A UK student visa is the permission most international students need to take a full degree in the United Kingdom. After you finish an eligible course, the Graduate route (often called the Graduate visa) can let you stay on to work or look for work without a job offer. The core idea is unchanged, but the length of the Graduate visa is changing at the end of 2026, so you should plan around the current official rules rather than older blog posts.
This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Always check GOV.UK: Student visa and GOV.UK: Graduate visa before you spend money or book travel. UKCISA also publishes free, plain-English guidance for international students.
UK student visa: what you need before you apply
You cannot usually apply for a UK student visa until a licensed university or college has issued you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The CAS is an electronic record, not a paper form you invent yourself. To get one, you typically need an unconditional offer, any deposit the institution requires, and completed pre-CAS checks.
Once you have a CAS, the Student visa application generally asks you to show:
- A place on an eligible course with a licensed student sponsor.
- English language ability at the level required for your course and visa route. Many degree students use a Secure English Language Test such as IELTS for UKVI, unless the university can assess English in another way the Home Office accepts.
- Enough money for unpaid tuition and for living costs, held in the way and for the period the Home Office requires at the time you apply.
- A valid passport, tuberculosis test results if they apply to your country, and any other documents listed in the online form.
- Payment of the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Both amounts change, so use the figures on GOV.UK, not a screenshot from a previous year.
You usually apply online, then prove your identity with an app or at a visa application centre. In Nigeria that has typically meant a centre in Lagos or Abuja, but check the current appointment process when you apply. Keep bank statements in the format the Home Office asks for. Funds rules are strict, and a shortfall or a statement in the wrong form is a common reason applications are delayed or refused.
Most taught master's students should also check the current dependant rules before planning to travel with a partner or children. Those rules have tightened in recent years and may not allow dependants on shorter postgraduate courses. Confirm the live position on GOV.UK rather than relying on a friend's experience from an earlier intake.
How long you can stay after you graduate
The Graduate visa is a post-study work route for people who have successfully completed an eligible UK bachelor's, postgraduate or other qualifying course, while in the UK on a Student visa (or a Tier 4 student visa). You must be in the UK to apply, and your institution must have told the Home Office that you have completed the course. You cannot usually switch into this route from a different type of visa.
According to the official Graduate visa page, as checked in November 2026:
- If you apply on or before 31 December 2026, a standard Graduate visa lasts 2 years.
- If you apply on or after 1 January 2027, a standard Graduate visa lasts 18 months.
- If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it lasts 3 years.
Your visa starts from the day the application is approved. You cannot extend a Graduate visa. If you want to stay longer, you may be able to switch to another route, such as a Skilled Worker visa, if you have a licensed sponsor and meet that route's rules.
The UK government has also said it plans to give a two-year Graduate visa to graduates of "high-compliance" universities with strong labour-market outcomes. As of early November 2026, the detailed criteria and the list of qualifying institutions had not been published. If that exception matters to your plans, follow official updates and do not assume your university is included until it appears in official guidance.
Fee amounts, including the application fee and IHS, should be read from GOV.UK or UKCISA at the point you apply. Do not budget from memory.
Step-by-step: from offer to visa
- Choose an institution that holds a valid student sponsor licence and a course you can finish and afford.
- Meet the academic and English conditions, accept your offer, and pay any deposit required.
- Complete pre-CAS checks and receive your CAS. Read every line, including course dates and unpaid fees.
- Prepare financial evidence in the format required at that time. If a parent or sponsor is providing funds, include the extra documents the guidance asks for.
- Apply online for a Student visa, pay the fee and the IHS, and attend any biometrics appointment.
- Arrange accommodation and travel only after you understand the decision timeline for your visa centre. A CAS has an expiry, so do not delay the application.
- After you complete your course, ask your university when it will report completion, then apply for the Graduate visa while you still have valid Student permission, if that is your plan.
Checklist before you spend money
- Confirm the university is a licensed student sponsor and that your course is eligible for both the Student visa and, if you want it, the Graduate route.
- Check English test type (including whether you need a UKVI version) and booking dates.
- Calculate unpaid tuition, living-cost funds, visa fee and IHS using current official figures.
- If you hope to work in the UK after a 2027 graduation, plan for an 18-month Graduate visa unless official guidance later says otherwise for your university.
- Use only official university channels or agents the university lists as approved representatives. Never pay anyone who promises a guaranteed visa.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the Graduate visa from Nigeria after I fly home?
No. Official guidance says you must be in the UK when you apply, and you must hold valid Student (or Tier 4) permission. If you leave and that permission expires, you cannot usually apply from abroad.
Does a scholarship replace the funds requirement?
Official financial sponsorship can reduce or replace the money you need to show, but only if it is documented in the way the Home Office accepts, often including details on your CAS. Check the funds guidance for your situation.
Can I work on a Student visa?
Many degree-level Student visa holders can work limited hours in term time and longer in vacations, but the conditions are printed on your permission and depend on your course. Check GOV.UK and your university international office before you accept work.
Is the Graduate visa being abolished?
No. The official page still describes the route as available. What is changing is the standard length for people who apply from 1 January 2027, unless a later official exception applies to your university.
Information checked November 2026; always confirm on the official site.