UK Student Visa and Graduate Visa: A Complete Legal Guide

Written By Bill Zahr | Last Updated 16 June 2026

Eligibility

To qualify under Appendix Student, applicants must meet the validity, suitability, academic and English language requirements.

Educational Institutions

Study must take place at an institution holding a valid Student Sponsor Licence. Sponsors must meet ongoing compliance duties.

Financial Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient funds to cover tuition fees and living costs for the required period.

Application Process

Applicants must complete an online visa application, submit biometric information, pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, and provide all required supporting documents.

What Is the UK Student Visa? The Replacement for Tier 4

The UK Student visa, formally the Student Route under Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules, is the main immigration route for non-UK nationals wishing to study at a licensed student sponsor institution in the United Kingdom. It was introduced as part of the post-Brexit immigration system and replaced the previous Tier 4 (General) Student visa. If you encounter references to a Tier 4 student visa in older guidance or university materials, this is the same route under its former name.

The Student Route covers a wide range of study purposes including undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, doctoral research programmes, foundation and pathway courses, English language courses, and approved professional qualifications. All study must take place at an institution holding a valid Student Sponsor licence issued by the Home Office.

Eligibility Requirements Under Appendix Student

Validity Requirements: What Must Be Met Before the Application Is Assessed

For a Student visa application to be considered at all, the following formal validity requirements must be satisfied. If any of these are not met, the application may be rejected without examination of the substantive rules, this is a rejection, not a refusal, and the fee is not refunded in all cases.

Correct application form. The online Student visa application form must be used.

Application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge paid. Both must be paid at the point of submission.

Biometrics enrolled. An appointment at a Visa Application Centre or Service and Support Centre must be attended.

Valid CAS assigned. A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from a licensed Student Sponsor must be in place.

Age requirement met. The applicant must be 16 or over. Applicants aged 16 to 17 must have parental consent.

Suitability Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the suitability requirements of the Immigration Rules, now governed by Part Suitability, which replaced Part 9 on 11 November 2025. Common suitability grounds for refusal include: previous use of deception in an immigration application; undisclosed immigration history; criminal convictions at the relevant threshold; outstanding NHS debt above the applicable limit; and national security or public policy concerns.

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

A valid CAS is the central document in any Student visa application. It is issued by the licensed Student Sponsor the university, college, or language school and must be used within six months of issue. It can only be used once. The CAS must accurately record: the course title, academic level, and RQF qualification framework; the full course details including start date, end date, hours, and attendance type; the tuition fees charged and any deposits already paid; confirmation of the student's academic and linguistic preparation; and the Sponsor Licence Number.

Any inaccuracy in the CAS, even a minor one, can invalidate the application. Sponsors can lose their licence if CAS assignments are found to be non-compliant, which has serious consequences for all students sponsored by that institution.

Course Requirements

To qualify under the Student Route, the course must be at RQF Level 3 or above or the equivalent, taught at a licensed sponsor institution, full-time (with part-time study restricted to specific postgraduate programmes), and leading to a recognised qualification. Permissible courses include bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, PhDs and doctoral programmes, foundation and pathway programmes, pre-sessional English courses, and approved professional qualifications in fields such as law and medicine. 

Financial Requirement: The 28-Day Rule and Updated 2026 Figures

What Students Must Show

Appendix Student has one of the strictest financial evidential requirements in UK immigration law. Students must demonstrate that they hold sufficient funds to pay their tuition fees and their living costs. The tuition fee component is the first year of fees in full, or the entire course fee if the course lasts 12 months or less. The maintenance component is calculated at the monthly rates below, for a maximum of nine months.

Note: The total funds required are the sum of the outstanding tuition fee (as shown on the CAS) plus the applicable maintenance amount. If a student has already paid part of their tuition fee, only the outstanding balance needs to be evidenced.

The 28-Day Rule

The financial evidence must show that the required funds have been held continuously for 28 consecutive days immediately before the application. The end date of this 28-day period must fall no more than 31 days before the application submission date. This is one of the most technically demanding aspects of the Student visa application and the most common cause of financial requirement refusals.

The funds must be held in a permitted financial institution and presented in an acceptable format under Appendix Finance. Mobile banking app screenshots are not generally acceptable, official bank statements or letters from the financial institution are required. Currency fluctuation can also cause problems where funds are held in a foreign currency, the exchange rate used is the OANDA rate on the date of application.

Differentiated Evidence Students

Nationals of certain countries, known as differentiated evidence students, are not required to submit financial evidence with their application but must hold the required funds and may be asked to provide evidence later. The Home Office may request documentation at any stage.

