Working after studies

You must ensure you apply from within the UK before your Tier 4 or Student visa expires. 

A valid application will require you to:

• Complete the online application form
• Pay the £822 application fee
• Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year
• Either use the UKVI ID Check app or enrol your biometrics at UKVCAS centre

A valid application will require the University of Surrey to:

• Report to the UKVI that you have successfully completed your course before you submit your visa application

If you apply for the Graduate Route before the university has confirmed to the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course, your application may be delayed or even refused

You must provide the following supporting evidence with your application:

• A valid passport
• A copy of your current BRP
• If you are currently, or have in the last 12 months, been receiving official financial sponsorship for example a scholarship or stipend from your government or an International Scholarship Agency then you must provide a letter from your sponsor confirming they are happy for you to apply to the Graduate Route after completing your studies. Money received from either the University of Surrey in the form of a scholarship or from your parents does not count as official financial sponsorship and therefore you will not need to provide evidence of this. 

You are not required to provide any financial evidence with your application, however please ensure that you have enough money to cover your living costs while you look for work.

You can view our guide to completing the application form. You will need to use your University of Surrey login details to access the document.   

Your dependants can apply under the Graduate Route, but only if they are currently in the UK as a dependant on your Tier 4 or Student visa. 

Each dependant is also required to pay the visa application and IHS fee. You will need to provide evidence to prove your relationship and that you will live together during your time in the UK.

As the holder of a Graduate Route visa you can:

• Work including self-employment and voluntary work
• Study, except study with an education provider which is a Student sponsor (like the University of Surrey), and which would meet the approved qualification and level of study requirements of the Student route. This means if you wish to begin a new full-time course at Surrey then you would need a new Student visa.

As the holder of a Graduate Route visa you cannot:

• Receive public funds, for example benefits
• Work as a professional sportsperson
• Extend your Graduate visa. This visa is a one time only offer, if you wish to stay in the UK beyond the 2/3 years granted you would need to apply for another type of visa before your Graduate visa expires.

As the dependent of a Graduate Route visa holder:

• All the same conditions apply with the exception that you can undertake any form of study.

The UKVI recently changed its rules so that any student who submitted an application on or after 6 April 2022 will be eligible to begin work under the above conditions while their application is being processed. 

The International Student Advice team host a series of webinars with more information about the Graduate Route including detailed information about the timeline for applying and the application process itself.

Dates:

• Tuesday 12 November 2pm
• Monday 25th November 12 noon
• Wednesday 11 December 11am

Book your place via our Graduate Route Webinar form.

Further information on the Graduate Route is on the UKCISA pages.

Changes to a course that are permitted under the Student visa route will not disqualify an applicant from being granted a Graduate Route visa. Please note that the University of Surrey would only ever approve a change to your course that would be permitted under the Student visa route. Therefore, if your course change is approved and you successfully complete your course, you will be eligible to apply to the Graduate Route.

You can use your current Student Visa to travel outside the UK between your course end date and the date you apply to the Graduate Route. However, you must return to the UK to submit the application before your Student visa expires.

The only exception to this is where you are completing your studies earlier than the end date on your original CAS/visa, for example if you originally enrolled on a course with a PTY but later opted not to do a placement. Students who complete earlier than their original end date will be reported to the Home Office as early finishers. The Home Office will then take steps to curtail (cancel) your current visa and you will no longer be able to use it to re-enter the UK. Therefore, we strongly advise any student who is an early finisher and wishes to move onto the Graduate Route not to travel after they complete their course and instead wait until they are granted their new Graduate Route visa before leaving the UK.

For all students, once you have submitted your application you should not travel until you have received a decision. Leaving the UK while you have a pending visa application will result in that application being automatically cancelled.

The UKVI recently changed its rules so that any student who submitted an application on or after 6 April 2022 will be eligible to begin work under the above conditions while their application is being processed i.e. before they receive a decision. 

Students must be awarded their degree before their current Tier 4/Student Visa expires in order to be eligible for the Graduate Route (as well as meeting all other criteria as detailed above). If submitting an EC, taking re-sits or using the LSA means that you will not receive your final marks before your current visa expires then you will not be eligible for the Graduate Route.

See feedback and results for further information on when you can expect to be awarded as well as contact details for your Academic Hive should you have further questions about when you will receive your final results.

As per the University’s policy on students who are subject to immigration control, where your award date comes after your visa expiry date, the University is unable to issue a new CAS in order for you to extend your visa for the sole purpose of applying to the Graduate Route. New CAS will only be issued where a student will remain engaged with their studies beyond the expiry of their current visa and in line with the CAS issuing policy. See the polices page for more information.

The University will report your successful course completion to UKVI within five working days of your award date. You will then be notified once this report has been made and, from that point onwards, you will be free to apply for a Graduate route visa provided your Student visa is still valid.

The Skilled Worker Visa is part of the UK's Points Based Immigration System. To be granted the visa your must be awarded 70 points

Mandatory categories

• 20 points – have a job offer from an approved sponsor
• 20 points – the offer must be for a suitable job
• 10 points – speak English at the required level – if you have completed your degree at the University of Surrey then you will meet this requirement.

Total 50 points

Optional/tradable categories

The final 20 points need to be obtained from any of or a combination of the following categories: 

• 10 or 20 points – for finding a job with an appropriate annual salary. The level of salary you are required to reach depends upon the job in question whether it is on the shortage occupation list and whether you are classed as a 'new entrant' at the point of application
• 20 points – a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job
• 10 points – any other PhD in a subject relevant to the job.

Documents

When you apply you’ll also need to submit the following documents: 

• Your certificate of sponsorship (CoS) reference number - your employer will give you this
• Proof of your knowledge of English e.g. your Surrey degree certificate
• A valid passport.

Depending on your circumstances you might also need:

• Evidence that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK
• Proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you
• Your tuberculosis test results
• A criminal record certificate - if you’re working in certain jobs.

Further information is available via the UKCISA website.

If you are applying for a job with the University of Surrey, please email the Human Resources team for further assistance with your application hroperations@surrey.ac.uk