Graduate Immigration Route

The Graduate Immigration Route Visa

The Graduate Immigration route allows you to apply for a visa to remain in the UK for two years after successfully completing your studies to undertake work. If you successfully complete a PhD you will be granted a three year visa to undertake work.

If you successfully apply for this visa you will be able to undertake any work at any skill level, with the exception of being a professional sportsperson or coach.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions 

We have provided answers below to a range of frequently asked questions regarding the Graduate Route Immigration Visa. If you have any further questions please contact the International Advice team by email at internationaladvice@lincoln.ac.uk.

What Do I Need to Do to Apply?

In order to meet the academic requirements of the Graduate Route, the University must have confirmed to the Home Office that you have ‘successfully completed’ your course. Please refer to the ‘Will I be eligible to apply?’ section for further information about what this means.

In most cases, if you meet this academic requirement the University will report this to the Home Office within two weeks of your final results being released, following a Board of Examiners. If you are unsure when you may receive your final results please contact your School.

The University will inform you once this report has been made to the Home Office and it is at this point that you can submit your application to the Home Office. You can submit your application via the UK government webpage.

If your visa will expire within two weeks of your results being released please email GIRVisa@lincoln.ac.uk to inform us of this and we may be able to make an early report. If you do not hear from us before your visa will expire you should still submit the Graduate Route application before your visa expires.

For further information please refer to the Graduate Route section (page 6) of the CAS Issuance Policy. 

How Much Will It Cost?

The application fee will be £822 and an Immigration Health Surcharge Payment will also be required. The Immigration Health Surcharge Payment due will be £1,035 x per year of permission that you will be granted. Subject to change, for latest information on the cost please refer to Graduate visa: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Will I Be Eligible to Apply?
  • You must be in the UK at the point of applying
  • You must hold Tier 4 or Student Visa leave that has not expired at the point of applying (with the exception of leave granted under the Doctorate Extension Scheme where you would not be eligible)
  • You must have successfully completed the course for which your original CAS was assigned, or a course that you have transferred to. Your course must be at degree level or above.
  • You must have permission from your financial sponsor (if you are sponsored by a government sponsor or an international scholarship agency)
  • If your course is longer than 12 months, you must have spent at least the last 12 months studying your course from inside the UK 
  • If your course 12 months or less, you must have spent the full duration of your course in the UK.
  • You must have paid your tuition fees in full, including any outstanding debts. This is in line with Part A, A.4.F.13 of the University General Regulations. The University will not confirm that you meet the academic requirement to the Home Office if you have outstanding tuition fee debt. If you wish to discuss how to pay your tuition fees or set up a payment plan please email payments@lincoln.ac.uk.
  • Please be aware that if you have resits to complete and these affect the original course end date on your CAS, this may affect your eligibility for the Graduate Route visa. Please email internationaladvice@lincoln.ac.uk if you have any questions.