A father sat across from us in our Abu Dhabi office last month with his daughter’s UK offer letter open on his phone. His first question wasn’t about the course \u2014 it was “and after she graduates, what then?” That question is exactly right, because the answer changed in 2026, and depending on when the Graduate visa application actually goes in, it changes how many years his daughter gets to work in the UK afterwards.<\/p>\n
To apply for a UK<\/a> Student visa you must be 16 or over, hold an offer from a licensed student sponsor, have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course, and be able to speak, read, write and understand English. This visa replaced the old Tier 4 (General) student visa \u2014 if anyone still refers to “Tier 4,” that route no longer exists.<\/p>\n Timing matters. Applying from outside the UK, which covers almost everyone we see in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts, with a decision usually within 3 weeks. Applying from inside the UK opens 3 months before the course starts, with decisions usually taking up to 8 weeks.<\/p>\n Duration depends on course level. If you’re 18 or over and studying at degree level, you can usually stay up to 5 years. Below degree level, it’s usually up to 2 years.<\/p>\n The money requirement trips up more applicants than the English one. You need enough for your course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months) \u2014 the exact figure sits on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Unless you’ve already held a valid UK visa for at least 12 months, you must also show a financial requirement of \u00a31,529 per month (up to 9 months) for courses in London, or \u00a31,171 per month (up to 9 months) outside London.<\/p>\n That money must sit in your account for at least 28 days in a row, with the end of that 28-day window falling within 31 days of your application date. Families sometimes move funds close to the deadline and break the 28-day rule \u2014 it’s one of the most avoidable refusal triggers we see. You don’t need to prove the financial requirement at all if you’ve already held a UK visa for 12 months, or if you’re applying as a student union sabbatical officer.<\/p>\n For English, you can qualify through a UK school qualification (GCSE, A level, or the Scottish equivalents), a degree taught in English and awarded by a UK institution, a degree taught in English from a non-UK institution assessed by Ecctis, or an approved English test. A handful of nationalities are exempt from proving English at all \u2014 UAE nationality is not on that list, so most UAE-based applicants need one of the routes above unless they hold an exempt passport or qualifying degree.<\/p>\n The Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK to work, or look for work, after you finish your studies \u2014 without needing a job offer or a sponsor. To apply, you need to be in the UK, hold a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa, have studied a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course for the required minimum period, and have your education provider confirm to the Home Office that you’ve successfully completed the course. You don’t need to wait for your certificate or graduation ceremony to apply.<\/p>\n Because the Graduate visa carries no job-offer or sponsor requirement, and no minimum salary or job-type restriction to hold the visa itself, it works differently from sponsored routes like the Skilled Worker visa<\/a>. Those restrictions only apply if and when you later switch into a sponsored route.<\/p>\n This is the part worth reading slowly. As at 1 September 2026, the Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 \u2014 but only 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. A PhD or other doctoral qualification still gets 3 years, regardless of application date. This isn’t a rumour or a proposal under discussion; it’s already reflected as current policy on the official GOV.UK Graduate visa pages.<\/p>\nProving you can afford it \u2014 and proving your English<\/h2>\n
The Graduate visa: what it actually is<\/h2>\n
The 2026 change: 2 years is becoming 18 months for most graduates<\/h2>\n