Everything Nepali graduates need to know about the Graduate Route visa, including eligibility, timelines and the upcoming 2027 changes.
The Graduate Route lets international students who have completed an eligible UK degree stay and work (or look for work) without needing a job offer or sponsor. For many Nepali students it is the bridge between studying and a longer-term work visa. The rules are under review, so check the official page before relying on any detail here.
Who can apply
- You must be in the UK on a Student visa when you apply.
- You must have successfully completed an eligible course at a UK higher education provider.
- Your education provider must have told the Home Office that you finished your course.
How long it lasts
The length now depends on when you apply, and there is a hard cutoff:
- Apply on or before 31 December 2026 - 2 years after a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
- Apply on or after 1 January 2027 - 18 months after a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
- PhD or other doctoral qualification - 3 years, whichever side of that date you apply.
This is why timing matters. If you finish your course in late 2026 and your university confirms your completion to the Home Office in time, applying before 31 December 2026 rather than in the new year is worth six months of extra permission. You must still be in the UK on your Student visa when you apply, so do not let it expire while you wait for results. Always confirm the current position on gov.uk/graduate-visa.
What you can and cannot do
- You can work in most jobs, be self-employed, and look for work.
- You cannot claim most public benefits, and the route cannot be extended or renewed.
- It does not count toward settlement. To stay longer you usually switch to a work visa such as Skilled Worker.
Cost
You pay an application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge for the full length of the visa - see our guide on the Immigration Health Surcharge. Exact fees change, so check the official page.
Planning ahead
Because the Graduate Route cannot be extended, plan your next step early: find employers who are licensed sponsors, understand Skilled Worker salary thresholds, and apply to switch before your Graduate visa expires. Confirm everything at gov.uk/graduate-visa.
Graduate Route ले योग्य बेलायती डिग्री पूरा गरेका अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विद्यार्थीहरूलाई जागिरको प्रस्ताव वा प्रायोजक (sponsor) नचाहिकनै बेलायतमा बसेर काम गर्न (वा काम खोज्न) अनुमति दिन्छ। धेरै नेपाली विद्यार्थीका लागि यो अध्ययन र दीर्घकालीन वर्क भिसाबीचको पुल हो। नियमहरू पुनरावलोकनमा भएकाले, यहाँको कुनै पनि विवरणमा भर पर्नुअघि आधिकारिक पृष्ठ जाँच्नुहोस्।
कसले आवेदन दिन सक्छ
- आवेदन दिँदा तपाईं बेलायतमा Student visa मा हुनुपर्छ।
- तपाईंले बेलायती उच्च शिक्षा प्रदायकमा योग्य कोर्स सफलतापूर्वक पूरा गरेको हुनुपर्छ।
- तपाईंले कोर्स पूरा गर्नुभएको कुरा तपाईंको शिक्षा प्रदायकले Home Office लाई जानकारी दिएको हुनुपर्छ।
यो कति समय रहन्छ
Graduate Route सामान्यतया स्नातक वा स्नातकोत्तर डिग्रीपछि २ वर्ष, र PhD पछि ३ वर्षका लागि प्रदान गरिन्छ। महत्त्वपूर्ण: सरकारले सुधारहरूको घोषणा गरेको छ र यसको अवधि वा सर्तहरू परिवर्तन हुन सक्छन् — यसैकारण २०२७ अघिको समय महत्त्वपूर्ण हुन्छ। सधैं gov.uk/graduate-visa मा वर्तमान अवधि पुष्टि गर्नुहोस्।
तपाईंले के गर्न सक्नुहुन्छ र के सक्नुहुन्न
- तपाईं अधिकांश जागिरमा काम गर्न, स्वरोजगार हुन, र काम खोज्न सक्नुहुन्छ।
- तपाईं अधिकांश सार्वजनिक भत्ता (public benefits) दाबी गर्न सक्नुहुन्न, र यो रुट थप्न (extend) वा नवीकरण गर्न सकिँदैन।
- यसले बसोबास (settlement) तर्फ गणना गर्दैन। लामो समय बस्न तपाईं सामान्यतया Skilled Worker जस्तो वर्क भिसामा स्विच गर्नुहुन्छ।
खर्च
तपाईं आवेदन शुल्कसँगै भिसाको पूरै अवधिका लागि Immigration Health Surcharge तिर्नुहुन्छ — हाम्रो Immigration Health Surcharge सम्बन्धी गाइड हेर्नुहोस्। ठ्याक्कै शुल्क परिवर्तन हुने भएकाले आधिकारिक पृष्ठ जाँच्नुहोस्।
अग्रिम योजना
Graduate Route थप्न नसकिने हुनाले, आफ्नो अर्को कदमको योजना चाँडै बनाउनुहोस्: लाइसेन्स प्राप्त प्रायोजक भएका रोजगारदाता खोज्नुहोस्, Skilled Worker को तलब सीमा बुझ्नुहोस्, र आफ्नो Graduate भिसाको म्याद सकिनुअघि स्विच गर्न आवेदन दिनुहोस्। सबै कुरा gov.uk/graduate-visa मा पुष्टि गर्नुहोस्।
