Graduate jobs in the UK for international students: visas and timing

Most international graduates start work in the UK on the Graduate visa, which lets you work for any employer without sponsorship, then switch to a Skilled Worker visa sponsored by an employer. The Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, but only 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. To stay long term you will usually need a job with a licensed sponsor that pays enough to meet the salary rules, so target sponsors early, ideally from the autumn of your final year.

This guide is general information, checked against GOV.UK in September 2026. It is not immigration advice. Rules change often, so check GOV.UK, or speak to your university’s international student advice team or a regulated immigration adviser about your own situation.

What are your options after your degree?#

How does the Graduate visa work?#

According to GOV.UK:

• Length. 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhD. The change was set out in the October 2025 statement of changes. What counts is the date you apply, not the date you graduate.
• When to apply. You must be in the UK on your Student visa and apply before it expires. Your university must have told the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course. You do not need to wait for your graduation ceremony.
• Travel. If you travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while your application is pending, it will be withdrawn.
• Cost. The application fee is £937, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 a year. Check the current figures on GOV.UK before you apply.
• Work. You can work in most jobs, including self-employment, without a sponsor.
• Limits. You cannot extend it, you can only have it once, and it does not count towards settlement.

What are the Skilled Worker rules for new graduates?#

To get a Skilled Worker visa you need a job offer from an employer that is a licensed sponsor, a certificate of sponsorship, a job at the right skill level, a salary that meets the rules, and English at level B2.

Skill level. Since 22 July 2025, jobs usually need to be at degree level, which the rules call RQF 6 or above. Some lower-skilled jobs still qualify if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, but the Temporary Shortage List only covers certificates of sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026. For example, the occupation code for data analysts currently qualifies only through that temporary list, so ask any employer which occupation code your job would use.

Salary. The general threshold is £41,700 a year, or the “going rate” for the job if that is higher. Recent graduates can often be paid less as a new entrant. GOV.UK and Appendix Skilled Worker set out the rules:

• The salary must be at least £33,400 and at least 70% of the going rate for the job.
• You count as a new entrant if you are under 26, or if you are switching from a Student visa after a UK degree, or from a Graduate visa, within the time limits in the rules.
• You can spend up to 4 years in total as a new entrant, and time on the Graduate visa counts towards this.

Switching from a Student visa. You can usually switch once you have completed your course, or before then if you are on a full-time degree course and the job starts no earlier than your course completion date. You must apply before your current visa expires.

Costs for employers. A sponsor pays for your certificate of sponsorship and usually the Immigration Skills Charge, which is £1,320 for the first year for medium and large employers. Sponsors must not make you pay either of these. The Immigration Skills Charge does not apply if you still hold a Student visa when your certificate is assigned, which can make switching straight from a Student visa cheaper for an employer.

How do you find employers that sponsor?#

The government publishes a register of licensed sponsors, updated almost every day. Download it and search for each employer you are interested in. Check that:

• the employer’s name matches the organisation you would work for
• the route says Skilled Worker
• the rating is A

Being on the register means an employer can sponsor, not that it will sponsor every role. Check the job advert, and if it does not say, ask the employer’s recruitment team directly and politely.

When should you start?#

Appendix Student sets out the work rules. While you are on a Student visa you cannot be self-employed or fill a permanent full-time job, except in the specific cases allowed once you have applied for a Graduate or Skilled Worker visa.

How do you avoid scams?#

• Never pay for a job or a visa. GOV.UK says a legitimate employer would never ask for payment to secure a visa.
• Never pay sponsorship costs. Sponsors must not charge you for your certificate of sponsorship or the Immigration Skills Charge.
• Be wary of calls or emails demanding fines. UK Visas and Immigration does not ask for payment by email or into a personal bank account, and UKCISA warns about fake “Home Office” callers demanding fines.
• Get advice from the right people. For advice on your own situation, use your university’s international student advice team or a regulated immigration adviser.

If you are a parent supporting a son or daughter from abroad, read our guide for international parents.