The UK Graduate Route is shrinking to 18 months.
From 1 January 2027, the Graduate visa drops from 2 years to 18 months for bachelor's and master's graduates. PhD graduates keep 3 years. If you apply on or before 31 December 2026, you keep the current 2 years. This was made law in the October 2025 Statement of Changes. Last verified 28 June 2026.
2 years -> 18 months (non-PhD)
Bachelor's and master's graduates who apply from 1 January 2027 get 18 months on the Graduate Route, down from 2 years.
PhD graduates keep 3 years
PhD and other doctoral graduates are unaffected and continue to receive 3 years on the Graduate Route.
Apply by 31 Dec 2026 to keep 2 years
Apply for the Graduate visa on or before 31 December 2026 and you keep the current 2 years (3 years for PhD). The shorter window applies to applications from 1 January 2027 onward.
It is already law
Proposed in the immigration white paper (May 2025) and implemented by the Statement of Changes on 14 October 2025. The stated aim is to move graduates into skilled work faster.
What the shorter window means for you
A shorter Graduate Route means less runway to find an employer who will sponsor you onto a Skilled Worker visa, and a real deadline that falls earlier than your visa's expiry date (an in-country switch must be submitted before the Graduate visa ends). The response is not to apply to more jobs, but to apply to the right ones: roles with a licensed sponsor, at a salary that clears your visa threshold. Work back your switch deadline with the deadline calculator, and read the Graduate-to-Skilled-Worker switch guide.
Questions, answered
Is the Graduate Route really being cut to 18 months?+
Yes. The 2025 immigration white paper proposed it and the Statement of Changes published on 14 October 2025 made it law. For applications made from 1 January 2027, the Graduate visa lasts 18 months for bachelor's and master's graduates. PhD and other doctoral graduates keep 3 years.
When does the change take effect?+
It applies to Graduate visa applications made on or after 1 January 2027. If you apply on or before 31 December 2026, you keep the current 2 years (3 years for PhD graduates).
Do PhD graduates lose any time?+
No. PhD and other doctoral graduates continue to get 3 years on the Graduate Route, before and after the change.
I'm already on a Graduate visa - am I affected?+
No. The change applies to new applications from 1 January 2027. If your Graduate visa is already granted, its length does not change.
What should I do about it now?+
If you are eligible, applying for the Graduate visa on or before 31 December 2026 secures the full 2 years. Whatever your window, the shorter runway makes it more important to target employers who can sponsor you and to work back from your visa expiry. Prometrix's deadline calculator does the maths for you.
Plain-English summary, not legal advice. Rules and dates change; confirm the current position on gov.uk and with UKVI or a qualified adviser before you rely on them. Last verified 28 June 2026.
Sources
Don't waste the runway you have
Prometrix matches you only to roles where a visa is genuinely possible: it flags which employers hold a sponsor licence and whether the salary clears your threshold, so every application counts against the clock.