decision on application as a Graduate

  1. GR 7.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for a Graduate are met the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.  
  1. GR 7.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Period and conditions of grant for a Graduate

  1. GR 8.1. The applicant will be granted the period of permission as set out in the table below dependent on how they met the qualification requirement.
Type of Qualification Period granted from date of decision
PhD or other doctoral qualification 3 years
All other qualifications 2 years
  1. GR 8.2. The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:
    1. (a) no access to public funds; and
    2. (b) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted, apart from work as a professional sportsperson; and
    3. (c) study is permitted, except study with an education provider which is a Student sponsor, and which would meet the approved qualification and level of study requirements of the Student route which are set out in Appendix Student; and
    4. (d) study is subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.
    5. (e) DELETED

Dependants of a Graduate

Validity requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 9.1. A person applying for permission to stay as a partner or child of a Graduate must apply on the specified form on the gov.uk website as follows:
  1. Either (as applicable):
    1. Dependant partner
    1. Dependant child
  1. GR 9.2. An application for permission to stay as a partner or child of a Graduate must meet all the following requirements:
    1. (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
    2. (b) the applicant must have provided any required biometrics; and
    3. (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality; and
    4. (d) the applicant must be applying as partner or child of a person who:
      1. (i) has made a valid application for permission to stay on the Graduate route that has not been decided; or
      2. (ii) has permission to stay on the Graduate route.
  1. GR 9.3. If the applicant has in the 12 months before the date of application completed a course of studies in the UK for which they have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent to the application from that Government or agency.
  1. GR 9.4. The applicant must be in the UK on the date of application and must:
    1. (a) have, or have last been granted, permission as a dependant partner of a Student and that Student is applying for, or has now been granted, permission to stay in the Graduate route; or
    2. (b) have, or have last been granted, permission as a dependant child of either a Student or dependant partner of the Student and that Student is applying for, or has now been granted, permission to stay in the Graduate route; or
    3. (c) be a child born in the UK during the last grant of Student permission of a Student and that Student is applying for, or has now been granted, permission to stay in the Graduate route.
  1. GR 9.5. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a partner or child of a Graduate may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 10.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.
  1. GR 10.2. The applicant must not be:
    1. (a) in the UK in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
    2. (b) on immigration bail.

Eligibility requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

Relationship requirement for dependent partner of a Graduate

  1. GR 11.1. The applicant must show that the relationship meets the relationship requirements as specified in Appendix Relationship with Partner.
  1. GR 11.2. DELETED
  1. GR 11.3. DELETED

Relationship requirement for dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 12.1. DELETED.
  1. GR 12.2. DELETED
  1. GR 12.3. DELETED.

Care requirement for dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 13.1. DELETED.

Age requirement for a dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 14.1. DELETED.
  1. GR 14.2. DELETED.

Requirements for a dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 14A.1. The applicant must meet the following requirements for a dependent child in Appendix Children:
    1. (a) relationship requirement: entry clearance and permission to stay; and
    2. (b) care requirement; and
    3. (c) age and independent life requirement.

Decision on application for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 15.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate are met, the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.
  1. GR 15.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR.

Period and conditions of grant for a dependent partner or dependent child of a Graduate

  1. GR 16.1. A dependent partner will be granted permission which ends on the same date as the Graduate partner’s permission.
  1. GR 16.2. A dependent child will be granted permission which ends on the same date as whichever of their parents’ permission ends first.
  1. GR 16.3. The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:
    1. (a) no access to public funds; and
    2. (b) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted except as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); and
    3. (c) study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS (if the study will commence when the person is aged over 18).
    4. (d) DELETED