Graduate Route

Students, having completed a course of study, may wish to undertake paid employment but the immigration requirements to apply for Skilled Worker route is often out of reach for most graduates. This inflexibility is addressed by the (re-)introduction of the Graduate route within the immigration system. This route will become available from July 2021.

The Graduate route permits any type of work, at any skill level, except for professional sportspersons. The graduate does not need a job offer to apply for this status. This means it will be easier for graduates to enter the labour market and it will be much easier for employers to offer jobs to graduates if they are unable to sponsor Skilled Workers. Employers do not need to hold a Home Office sponsor licence to employ graduates within this route.

To be eligible for this route, the graduate must have completed their studies at an institution with a track record of immigration compliance. The graduate must have been awarded a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or certain professional qualifications like the LPC for lawyers or PGCE for teachers. The graduate must also have been in the UK for a minimum length of time, depending on the duration of the course and subject to exceptions for distance learning between January 2020 and September 2021.