Graduate Visa Ending Soon? Your Realistic Options to Stay and Keep Working in the UK
If your Graduate visa is running out, your most realistic option to stay and keep working in the UK is to switch to a sponsored Skilled Worker visa before your current leave expires. The Graduate visa cannot be extended, so you either move onto another route (most often Skilled Worker) or you must leave the UK when it ends. The good news: you can apply to switch from inside the UK without going home first, as long as you have a job offer from a licensed sponsor.
This is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decisions turn on your exact circumstances, so for your own case speak to a regulated OISC adviser or an immigration solicitor.
- The Graduate visa cannot be extended — you must switch to another route or leave.
- The most common next step is the Skilled Worker visa, which needs a job with a licensed sponsor.
- You can apply to switch from inside the UK; you do not have to return to your home country.
- Standard Skilled Worker general salary threshold is £41,700/year (or the going rate for the job, if higher).
- A lower £33,400/year rate can apply if you qualify as a "new entrant" — which includes switching from a Graduate visa.
Why the Graduate visa is a one-time route
The Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 (dropping to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027), or 3 years if you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification. Crucially, it is a single, non-renewable route — once it ends, it is gone. You cannot apply for a second Graduate visa, and you cannot extend the one you have.
That makes planning ahead essential. Start exploring your options several months before your expiry date, because securing a sponsored job and gathering documents takes time.
Apply to switch before your Graduate visa expires. If your leave ends and you have no valid application in, you can become an overstayer, which can damage future applications. A previous overstay can also affect later citizenship — see criminal record or overstay and citizenship.
Option 1: Switch to a Skilled Worker visa (the main route)
This is the path most Graduate visa holders take. To qualify you generally need to:
- Have a job offer from a UK employer that holds a sponsor licence.
- Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from that employer.
- Work in an eligible occupation at the required skill level.
- Be paid at least the minimum salary: the higher of £41,700 per year or the published going rate for your specific job code.
Because you are already in the UK on a Graduate visa, you can apply to switch without leaving. The Skilled Worker route can also lead to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after a qualifying period, making it a genuine long-term path. For how settlement timelines work, see when should you apply for ILR.
The "new entrant" discount can help recent graduates
The full £41,700 threshold prices some early-career workers out — but switching from a Graduate visa is one of the conditions that can make you a "new entrant". New entrants can qualify on a reduced general threshold of £33,400 per year, and a reduced going rate (70% of the standard going rate for the job), whichever is higher.
This lower rate is time-limited: it typically applies for a combined maximum of around four years across relevant routes, after which you must meet the standard salary. Check your job's specific going rate on GOV.UK, because the going rate — not the headline figure — is often what actually decides whether you qualify.
Option 2: Other routes worth knowing about
Skilled Worker is the main route, but it is not the only one:
- Health and Care Worker visa — for eligible health and social care roles, with lower fees and a discounted healthcare surcharge.
- Global Talent visa — for people endorsed as leaders or potential leaders in academia, research, arts, or tech.
- Innovator Founder visa — for setting up an endorsed, innovative business.
- Family routes — if you have a British or settled partner, a partner visa may apply.
Each has its own rules and costs, so check eligibility carefully before committing.
Costs and timing to plan for
Skilled Worker applications involve an application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (around £1,035 per year), and proof you meet the salary and English requirements. Build these costs into your planning early. If your circumstances are complex — gaps in employment, salary near the threshold, or a previous overstay — get advice from a regulated adviser before you apply.
While you sort out your route, keep your wider UK journey on track. If British citizenship is your long-term goal, you can already prepare for the Life in the UK test with free Life in the UK practice.