Switching Visas Within UK

Do I have a Student or Tier 4 General student visa to apply for a Switching to a Graduate Route visa?

According to the Home Office UKVI Immigration Rules on switching to a Graduate Route visa, the applicant must have or have last had permission to stay in the UK as a Student / Tier 4 General Student.

What is a Graduate Route / Post Study Work (PSW) visa in the UK?

The Graduate route, also known as the Post Study Work (PSW) visa 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 a 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 unsponsored. The Graduate route visa category will become operational from 0900 on 1 July 2021.

Who can apply for switching to a Graduate route visa from inside the UK?
Any Student / Tier 4 General with a valid leave to remain as a student / Tier 4 General student who has completed an eligible qualification can apply for switching into the Graduate route from 1 July 2021.

Is the Graduate route (PSW visa route) a route to settlement?
The Graduate route is not a route to settlement; however, any time spent on the Graduate route does count towards  ILR based on ten years of residence.

Can I apply for a Graduate route visa from outside the UK?
No, you can only apply for switching to a graduate route visa from inside the UK. You can apply for entry clearance for a Graduate route visa outside the UK.

Can I apply for a Graduate Route visa if I previously held a UK Doctorate Extension Scheme(DES)?
You cannot apply for a Graduate Route visa (Post Study Work visa) if you previously held a Doctorate Extension Scheme(DES) visa in the UK.

Can I apply for a Graduate Route visa if I previously held a Graduate Route visa in the UK?
You cannot apply for a Graduate Route visa (Post Study Work visa) if you previously held a Graduate Route visa in the UK.

How can I apply for a switch from a Student visa to a Graduate Route visa from inside the UK?
You can apply online to switch from a Student / Tier 4 General student visa to a Graduate route visa. You must provide a degree certificate, academic transcript, or academic reference on the institution’s official head paper. You may have been sponsored in your studies by Her Majesty’sMajesty’s Government, your home government or any international scholarship agency. Suppose you have had such sponsorship within the past 12 months. In that case, you must provide Home Office UKVI with the Government or international scholarship agency’s unconditional written consent, giving you their permission to remain in or re-enter the UK.

What are the points requirements for a Graduate Route Visa UK?

The applicant must be awarded a total of 70 points in the table below:

What is a successful course completion requirement for a Graduate Route visa in the UK?

• 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;
• The applicant must have 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 ofstudy without applying for further permission as a Student, this requirement only applies to the course to which they changed);
• The student sponsor must have notified the Home Office by the date of the Graduate route application that the applicant has completed the relevant course of study.

What is the qualification requirement for a Graduate Route Visa UK?

The applicant will meet the qualification requirement if they have completed a course of study for which they have been or will be awarded a UK bachelor’s bachelor’s degree, a UK postgraduate degree, or completed a relevant qualification listed below.

A relevant qualification is one of the following:

• a law conversion course validated by the Joint Academic Stage Board in England and Wales or
• the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in England and Wales, the Solicitors Course in Northern Ireland, or a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland; or
• the Bar Practice Course in England and Wales, or the Bar Course in Northern Ireland, or
• a foundation programme in Medicine or Dentistry or
• a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE); or
• A professional course requiring study at a UK bachelor’s degree level or above in a profession with reserved activities regulated by UK law or UK public authority.

If the Student sponsor changed the name of the applicant applicant’s course of study, 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 from being able to meet the qualification requirement.

The qualification must have been gained during the last grant of permission to study as a Student / Tier 4 General Student or in the period of permission immediately before the applicant’s last grant of permission if the previous grant of permission was to undertake a role as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.

What is the requirement for a graduate route visa in the UK for study in the UK?

The applicant must have studied in the UK for a minimum period of the course for which they were last granted permission to study on the Student route (the relevant period), as in the table below:

Where distance learning took place overseas between 24 January 2020 and 27 September 2021, this will not prevent the applicant from meeting the requirement to spend the relevant period of studying in the UK if:

• They began their course in 2020 and entered the UK on or before 21 June 2021and completed that course of study in the UK with permission as a Student or
• They began their course in 2021, entered the UK before 27 September 2021, and completed that course of study in the UK with permission as a Student.

Any period of distance learning between 24 January 2020 and 27 September 2021 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 of studying in the UK.

How long will I be granted a graduate route visa?

The applicant will be granted the period of permission as set out in the table below depending on how they met the qualification requirement:

Let’s delve into the conditions for granting a Graduate route visa, a crucial aspect for individuals applying for this visa or immigration professionals assisting them.

The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:

• no access to public funds, and
• Work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted, apart from work as a professional sportsperson and
• Study is permitted, except study with an education provider who is a Student sponsor and who would meet the approved qualification and level of study requirements of the Student route, which are set out in Appendix Student and
• The study is subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS and
• If Part 10 applies, the person must register with the police.