Common Financial Refusal Grounds

Financial requirement refusals arise most commonly from: insufficient total funds; funds not held for the full 28-day period without a dip below the required amount; bank statements in an unacceptable format; funds held in a non-permitted account type; currency conversion issues; and miscalculation of the outstanding tuition fee component.

English Language Requirement

The required English language level depends on the course level. For degree-level study and above undergraduate, postgraduate, and research degrees, the required level is B2 on the CEFR. For courses below degree level, B1 CEFR is required.

Accepted evidence of English language proficiency includes: a SELT (Secure English Language Test) from an approved provider such as IELTS for UKVI, Pearson PTE Academic UKVI, or Trinity SELT; a previous qualification taught in English at an institution in a majority English-speaking country; a UK Higher Education Institution's own internal assessment where the sponsor is permitted to use it; and GCSE, A-level, or degree-level qualifications in English language.

Where the sponsor is not permitted to self-assess the student's English language ability, a SELT from an approved provider is mandatory. A SELT from a provider not on the UKVI approved list, or a result that has expired will result in refusal on English language grounds. 

Academic Progression Requirement

An applicant applying to extend their Student visa or switching into the Student Route from within the UK must demonstrate that they are progressing to a higher level of study than their current or previous course. This requirement exists to prevent repeated extensions at the same academic level without genuine academic advancement.

Exceptions to the academic progression requirement apply in specific circumstances including: PhD and doctoral students who may extend at the same level; medical and dental students intercalating or repeating elements; students extending to complete a resit or repeat a module; and students adding a placement year to an existing degree programme.

The CAS issued by the sponsor must include a clear statement explaining the academic rationale where the progression requirement might otherwise appear not to be met.

Conditions of Leave: Work Rights, Study Restrictions and Public Funds

Work Rights

The number of hours a Student visa holder may work during term time depends on the course level. Students on degree-level courses and above may work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Students on courses below degree level may work up to 10 hours per week during term time. Full-time work is permitted during official vacations.

Students may not be self-employed, establish or run a business, work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, or work in the entertainment industry. Work restrictions apply during term time only, the sponsor's academic calendar determines what constitutes term time.

Study Restrictions

Students must attend their course as enrolled and cannot transfer to a different institution without a new CAS being issued and, in most cases, a new visa application being made. Prolonged unauthorised absence from study can result in the sponsor withdrawing sponsorship and reporting the student to the Home Office, triggering curtailment of leave.

No Access to Public Funds

Student visa holders may not access benefits, social housing, or other public funds. The Immigration Health Surcharge paid at the point of application grants access to NHS services on the same basis as a UK resident for the duration of the visa.

Bringing Dependants on a Student Visa

The ability to bring dependants to the UK on a Student visa is significantly restricted. Eligible students are those on postgraduate research-based programmes, government-sponsored students on courses of 6 months or more, and students covered by specific transitional arrangements.

Students on taught undergraduate or taught postgraduate courses, the majority of Student visa holders, are not eligible to bring dependants unless they are a government-sponsored student. This restriction was tightened in 2023 and significantly reduced the number of student dependants entering the UK.

Dependants must evidence: the qualifying relationship (marriage, civil partnership, durable partnership, or child of the main applicant); financial maintenance at the rates shown in the maintenance table above; and genuine dependency on the main applicant.

Dependants of students may work in the UK without restriction on hours, subject to their own visa conditions. They may also study, subject to any separate visa requirements for their course.

Switching Into the Student Route

Applicants already in the UK may switch into the Student Route from most other visa categories, provided they are not currently holding leave as a Visitor, Short-Term Student, Seasonal Worker, Parent of a Child Student, or under Immigration Bail. Switching is commonly used by dependant partners who wish to study independently, graduates starting new courses, and skilled workers pursuing further professional qualifications.

A new CAS must be obtained from the intended Student Sponsor before making a switching application. The switching application must be made before the current leave expires, Section 3C leave applies where an in-time application is made but does not extend to a new institution if the application is refused.

Fees 2026

The Graduate Visa: What Happens After You Graduate

What the Graduate Visa Is

The Graduate visa is an unsponsored visa route that allows students who have successfully completed an eligible UK degree or higher qualification to remain in the UK for a period after graduation. It does not require a job offer or a sponsor. The Graduate visa permits work at any skill level and any number of hours, making it one of the most flexible post-study work routes available from any major English-speaking country.

Eligibility for the Graduate Visa

To be eligible for the Graduate visa the applicant must: have successfully completed an eligible course at a licensed UK Higher Education Institution or other approved provider; have held a valid Student visa for the duration of at least part of their studies in the UK; and not have previously held a Graduate visa.

