UK Graduate Route Cut to 18 Months from January 2027: What Pakistani Students Should Do in 2026
Thousands of Pakistani students finish UK degrees every year and stay on under the Graduate Route — the post-study work visa that needs no job offer and no employer sponsorship. That route is being shortened. Under the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published on 14 October 2025, most non-doctoral graduates who apply on or after 1 January 2027 will get 18 months instead of two years. Anyone who applies on or before 31 December 2026 still gets the full two years.
What exactly is changing
The Graduate Route currently gives bachelor’s and master’s graduates two years of unsponsored permission to work, look for work or be self-employed in the UK. From 1 January 2027 that drops to 18 months. PhD and other doctoral graduates are not affected — they keep three years. The change came out of the UK government’s May 2025 immigration white paper, Restoring control over the immigration system, which framed the route as a short bridge into sponsored skilled employment rather than a long-term work visa.
Why 31 December 2026 is the date to plan around
The length of your visa is fixed by the date you submit the application, not by your graduation date. If your results are confirmed and your university has notified the Home Office of your course completion before the end of December 2026, applying in 2026 rather than waiting into January 2027 is worth a full six extra months of permission — six more months to find a sponsoring employer and switch onto the Skilled Worker visa. Students on courses ending in late 2026 should be checking with their university’s international office now about when completion will be reported.
What it costs
The Graduate visa application fee is around £937, plus an Immigration Health Surcharge of roughly £1,035 per year of the visa, paid upfront in full. That is roughly £3,000 for a two-year grant and about £4,000 for a three-year doctoral one. An 18-month grant carries a lower surcharge but the same application fee — so the shorter visa is poorer value per month. Fees are non-refundable once biometrics are submitted and UKVI revises them periodically, so confirm current figures on GOV.UK before paying.
Who can apply
- You currently hold, or last held, Student or Tier 4 (General) permission.
- You have successfully completed an eligible UK course — and your education provider has notified the Home Office of that completion.
- You meet the Study in the UK requirement (most of the course was studied in the UK).
- You are physically inside the UK when you apply.
- You have not used the Graduate Route before.
There is no job offer, Certificate of Sponsorship or minimum salary to satisfy, and no English test at this stage. Graduate visa holders have no access to public funds, and the route cannot be extended — you must switch to another category, such as Skilled Worker, to stay longer.
If you have not started yet
For Pakistani students still at the application stage, the UK student visa is the entry point, and financial evidence is where most refusals happen. Maintenance funds must sit in your own or a parent’s account for 28 consecutive days, with a closing balance dated within 31 days of applying. A parent sponsor also needs a signed sponsorship letter and proof of relationship — usually a NADRA family registration certificate. Academic documents normally need HEC and MOFA attestation, and permission is now issued as a digital eVisa in a UKVI account. Check the current per-month maintenance figure for your course location on GOV.UK before you apply.
What to do now
If you are due to complete in 2026: confirm your completion-reporting date with your university, budget for the fee and surcharge, and apply before 31 December. If you complete in 2027, plan around 18 months — start job-hunting for sponsored roles during your final term rather than after graduation. And if you are still applying from Pakistan, get your documents, attestations and 28-day bank history in order early. See our full list of visa services for where we can help.
Hijrat helps Pakistani students with UK student visa files, financial documentation, HEC/IBCC/MOFA attestation and certified translations — from our Aabpara office in Islamabad, serving Rawalpindi and overseas Pakistanis. Fees always itemised before you pay.
UK immigration rules and fees change frequently and every decision rests with the UK Home Office. This article reflects information available on the date of publication — always confirm current requirements on GOV.UK or with Hijrat before applying.