Eligibility
To be able to apply for the Graduate Route visa, students must:
- be in the UK on a valid student visa that has not expired;
- have studied at least the last 12 months of their course on that student visa;
- apply only after being informed they have been awarded their degree;
- apply only after receiving a confirmation email from the compliance team that the Home Office has been notified of their eligibility which includes their CAS number; and
- courses of 12 months or shorter must be studied for the full duration in the UK.
If your visa expires before you receive your official results you will not be eligible to apply to switch into the Graduate Route visa. You must leave the UK before your visa expires.
Students cannot apply for the Graduate Route from overseas.
To be eligible to apply you must be in the UK and have a valid Student Route visa and have received your official results confirming you will be, or have been, awarded before you can apply to switch into the Graduate Route. If you are completing your course in January 2024 you will not receive your official results until March 2024. You must wait until after that date to apply.
After you have been awarded your degree, the compliance team will notify the Home Office and send you a confirmation email with your CAS number.
If you have been officially financially sponsored by your Government, or an officially recognised international organisation in the last 12 months, you must obtain a permission letter from this sponsor giving their consent for you to remain in the UK under the Graduate Route.
You will also require your current passport and Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card.
Dependants are allowed, providing they are already in the UK as a Student Dependant.
Costs
- £715 per applicant for the visa application.
- £624 a year per applicant for the Health Charge (£1,248 for 2 years and £1,875 for 3 years (PhD students only)).
Confirmation
Kingston University must confirm your eligibility to apply for the Graduate Route to the Home Office, and you will be notified when this task has been completed.
Your application may not be processed if you submit your visa application before Kingston University has confirmed your eligibility.
If you have received your results and meet all the requirements and are ready to submit your visa application, but have not received a confirmation email, please email the compliance team at ukvi@kingston.ac.uk to confirm your eligibility has been sent to the Home Office before you submit your visa application.
How to apply
Below are links to the guidance notes and the visa application. You are strongly advised to take the time to read the guidance in addition to reading all the information on this page about the Graduate Route.