The course must have been completed at a recognised UK institution holding the relevant sponsor licence. Foundation degrees, degrees, integrated master's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees all qualify. Pre-sessional English courses and short courses do not.

Duration

The Graduate visa permits a stay of 2 years for graduates completing a bachelor's or master's degree, provided the application is made on or before 31 December 2026. PhD and doctoral graduates receive 3 years regardless of when the application is made. The Graduate visa cannot be extended under any circumstances.

Work Rights on the Graduate Visa

Graduate visa holders may work full-time, part-time, or in any combination of roles. There is no restriction on skill level, employer, or industry, a graduate may take any work including unskilled roles while searching for their preferred career. The only restriction is that Graduate visa holders may not work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.

Self-employment is permitted on the Graduate visa, which makes it a useful route for graduates who wish to establish a business or work as freelancers before applying for the Innovator Founder visa.

Pathway to the Skilled Worker Visa

The Graduate visa does not itself lead to settlement. The most common progression route from the Graduate visa is the Skilled Worker visa, obtained once the graduate secures a qualifying job offer from a licensed sponsor at the applicable salary threshold. Time spent on the Graduate visa does not count toward the five-year qualifying period for ILR under the Skilled Worker route, the ILR clock begins from the date the Skilled Worker visa is granted.

Graduate Visa Cost

The Graduate visa costs £937 from 8 April 2026, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge at £1,035 per year for the duration of the visa.

Common Refusal Grounds Under Appendix Student

Refusals under the Student Route most commonly arise from the following:

Financial evidence failures. The 28-day rule, incorrect account format, insufficient funds, or currency calculation errors. This is the single most common refusal ground.

CAS errors or inconsistencies. A discrepancy between the CAS and the application, or a CAS that has expired or been used in a previous application.

English language requirement not met. An expired SELT result, a test from a non-approved provider, or an insufficient CEFR level for the course.

Genuineness concerns. The caseworker is not satisfied that the applicant is a genuine student with a genuine intention to study the specified course at the specified institution.

Academic progression not demonstrated. Extension applications where the course does not represent genuine academic progression and no exemption applies.

Sponsor non-compliance. Where the sponsor's licence has been suspended or revoked, CAS assignments may be invalidated, affecting all students sponsored by that institution. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Tier 4 student visa and a Student visa?

They are the same route under different names. The Tier 4 (General) Student visa was the name used before the post-Brexit immigration system was introduced. The current name is the Student visa under Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules. If your university or college refers to Tier 4, it means the current Student visa.

How much money do I need for a UK student visa?

You need to show your outstanding tuition fee (as stated on your CAS) plus maintenance funds of £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to 9 months. The maximum maintenance requirement is therefore £13,761 for London or £10,539 outside London. These figures apply to applications submitted from 11 November 2025.

What is the 28-day rule for a UK student visa?

The 28-day rule requires you to hold the required funds continuously in a permitted bank account for 28 consecutive days immediately before your application. The end of the 28-day period must fall no more than 31 days before you submit the application. The balance must not dip below the required amount on any single day during this period.

How many hours can I work on a UK student visa?

Students on degree-level courses or above may work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Students on courses below degree level may work up to 10 hours per week during term time. Full-time work is permitted during official university vacations. You may not be self-employed or run a business on a Student visa.

What is the Graduate visa and who can apply?

The Graduate visa allows students who have successfully completed an eligible UK degree to remain in the UK for 2 years after graduation (3 years for PhD and doctoral graduates). It does not require a sponsor or a job offer. It permits work at any skill level and is the main post-study work route in the UK. Applications for the 2-year Graduate visa must be made on or before 31 December 2026.

Can I bring my family on a UK student visa?

Only postgraduate research students and government-sponsored students on courses of 6 months or more may bring dependants. Students on taught undergraduate or taught postgraduate courses are not eligible to bring dependants, with limited exceptions. Eligible dependants may work without restriction and may study in the UK.

Can I switch to a Student visa from within the UK?

Yes, from most visa categories. You cannot switch into the Student Route if you currently hold leave as a Visitor, Short-Term Student, Seasonal Worker, Parent of a Child Student, or under Immigration Bail. You will need a new CAS from your intended institution before making a switching application.

What happens if my student sponsor loses their licence?

If your sponsor's licence is revoked, your CAS may be invalidated and your leave may be curtailed. You will typically be given a period of 60 days to find a new sponsor and make a new Student visa application. This is a situation that requires immediate legal advice.