🛂 Resource
UK Visa Guide for International Graduates
The visa routes that matter for your job search, in plain English.
Last updated: 11 June 2026
Important: This guide is general information based on published UKVI rules, not immigration advice. Rules and salary thresholds change. Always confirm details on GOV.UK or with your university's international student office or an OISC-regulated adviser.
In this guide
1. Student visa — working while you study
If you're on a Student (formerly Tier 4) visa at degree level with a licensed sponsor, you can usually work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during official vacation periods and after your course officially ends.
- The 20-hour cap applies to every week of term, including reading weeks. It's a hard limit, not an average.
- Self-employment and freelancing are prohibited — no sole-trader work, no gig platforms that engage you as self-employed, no running your own company.
- Your university defines official term and vacation dates — get them in writing before taking on extra hours.
- Breaching work conditions can lead to visa curtailment and future refusals, and employers report hours through right-to-work checks.
2. Graduate route — your 2-year window
The Graduate visa gives you 2 years (3 for PhD graduates) of almost unrestricted work after successfully completing your degree.
- No sponsorship needed, no minimum salary, no hour limits.
- You can be employed, self-employed, or freelance, and switch jobs freely.
- It cannot be extended. Treat it as a runway to land a role with a Skilled Worker sponsor.
- You must apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires, and your university must have reported your successful completion.
💡 Strategy: start targeting sponsor-licensed employers 9–12 months before your Graduate visa expires. Switching takes time — a job offer, a Certificate of Sponsorship, and an application all have to happen before your expiry date. Use the visa countdown on your dashboard to stay on track.
3. Skilled Worker — the long-term route
The Skilled Worker visa is the main route to long-term work and eventual settlement. The essentials:
- Your employer must hold a Skilled Worker sponsor licence — check the official register before you invest time in an application.
- The role must meet the skill threshold (broadly RQF Level 3+, i.e. A-level equivalent or above) and the salary must meet the general threshold or the "going rate" for the occupation code, whichever is higher. Thresholds change — check current figures on GOV.UK.
- New entrants (including recent graduates and Graduate-visa holders) may qualify for reduced salary thresholds.
- The visa is tied to your sponsor. If you leave the job, you typically have a limited window to find a new sponsor or leave the UK.
4. Switching between routes
| From | To | Possible in-country? |
|---|---|---|
| Student | Graduate | Yes — after course completion is reported |
| Student | Skilled Worker | Yes — with a sponsored job offer |
| Graduate | Skilled Worker | Yes — the most common path |
| Graduate | Graduate (extension) | No — non-extendable |
5. Common mistakes to avoid
- Averaging hours across weeks on a Student visa — 25 hours one week and 15 the next is a breach.
- Assuming "sponsorship available" in a job ad means the employer is licensed — always verify on the register and get sponsorship confirmed in writing.
- Leaving the Skilled Worker switch too late — applications can't be granted after your current visa expires.
- Freelancing "on the side" while studying — even small paid gigs as self-employed breach Student visa conditions.
Not sure whether a specific job is allowed on your visa? Run it through our free Visa Eligibility Checker.
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