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UK graduate visa change ‘requires careful thought’ from employers
Graduate visas will be reduced from 24 to 18 months. Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
13 Jun 2025, 3:00 pm
The planned shortening of graduate visas from 24 to 18 months requires careful consideration from employers and puts pressure on employers to offer sponsorship to move graduates onto work visas, an expert has said.
The changes to graduate visas were recently set out in the UK government’swhite paper on immigration (82 pages/ 2.2 MB). These visas are a commonly used, non-sponsored route allowing graduates to remain in the UK and enter the world of work following completion of their course. The update will see the current 24 months duration following graduation – 36 months in some cases – reduced to 18 months going forward.
Currently, graduate visas often align with the length of trainee schemes or graduate programmes. However, the change may alter employers’ approaches.
Alex Wright, immigration law specialist at Pinsent Masons, said: “It may well be that UK companies will now find those on graduate visas less desirable as candidates as three quarters of the way through their courses, they will need to find some way to extend their immigration status to the UK. Whilst sponsoring a skilled worker might be an option, at this point this brings in significant costs and compliance duties that employers simply do not have to worry about for non-sponsored workers.”
One of the government’s justifications for changes to the graduate route is that, whilst it is designed to get graduates into employment fitting their level of education, only around 30% of those on these visas are working at a job in RQF level six – approximately degree level – or above. This means that the other 70% are either not in employment or are in roles that will soon not be eligible for sponsorship.
The planned reduction in graduate visa length comes ahead of a planned increase in skill level for work visas, raising from RQF level 3 – A-level equivalent – to RQF level 6. The government has said that this change is intended to ensure that “skilled means skilled”, aligning the visa route more closely with higher education qualifications and professional roles.
Wright said: “This is an area that will require some balance and thought – refusing or withdrawing employment due to the future immigration status of a worker, or potential for the worker’s immigration to change, may be considered discriminatory, leading to an employment claim.”
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