UK Graduate Route Cut to 18 Months: Who Is Affected and From When
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jun 19, 2026 • Education News & Policy
The UK Graduate Route drops from 2 years to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027. PhD graduates keep the full 3-year period.
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The cut applies by visa application date, not your course start date or completion date.
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Apply for the Graduate visa before 1 January 2027 and you still get 24 months.
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Bachelor's and master's graduates lose 6 months of post-study work time.
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Doctoral graduates keep 3 years, unchanged by this reform.
What is changing
The UK Graduate Route lets international students stay and work after finishing their degree without needing a job offer first. From 1 January 2027, the standard length of this visa drops from 2 years to 18 months for bachelor's and master's graduates, under the UK government's May 2025 immigration white paper (gov.uk ).
The cut is set by UKCISA as applying to when you submit your Graduate Route application, not when you start or finish your course. If you apply for the Graduate visa on or after 1 January 2027, you get 18 months. If you apply before that date, you still get the full 24 months under the current rules.
Who keeps the current 2-year length
Any student who completes a bachelor's or master's degree and submits their Graduate Route application before 1 January 2027 receives the existing 24-month permission. This means students finishing their degree in mid or late 2026 who apply promptly after graduation are not affected by the shorter term, since their application falls before the cutoff.
Students who delay their application past 1 January 2027, for any reason, fall under the new 18-month rule even if they graduated earlier.
Who gets 18 months
Bachelor's degree graduates applying for the Graduate visa on or after 1 January 2027.
Master's degree graduates applying for the Graduate visa on or after 1 January 2027.
Who is unaffected: PhD students
Graduates who complete a PhD or other doctoral qualification keep the 3-year Graduate Route permission. This part of the route is unchanged by the reform, according to UKCISA .
Why this matters for ASEAN students weighing a UK offer
If you are comparing a UK master's offer against other destinations, the 18-month post-study window (versus the current 24 months) changes how much time you have to find sponsored work before your permission expires. A shorter Graduate Route means less runway to secure a Skilled Worker sponsor, so plan your job search earlier in your final year rather than after graduation.
Students from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other ASEAN countries who plan to start a UK master's in 2026 and finish around mid to late 2027 should check the exact date they intend to submit their Graduate Route application, since that date, not their graduation date, decides which rule applies to them.
Other rule affecting your budget
Alongside the Graduate Route change, the UK raised the Student Route financial maintenance requirement from 11 November 2025: £1,529 per month for study in London and £1,171 per month for study outside London, for a maximum of 9 months, according to UKCISA . Factor this into your proof-of-funds planning alongside the shorter post-study window.