How to Switch from Graduate Visa to Skilled Worker in 2026

TL;DR

To switch from Graduate to Skilled Worker: get a job offer from a licensed sponsor, receive your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), apply on form FLR(IM) from inside the UK while your Graduate visa is still valid. The new-entrant reduced salary threshold of £30,960 applies for up to 4 years. Time on Graduate doesn't count toward the 5 years needed for ILR — only Skilled Worker time does.

Who can switch

You can switch from Graduate to Skilled Worker if all of these are true:

1. Your Graduate visa is currently valid (not expired)
2. You hold a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a UK employer with a Skilled Worker sponsor licence
3. The role meets Skilled Worker eligibility — eligible occupation code, salary at or above threshold
4. You meet the English language requirement (already proven during Student visa, carries over)
5. You can show maintenance funds (£1,270 for 28 consecutive days) — unless the sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS

Salary thresholds

The Home Office created reduced salary thresholds for "new entrants" — graduates and other early-career applicants:

Always check the going rate for your specific SOC code — for many roles it exceeds the general minimum.

Step-by-step process

Step 1 — Get a job offer

Find a UK employer with a Skilled Worker sponsor licence. The official register of sponsors is published by the Home Office and updated daily — but it's a raw list of every licensee, not a filter for who's actively hiring. Our sister site Tarve filters that register down to currently-hiring sponsoring employers by role and location, which is usually a faster start. Filter for the Worker route specifically (not just Student or Temporary Worker).

The role must be:

• On an eligible SOC code for Skilled Worker
• At or above the applicable salary threshold
• A genuine vacancy (not created to facilitate immigration)

Step 2 — Receive your CoS

Once the employer commits, they assign your Certificate of Sponsorship in the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). You receive the 14-digit reference number by email.

The CoS contains your role, salary, SOC code, sponsor licence number, and start date — all of which UKVI checks against your application.

CoS is valid for 3 months from assignment.

Step 3 — Prepare documents

For a switch from Graduate, you typically need:

• Valid passport
• Current BRP (your Graduate visa)
• CoS reference number
• Maintenance funds bank statement (28 consecutive days at £1,270+, ending no more than 31 days before application) — unless the sponsor certifies on the CoS
• Employer letter confirming role, salary, start date

You don't need a new English language test — your Student-era certificate carries over.

Step 4 — Apply

Apply online at gov.uk on form FLR(IM) for in-country switching. Pay the visa fee (£827-£1,636 depending on visa length) plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035 per year of leave granted).

Book a UKVCAS biometric appointment. Upload supporting documents through the UKVCAS portal.

Step 5 — Wait for decision

Standard processing for in-country Skilled Worker switching is 8 weeks. Priority service (£500) cuts this to 5 working days; super-priority (£1,000) is next-working-day after biometrics.

You're on Section 3C leave during processing — your Graduate visa conditions continue, you can keep working in your existing role (if any), but you should not travel outside the UK.

Step 6 — Decision

If granted, your eVisa appears in your gov.uk View and Prove account. Your new immigration conditions begin from the decision date — you can start the new sponsored role.

Timing tips

• Don't wait until the last month of your Graduate visa — biometric appointments may not be available, and processing can run beyond standard times
• Apply 3-4 months before Graduate visa expiry to give yourself buffer
• Start job-hunting 6-12 months before Graduate visa expiry — UK hiring takes time, and Skilled Worker sponsoring employers are a subset of all employers

What if I don't switch in time?

If your Graduate visa expires without a Skilled Worker (or other route) in place:

• You must leave the UK before expiry
• You cannot extend the Graduate visa — it's a single grant
• You can apply for Skilled Worker from outside the UK later if you secure a sponsored role
• Overstaying triggers re-entry bans — 1 year for short overstays, 10 years for longer

Time on Graduate doesn't count toward ILR

Important: Time on the Graduate visa does not count toward the 5 years of continuous lawful residence needed for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the Skilled Worker route.

If you're on Graduate for 2 years, then switch to Skilled Worker for 5 years, you'll be at year 5 of Skilled Worker (year 7 in the UK) when you can apply for ILR. The 2 Graduate years are essentially "bridging" time, not qualifying time.

This is why many graduates aim to switch to Skilled Worker as soon as possible after graduation rather than using all 2 (or 18 months from 2027) of their Graduate visa.

Documents to prepare

For the small switch bundle:

1. Valid passport
2. Current BRP / eVisa screenshot
3. Bank statement showing 28 consecutive days at £1,270+ (or sponsor maintenance certification noted)
4. Employer offer letter and contract
5. CoS reference (entered in application form, not bundled)

Use our Bundler to merge in canonical UKVI order. Run the Checklist generator to confirm exactly what your specific switch needs.