UK Home Office Announces Post-Study Visa Changes

Beginning in January 2027, student visa holders who want to stay and work in the UK will be able to apply for a Graduate visa that allows them to stay for 18 months. The current Graduate visa allows for two years of continued residence in the UK. Here’s a look at the changes in store for Graduate visas, Skilled Worker visas, and other aspects of post-graduation mobility in the UK.

Shorter post-study visa duration

Under the current visa rules, students who hold a Student visa (or the former Tier 4 visa) are eligible to apply for a Graduate visa that allows them to stay and work in the UK for two years after they complete their course. PhD and doctoral qualification graduates are allowed to stay for up to three years.

In order to qualify for a Graduate visa, students must apply for a Graduate visa before their Student visa expires and meet specific course and completion requirements outlined by the UK government. Graduate visas cannot be extended, but holders can switch to other types of visas for which they are eligible.

Under the new rules, which will go into effect on 1 January 2027, Graduate visas will only allow for 18 months of post-study residence. Work allowances will not change. Graduate visa holders will still be allowed to apply for and work in most sectors, be self-employed, travel abroad, and do unpaid, approved voluntary work. Graduate visas will also still allow for dependents (partners and children).

Changing language requirements

On 14 October 2025, Parliament introduced a new law that will require migrants to demonstrate English language proficiency at an A-level equivalent. The new language requirement is part of overhauls to the UK’s immigration system and will be conducted through the Secure English Language Test (SELT).

The new law will apply to applicants for Skilled Worker and other visas, which means that Graduate visa holders wishing to transfer to a Skilled Worker visa could be required to take the SELT. The government is also increasing the immigration skills charge (ISC), which employers pay to sponsor skilled foreign workers, by 32 percent.

What’s next?

Student visa applicants are already required to demonstrate their English proficiency. Currently, this can be done by completing the SELT or through approved secondary or tertiary language qualifications.

For students applying for degree-level study, the requirement is set at the B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF) scale, which is higher than the B1 requirement for the Skilled Worker visa. The press release from the Home Office outlining the new immigration rules did not indicate whether Student visa holders who had previously demonstrated English proficiency would be required to retake the SELT to qualify for Graduate or Skilled Worker visas.

The government did note that Student visa applicants will have higher finance requirements in the coming year and that international students will be required to demonstrate that they have “sufficient funds to support themselves.”

The UK government is also making a “series of changes to position the UK as a global leader in attracting highly skilled talent,” including expanding the High Potential Individual (HPI) route, allowing for easier transition from Student visas to the Innovative Founder visa, and enhancing the Global Talent route.