Does the change affect PhD graduates?

No. PhD and other doctoral qualification graduates continue to receive 3 years of Graduate visa leave. The reduction only affects Bachelor's and Master's graduates.

When exactly does the change apply?

Applications submitted on or before 31 December 2026 receive the current 2-year duration. Applications submitted from 1 January 2027 onwards receive 18 months. The trigger date is your application submission, not your course end date or Student visa end date.

Should I apply earlier than planned?

If you're due to complete your course in late 2026 or early 2027, applying for Graduate visa before 31 December 2026 locks in the longer 2-year duration. Talk to your university about course-completion timing if you have flexibility.

Graduate Visa Duration Cut to 18 Months from January 2027

TL;DR

The UK Graduate visa duration drops from 2 years to 18 months for Bachelor's and Master's graduates whose applications are submitted from 1 January 2027 onwards. PhD graduates continue to get 3 years. Apply by 31 December 2026 to lock in the longer duration if you have any flexibility on course completion timing.

What's changing

Qualification	Until 31 Dec 2026	From 1 Jan 2027
Bachelor's degree	2 years	18 months
Master's degree	2 years	18 months
PhD or doctoral qualification	3 years	3 years (unchanged)

The application fee (£880) and IHS rate (£1,035/year) are not changing — the cost reduction simply reflects fewer years of IHS for the shorter visa. A 2027 application costs ~£2,433 vs ~£2,950 for a 2026 one.

Why the change

The May 2024 immigration white paper announced a series of measures to reduce net migration, including this Graduate visa duration cut. The rationale (from the Home Office) was to refocus the post-study route on graduates entering UK skilled employment quickly, rather than as a 2-year flexible work / search period.

In practice, the change means:

Less time to find a Skilled Worker sponsor before switching is required
More pressure on graduates to convert quickly after course completion
Fewer Bachelor's/Master's graduates expected to remain long-term

Trigger date

The 18-month duration applies based on the application submission date — not the course end date or Student visa end date.

Submit Graduate application on or before 31 December 2026: 2-year duration
Submit on or after 1 January 2027: 18-month duration

This means:

A student finishing their course in November 2026 should apply for Graduate visa before 31 December 2026 (well within their Student visa window)
A student finishing in February 2027 will be in the 18-month window regardless of when they apply
Students with course-end flexibility in early 2027 may benefit from earlier completion

Who benefits from earlier application

You can lock in the 2-year duration if:

Your Student visa is still valid in late 2026 (so you can apply in-country)
Your course is complete or near-complete by then (sponsor has confirmed completion to UKVI)
You can submit before 31 December 2026

Students with academic flexibility (final dissertation submission window, optional retake periods) may want to discuss timing with their academic supervisor to optimise around the cut-off.

Cost difference

The £880 application fee is the same regardless of duration. The IHS difference:

2-year visa: £1,035 × 2 = £2,070 IHS
18-month visa: £1,035 × 1.5 = £1,553 IHS

So the shorter visa costs £517 less in IHS — a real benefit for those who can't apply before the cut-off.

What to do practically

If you're a current Student visa holder finishing late 2026

Plan to apply for Graduate visa as soon as your sponsor confirms completion
Don't delay — the 31 December 2026 cut-off is firm
Consider Priority Service (£500) if your application is close to the cut-off

If you're starting a course in 2026

Your course completion will likely be 2027 or later
You'll be in the 18-month duration window
Plan your career path with this shorter window in mind — switch to Skilled Worker quickly

If you're a PhD student

No change for you — 3 years remains
Continue with your existing plans

Switching to Skilled Worker becomes more important

With the shorter Graduate visa window, switching to Skilled Worker becomes more time-critical:

18 months on Graduate is roughly 3-4 months less than the average time international graduates spend job-searching for sponsored roles
Many will need to apply for Skilled Worker switching while still in their first year of Graduate visa
See our Graduate to Skilled Worker switch guide

The new-entrant reduced salary threshold (£30,960) for switching from Graduate remains — this isn't changing. Graduate-to-Skilled-Worker switches will continue to be the most common transition for international students.