United KingdomVisas Only Some UK Universities' Graduates Will Get 2-Year Post-Study Stays From 2027
The UK government will extend post-study Graduate visas back to two years from January 2027, but only for institutions deemed to have "strong labour market outcomes". Doctoral graduates get three years. How institutions qualify has not been announced.
International graduates of UK institutions will be able to stay and work for two years after their course instead of the planned 18 months, under a measure set out in the government's 2026 Autumn Budget, announced on 28 January. The longer visa will apply only to institutions judged to have "strong labour market outcomes", and the change is due to take effect from January 2027.
The move partly reverses a decision taken in May 2025 to cut the Graduate visa from two years to 18 months, a cut that had been due to start on 1 January 2027.
Key facts
- Graduate visa duration returns to two years from January 2027 for qualifying institutions.
- Graduates with a PhD or other doctoral qualification will be eligible for three years.
- Only institutions with "strong labour market outcomes" qualify — the measure has not been defined.
- The planned cut to 18 months, due on 1 January 2027, is partly reversed.
- The 'high potential individual' visa route is being expanded to the top 150 global institutions.
What is changing?
The Graduate visa, which allows graduates to remain in the UK and work after finishing their course, will last two years again rather than the 18 months announced in May 2025. The government says the measure is needed to ensure the immigration system "supports a dynamic labour market".
The government also announced an expansion of the 'high potential individual' visa route to the top 150 global institutions, part of what it describes as a drive to attract the world's best graduates to the UK.
Who gets the longer visa?
The two-year term will apply only to graduates of institutions described as having "strong labour market outcomes". Graduates with a PhD or other doctoral qualification will be able to stay for three years.
The Home Office and the Department for Education have not announced how "strong labour market outcomes" will be measured, so it is not yet clear which institutions or students will qualify.
When do the new rules start?
The extension takes effect from January 2027. The reduction to 18 months announced in May 2025 had been due to apply from 1 January 2027.
Staying in the UK after the visa ends
Anyone who wants to remain in the UK beyond the term of their Graduate visa must switch to another visa, such as the 'Skilled Worker' visa.
What this means for travellers
Students planning to study in the UK should check which institutions are covered before making plans, since the eligibility test has not yet been published. Graduates with doctoral qualifications can expect a three-year stay, while other graduates' stay depends on their institution's status.
Reaction to the plan has been mixed. Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern MBE welcomed the extension but said rules need to be stable and fair and that the details of eligibility and assessment still need to be worked out. Hollie Chandler of the Russell Group said avoiding the planned reduction for highly compliant universities would help protect the UK's reputation as a study destination. National Union of Students England president Favour Samuel said offering two years only to some universities adds confusion to the scheme, while Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute called it a "mini U-turn".
No further detail on eligibility has been announced. Any graduate wanting to stay beyond their visa term will need to move to another route such as the 'Skilled Worker' visa.