UK Graduate Route Eligibility Checker
Check if you qualify for the Post-Study Work visa (Graduate Route). Answer the questions below to see your eligibility, the exact requirements you meet or miss, and approximate costs.
This tool is based on published Home Office Graduate Route rules. It does not access UKVI records and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify at gov.uk before applying.
Eligible qualifications include: undergraduate degree (BSc/BA/BEng and similar), postgraduate taught degree (MSc/MA/MBA and similar), PhD or doctoral qualification, and some foundation and short-term programmes at degree-awarding institutions. Foundation programmes that lead to degree entry (not a degree themselves) are generally not eligible on their own.
Your institution must hold a valid Student sponsor licence and appear on the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors at the time you apply for the Graduate Route. If your university lost its licence after you enrolled but before you apply, you may not be eligible. Privately funded colleges and some specialist providers are sometimes not on the register.
You must have held a valid UK Student visa or Tier 4 (General) Student visa during your studies. If you completed part of your course outside the UK without a Student visa (for example, studying online from Nigeria for an extended period), this may affect eligibility. Short temporary absences during vacation are generally acceptable.
The Graduate Route application must be submitted while you are physically present in the UK. You cannot apply from outside the UK (including Nigeria) and then travel in after approval. You must be inside the UK when you press submit. Do not travel outside the UK before your application is decided unless your current visa permits it.
You must apply for the Graduate Route before your current Student visa expires. Check the expiry date on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or eVisa. If your visa has already expired, you are likely an overstayer and cannot apply for the Graduate Route. Apply as early as possible after your course completion is confirmed by your university.
The Graduate Route can only be granted once in your lifetime. If you have already held a Graduate Route visa (even if you left the UK before it expired), you cannot apply again, even after completing a new qualification. This is a one-time route per person, not per degree.
This determines whether your Graduate Route visa lasts 2 years or 3 years. PhD and doctoral qualifications get 3 years. All other eligible degrees (undergraduate, Masters, MBA and equivalent) get 2 years.
Graduate Route Mistakes That Cause Refusals
Leaving the UK before applying
Some graduates travel home to Nigeria for a holiday after finishing their course, intending to apply for Graduate Route from there. This is not possible. Once you leave the UK after your studies, the Graduate Route is gone. Apply before any international travel.
Waiting until the visa expiry date
Some students wait until the last weeks of their Student visa before applying. If your graduation confirmation is late or there is a UKVI processing delay, this is very risky. Apply as soon as your university confirms your pass and you have the required documents ready.
Not checking if the institution is still on the sponsor register
UK institutions can lose their sponsor licence. If your university is removed from the register between when you studied and when you apply for Graduate Route, you may be ineligible even if your degree is genuine. Always check the register before applying.
Applying twice (one Graduate Route per lifetime)
Some Nigerians who went to the UK for a first degree plan to return for a Masters and use a second Graduate Route. This does not work. The Graduate Route is granted once per person, ever. If you used it after your BSc, it is not available again after your MSc.
What Is the UK Graduate Route (Post-Study Work Visa)?
The Graduate Route is a UK visa that allows international students who have completed an eligible degree at a licensed UK university to remain in the UK after graduating. It replaced the older Post-Study Work visa and was reintroduced in July 2021 after a decade of absence. It is one of the most important routes for Nigerian graduates who want to gain UK work experience or transition to the Skilled Worker visa.
Unlike the Skilled Worker visa, the Graduate Route does not require a job offer, employer sponsorship, or a minimum salary. You can work in any job at any pay level while on the Graduate Route. The goal is to give graduates time to find skilled employment and build toward a more permanent route to remain in the UK.
Graduate Route Eligibility Requirements
The Home Office has set seven key conditions that must all be met simultaneously. Missing any one of them results in refusal. The requirements are not scored or weighted; they are all binary pass or fail conditions:
- You completed an eligible UK degree (bachelor’s or above, or approved equivalent)
- Your institution holds a valid Student sponsor licence and appears on the Register of Licensed Sponsors at application time
- You held a valid Student or Tier 4 visa during your studies
- You are applying from inside the UK (in-country applications only)
- Your current Student visa is still valid when you apply
- You have not previously been granted a Graduate Route visa
- Your course was physically taught in the UK (largely, not fully online)
Graduate Route Costs in 2024
| Fee item | 2-year visa (UG/Masters) | 3-year visa (PhD) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application fee | £715 | £715 |
| IHS (£1,035/year) | £2,070 | £3,105 |
| Total before extras | £2,785 | £3,820 |
| At ₦2,100/£1 (illustrative) | ~₦5,848,500 | ~₦8,022,000 |
Each dependant also pays £715 visa fee plus their own IHS. Dependants can only be added if they were already on your Student visa.
Graduate Route vs Skilled Worker: Key Differences
| Factor | Graduate Route | Skilled Worker |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer required? | No | Yes (from licensed sponsor) |
| Minimum salary | None | £38,700/year (or role threshold) |
| Duration | 2 years (3 for PhD) | Up to 5 years, extendable |
| Path to ILR? | No (not directly) | Yes (5 years qualifying) |
| Points required | No points system | 70 points required |
| Who it suits | Recent graduates seeking work | Workers with confirmed job offer |
Using Graduate Route as a Bridge to Skilled Worker
The most common path for Nigerian graduates is to use the Graduate Route to find and secure skilled employment, then switch to a Skilled Worker visa before the Graduate Route expires. You do not need to leave the UK to switch between these routes if your Skilled Worker application is submitted before your Graduate Route visa expires. The switch can be done in-country.
Realistic Scenarios
Scenario 1: Tunde, MSc Computer Science, eligible
Tunde completed an MSc at a Russell Group university in June 2024. He held a Student visa throughout his studies, is currently in the UK, and his visa expires in September 2024. He applies for Graduate Route in July 2024. He is eligible, receives a 2-year visa, and uses the time to find a software engineering role. His total cost is £2,785 for the main visa.
Scenario 2: Amaka, BSc Nursing, ineligible (institution issue)
Amaka completed a BSc Nursing at a private college that had its sponsor licence suspended by the Home Office in early 2024 due to compliance issues. Even though her degree is genuine and she held a Student visa, her institution is not on the Register of Licensed Sponsors at the time she applies. She does not qualify for Graduate Route. She must return to Nigeria or apply for a different visa before her Student visa expires.
Scenario 3: Emeka, PhD Engineering, 3-year visa
Emeka completed a PhD in mechanical engineering at a UK university in 2024. He is eligible for a 3-year Graduate Route visa rather than the standard 2-year. His total cost is £3,820 (£715 fee plus £3,105 IHS for 3 years). He uses the 3 years to publish research, teach at his university, and apply for a Skilled Worker visa through an academic employer sponsor before his Graduate Route expires.
