What documents do I need for the UK Graduate visa?

Very few: a valid passport, the CAS reference number from your most recent Student visa, and your BRP or eVisa showing your current status. You don't submit a degree certificate, financial evidence, or English test — those were settled during your Student visa.

Do I need to prove I finished my degree?

No — you don't submit a degree certificate. Your university has a duty to notify UKVI when you successfully complete your course, and UKVI verifies completion directly with them. Your CAS reference links your application to that record.

Do I need to show money for the Graduate visa?

No. There is no maintenance or financial requirement for the Graduate route. You also don't need a job offer, a sponsor, or an English test, because all of that was proven for your Student visa.

Do I need an English test for the Graduate visa?

No. You met the English requirement during your Student visa, so it isn't re-tested. The Graduate route simply checks you completed an eligible course on a valid Student visa and are applying from inside the UK before it expires.

Do I need a TB test for the Graduate visa?

Almost never — you apply from inside the UK, and TB tests are only required for applications made from listed countries. It would only arise in the unusual case of applying from abroad, which most Graduate applicants cannot do.

UK Graduate Visa Documents 2026: The Short List

TL;DR

The Graduate visa is one of the lightest UK applications by document count. You need a valid passport, the CAS reference from your most recent Student visa, and your BRP or eVisa. No degree certificate, no financial evidence, no English test, no job offer — those were all settled when you got your Student visa.

The short list

#	Document	Notes
1	Passport	Current, plus any old passport with UK visas
2	CAS reference number	From your most recent Student visa application
3	BRP / eVisa	Proof of your current immigration status

That's the core of it. There's no maintenance requirement, no degree certificate to upload, and no English test.

1. Passport

Your current passport, and any previous passport that holds earlier UK visas or shows your immigration history.

2. CAS reference number

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference from your most recent Student visa. It links your Graduate application to the course record your university reported to UKVI. You don't upload the CAS document — just the number.

3. BRP or eVisa

Evidence of your current status — your biometric residence permit, or your eVisa share code if your status is digital. This confirms you're applying from inside the UK on a valid Student visa, which is a condition of the route.

Why so little?

The Graduate route is a reward for completing an eligible UK degree on a Student visa, so the things normally checked at application — funds, English, qualifications — were already proven. UKVI confirms your course completion directly with your university (they have a legal duty to report it), which is why you don't submit a degree certificate.

What's not required

❌ Degree certificate or transcript
❌ Financial / maintenance evidence
❌ English language test
❌ A job offer or sponsor
❌ A TB test (you apply from inside the UK)

The application, step by step

Because the document set is so small, most of the work is in sequence and timing rather than paperwork:

Finish your course. Sit your final assessments and pass.
Wait for your sponsor to report completion to UKVI. Universities have a legal duty to do this, but it can take days to weeks after results — confirm the timeline with your international student office.
Apply online from inside the UK before your Student visa expires. You'll pay the £880 fee and the IHS at this stage.
Verify your identity — most applicants use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to scan their BRP/passport; some are asked to attend a UKVCAS appointment to give biometrics.
Wait for the decision — usually around 8 weeks. You can stay in the UK and continue working under your existing conditions while you wait, as long as you applied before your Student visa expired.

Edge cases that trip people up

Your sponsor hasn't reported completion yet

You cannot apply until completion is reported. If your Student visa is close to expiring and results are delayed, contact your university urgently — they can sometimes expedite the report. Applying before completion is reported leads to refusal.

A gap between courses

If you changed courses or had a study gap, the Graduate route needs you to have completed the specific course your most recent Student visa was granted for, with no disqualifying break. Switching to a lower or unrelated course can affect eligibility.

You've already used the Graduate route

The Graduate visa is a once-only route. If you've held it before (or the old Doctorate Extension Scheme), you can't get it again — even after a further degree.

You're applying from outside the UK

In almost all cases you can't — the Graduate route requires you to apply from inside the UK on a valid Student visa. If you've already left, you generally cannot apply, which is why letting the Student visa lapse before applying is so costly.

Timing matters more than documents

The real constraint on the Graduate route isn't paperwork — it's timing. You must apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires, and your university must have reported your course completion. Don't let the Student visa lapse first. For how long the resulting visa lasts and the January 2027 change, see Graduate visa duration changes.

Can I work and travel while it's pending?

Once you've applied before your Student visa expired, you're covered by Section 3C leave while you wait — which means:

You can keep working under your existing Student visa conditions (so the 20-hours-a-week term-time limit still applies until your Graduate visa is granted)
You shouldn't travel outside the UK while the application is pending — leaving usually withdraws it, and you may not be able to re-enter to continue
Once granted, the Graduate visa's full work rights kick in (any job, any hours, self-employment)

So plan around staying in the UK from the day you apply until you have a decision — roughly 8 weeks. Don't book international travel in that window.

Making the light application count

The Graduate route's simplicity is its strength — but the clock is the catch. Because the visa can't be extended and its time doesn't count toward settlement, the smart move is to treat the application as a formality and put your energy into the switch plan:

Apply for the Graduate visa as soon as completion is reported — don't sit on it
Start hunting for a licensed-sponsor role immediately (ideally before you graduate)
Aim to switch to Skilled Worker with months to spare, using the £30,960 new-entrant threshold
Note the January 2027 cut to 18 months for Bachelor's/Master's grants — see duration changes

Even with a short bundle, the Bundler gives you a tidy cover sheet and index a caseworker can clear in seconds. Run the checklist generator to confirm nothing applies to your specific case, or return to the Graduate visa guide.