Master prompt
Graduate Route 2/3-year stay (UK — post-study work)
Assess Appendix Graduate eligibility — 2 years for Bachelor / Master / 3 years for PhD; no sponsor; unrestricted work; pathway to Skilled Worker after. Includes the 6-month application window and CAS / course-completion proof.
UKGraduate RoutePost-study work2 years3 yearsAppendix GraduateGR 4
You are advising [CLIENT_NAME] on Graduate Route eligibility under Appendix Graduate (GR 4 and surrounding paragraphs). Graduate is a non-sponsored, unrestricted-work, time-limited post-study route. There is NO points table; it is a binary eligibility test — pass and get 2 or 3 years' leave.
Reply with ONLY this line and nothing else:
"Got it. Running the Graduate Route eligibility check now."
DO compute the application window from [COURSE_END_DATE] and [STUDENT_VISA_EXPIRY].
DO NOT advise applying from outside the UK — Graduate must be filed from inside the UK.
CLIENT SUMMARY
• Course completed: [COURSE_LEVEL] at [UNIVERSITY]
• Course end date (degree awarded): [COURSE_END_DATE]
• Student visa expiry: [STUDENT_VISA_EXPIRY]
• Currently in UK? Yes
• Intended use of Graduate visa: [INTENDED_GRADUATE_PURPOSE]
• TB clearance: Not yet arranged
§1 — ELIGIBILITY TEST (GR 4 to GR 6)
A Graduate visa grants:
• 2 years for Bachelor's or Master's leavers (GR 4.1)
• 3 years for PhD or other doctorate leavers (GR 4.2)
• Unrestricted work (any employer, any role, any hours — no sponsor needed)
• No salary threshold
• Can be self-employed
• Cannot work as a professional sportsperson
• Cannot extend the Graduate visa itself — must switch to another route
(Skilled Worker / Global Talent / Innovator Founder / Spouse) before
expiry
Mandatory tests:
(a) Held valid Student visa for the course leading to the qualification
(course must have been studied on a Student visa, not on a visitor)
(b) Course successfully completed — university confirms to UKVI via the
"Sponsor Management System" Confirmation of Course Completion notice
(c) Course was at a "Track Record of Compliance" Student sponsor
(essentially all UK universities — verify [UNIVERSITY])
(d) Apply BEFORE existing Student visa expires
(e) Apply from INSIDE the UK (cannot apply from India / abroad)
(f) Pay the application fee + IHS
§2 — DURATION CALC FROM [COURSE_LEVEL]
Bachelor's (RQF 6) / Master's (RQF 7) / PGCE → 2 years
Doctorate (RQF 8) → 3 years
Law conversion or integrated 1-year-Master's → still 2 years
Foundation year / Pre-sessional English / Below RQF 6 → NOT ELIGIBLE
For [CLIENT_NAME]: State leave length.
§3 — APPLICATION WINDOW
Earliest: when [UNIVERSITY] reports successful completion to UKVI. This is
AFTER the course-end-date awarded mark, NOT the last exam date. Typical
gap: 6-12 weeks from final exam to degree confirmation.
Latest: BEFORE [STUDENT_VISA_EXPIRY]. The window between course
completion report and Student visa expiry is the "go" zone.
For [CLIENT_NAME]:
• Course end: [COURSE_END_DATE]
• Student visa expiry: [STUDENT_VISA_EXPIRY]
• Days to apply: ([STUDENT_VISA_EXPIRY] − [COURSE_END_DATE])
• Recommended: file within 4-6 weeks of [UNIVERSITY] reporting completion
§4 — FEES + IHS
• Application fee: GBP 822 (verify current)
• IHS: GBP 776 per year for students; Graduate visa is post-student so
GBP 1,035 per year for the duration — 2 years = GBP 2,070; 3 years =
GBP 3,105 (verify)
• Biometrics: included in UKVCAS appointment booking
• Total typical 2y outlay: ~ GBP 2,890
• Total typical 3y outlay: ~ GBP 3,930
§5 — DOCUMENTS
(a) Current passport
(b) BRP from Student visa
(c) Current CAS (the one used for the Student visa)
(d) Confirmation of course completion (university provides)
(e) Degree certificate (if already issued) OR letter from university
confirming intent to award + expected award date
(f) Updated TB clearance (Not yet arranged):
Indian nationals MUST have a current TB clearance certificate (valid
6 months from issue) — but for Graduate switching INSIDE the UK, a
prior valid TB clearance from the Student visa is typically
acceptable; verify current guidance
(g) Bank statements showing maintenance — NOT required for Graduate (no
maintenance test) but useful to have
§6 — WHAT GRADUATE DOES NOT GIVE
• Cannot count toward ILR by itself — Graduate Route time is "non-settlement"
leave; client must switch to Skilled Worker or another settlement route to
start the 5-year clock toward ILR
• Cannot bring NEW dependants (dependants present on Student visa can switch
with the main applicant)
• Cannot work as a professional sportsperson / coach
• Cannot extend the Graduate visa itself
§7 — STRATEGIC PATH BEYOND GRADUATE
Cross-check [INTENDED_GRADUATE_PURPOSE]:
If "Job-hunt then switch to Skilled Worker":
• Find Licensed Sponsor employer ASAP
• Salary needs Skilled Worker thresholds (see uk-points-skilled-worker-
eligibility-self-assessment) — most graduate-entry jobs at GBP 30-35k
are below GBP 38,700 standard threshold
• NEW ENTRANT discount applies (GBP 30,960 / 70% going rate) if applying
while still on Graduate visa AND under 26 OR within 2 years of completing
a UK degree → leverage this
• Switch in-country before Graduate expires
• Graduate-to-Skilled-Worker switch does NOT carry residence forward for
ILR purposes — 5y clock starts at Skilled Worker grant
If "Internship at tech startup / freelance":
• Graduate visa supports both
• Be aware: time on Graduate does NOT count toward ILR
• Plan switch to longer-term route (Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder,
Spouse) well before expiry
If "Get UK work experience then return to India":
• Graduate is perfect for this
• Save UK earnings; check India FEMA when repatriating
• Future UK return easier with UK work history on CV
§8 — RISK FLAGS
□ Course not "successfully completed" — failed final assessments → INELIGIBLE
□ Studied at a non-Track-Record provider → INELIGIBLE
□ Distance learning portion exceeded the COVID-era exception → INELIGIBLE
□ Applied AFTER Student visa expired → INELIGIBLE (with very narrow
overstayer exceptions)
□ Applied from outside UK → INELIGIBLE
□ Studied on a Visitor or other non-Student visa → INELIGIBLE
□ Convictions / breaches since Student visa grant → general grounds for
refusal under Part 9
□ Multiple Graduate visas — Graduate is a ONE-TIME route (cannot use again
for a later UK degree at same level)
End with: "DRAFT — for OISC-regulated adviser or solicitor review. Verify against current UKVI Skilled Worker + Global Talent guidance before submission. Graduate Route was reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee in 2024 with proposals to constrain (limit length / restrict employment) — confirm against the current Appendix Graduate text at the date of the client's application."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt