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The Graduate visa drops from 2 years to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027. Find out which side of the line your course finishes on, what it costs, and how Ireland now compares.
Time left to apply and still get the full 2 years
A UK Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. Graduates with a PhD or other doctoral qualification get 3 years either way. What decides your band is the date you apply — not the date you finish, graduate, or collect your certificate. You must be in the UK, hold a Student or Tier 4 visa that has not expired, and your university must have told the Home Office you completed the course. The fee is £937 plus the health surcharge at £1,035 a year. Verified against GOV.UK on 2 August 2026.
The reporting lag is our estimate of the gap between your final assessment and your university confirming completion to the Home Office — you cannot apply before that confirmation lands. It is not a published Home Office figure, so ask your international office for their actual turnaround and change the number here.
Add the date you finish your course above to see which band you land in, what it costs, and how many days of margin you have against the 31 December 2026 cutoff.
Based on a 12-month master's or postgraduate degree and a 4-week reporting lag.
| Intake | You finish | Earliest application | Graduate visa |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 15 September 2027 | 13 October 2027 | 18 months |
| January 2027 | 15 January 2028 | 12 February 2028 | 18 months |
| September 2027 | 15 September 2028 | 13 October 2028 | 18 months |
| January 2028 | 15 January 2029 | 12 February 2029 | 18 months |
If every intake open to you lands in the 18-month band, the UK is no longer the longest post-study stay in the English-speaking world for a master's graduate — Ireland's 24 months is. Compare the two properly before you commit a deposit.
Rules and fees confirmed on 2 August 2026. Immigration rules change — check the GOV.UK page before you pay anything. Cutoff date: 31 December 2026.
The UK Graduate visa falls from 2 years to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027. Enter your course completion date to see which band you land in, what the visa and health surcharge cost, and how Ireland's 24-month Stamp 1G now compares.
Yes. A Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. Graduates with a PhD or other doctoral qualification get 3 years in both cases. The date that matters is the date you submit the application, not the date you finish your course.
Only your application date. To apply you must be in the UK, hold a Student or Tier 4 visa that has not yet expired, and your university must have confirmed to the Home Office that you completed your course. You do not have to wait for your graduation ceremony or your certificate, so the practical constraint is how quickly your university reports completion.
The application fee is £937. The immigration health surcharge is charged at the standard rate of £1,035 per year, not the £776 student rate — so £2,070 for a 2-year visa and £1,552.50 for an 18-month visa. Total cost is £3,007 for 2 years or £2,489.50 for 18 months.
Only students who complete their course early enough to apply on or before 31 December 2026. A 12-month master's starting in September 2026 finishes around September 2027, so it falls squarely in the 18-month band. Students finishing in autumn 2026 are the last group who can realistically reach the 2-year cutoff.
For master's graduates, yes. Ireland's Third Level Graduate Programme grants Level 9 and Level 10 graduates up to 24 months on Stamp 1G, issued as 12 months plus one 12-month renewal, at €300 per year. That is 6 months longer than the UK's 18-month Graduate visa and costs far less. Irish Level 8 bachelor's graduates get 12 months, which is shorter than the UK.
No. The Graduate visa cannot be extended. Before it expires you must either switch to another route, most commonly the Skilled Worker visa with a sponsoring employer, or leave the UK. Time on the Graduate Route does not count towards settlement.
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