Immigration Rules

From:: Home Office
Published: 25 February 2016
Updated:: 9 April 2025 - See all updates

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鈥檚 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.

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Points requirement

GR 3.1. The applicant must be awarded all 70 points in the table below.

Points type	Relevant requirements to be met	Number of points
Successful course completion	鈥� Successful completion requirement 鈥� Qualification requirement 鈥� Study in the UK requirement	70

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

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.

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.

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

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

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:

Either (as applicable):
1. Dependant partner
1. Dependant child

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 biometrics when required; 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.

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.

GR 9.4. The applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.

GR 9.4A. The applicant must meet one of the following requirements:
1. (a) they must have, or have last been granted, permission as a dependent 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) they must have, or have last been granted, permission as a dependent child of either a Student or dependent 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) they must 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.

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.

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