Two years of post-study work — here is how to make the most of the Graduate Route.
The Graduate Route gives international students who complete a UK degree the right to live and work in the UK for two years after graduation (three years for PhD holders) — no sponsorship, no job offer required, and no restriction on the type of work you take.
What makes it valuable isn't just the visa itself, it's the flexibility. Because the Graduate Route isn't tied to a specific employer, graduates can use the two years to build genuine UK work experience, save toward a Skilled Worker sponsorship, or simply test a few employers before committing to a long-term route.
The route is also remarkably low-friction to apply for: it's an in-country switch from your Student visa, decided in a matter of weeks rather than months, and it doesn't require the financial evidence a fresh Student visa does.
We build the Graduate Route into every UK study plan from the outset — which one-year master's programmes maximise it, and how to spend the two years so it converts into a longer-term UK career rather than just a working holiday.
