Graduate Visa UK Solicitors — PSW Visa Fixed Fee £950
One missing required document can make your Graduate Route application invalid, delayed, or refused. If your Student visa expires before the problem is fixed, your lawful status may be at risk.
The Graduate Route gives you time. What you do with it — and whether you get 18 months or 2 years — starts with getting the application right.
The UK Graduate visa — formally the Graduate Route, previously called the PSW visa — gives you permission to stay in the UK and work after completing a qualifying degree, without needing an employer to sponsor you. You can work in any job at any skill level, be self-employed, run a company, or hold multiple roles simultaneously.
You must apply from inside the UK, before your Student visa expires. Most Graduate Route refusals do not carry a right of appeal — the usual remedy is Administrative Review if the decision letter gives that right. Getting the application right the first time is not optional.
KQ Solicitors checks your application before it goes to UKVI — qualification eligibility, scholarship consent requirements, university notification status, and document consistency — so the application is correct the first time.
What is the UK Graduate Visa (PSW Visa)?
The Graduate Route is the post-study work visa that allows UK graduates to remain and work without a sponsor. It sits under Appendix Graduate of the Immigration Rules. The Home Office calls it the Graduate Route. Students, universities, and immigration forums still call it the PSW visa. They refer to the same visa.
It does not lead to settlement. Time on the Graduate Route does not count toward the 5-year qualifying period for ILR. To build toward permanent residence in the UK, you must switch to the Skilled Worker visa or another qualifying route before your Graduate Route permission expires. There is no extension mechanism — when it expires, you must switch or leave.
For the full Graduate Route guide including the 2027 rule in detail, scholarship consent requirements, university notification process, and Skilled Worker transition planning, read our complete Graduate visa guide.
Who can apply?
You can apply if:
- You hold a valid Student visa and are currently in the UK.
- You have completed a qualifying UK Bachelor's degree, postgraduate degree, or specified professional qualification.
- Your education provider has confirmed to the Home Office that you have successfully completed your eligible course.
- Your university holds current Student sponsor track record status on the Register of Student Sponsors.
You cannot apply if:
- You are outside the UK — the Graduate Route can only be applied for from inside the UK.
- Your Student visa has already expired.
- You have previously held Graduate Route or Doctorate Extension Scheme permission.
- Your qualification is not a UK bachelor's, postgraduate degree, or listed professional qualification.
Important: Do not apply simply because you have finished your exams or attended your graduation ceremony. Your education provider must have confirmed successful course completion to the Home Office before the application can be granted.
| Qualification | Application submitted | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| PhD / doctoral | Any date | 3 years |
| Bachelor's or Master's | On or before 31 December 2026 | 2 years |
| Bachelor's or Master's | On or after 1 January 2027 | 18 months |
Caseworker Insight: The 2027 rule is the single most consequential fact for Bachelor's and Master's graduates applying in late 2026. The trigger is when you submit — not when you graduated, not your results date, not your graduation ceremony.
We can help if...
- You are approaching the 31 December 2026 deadline and need to submit before the 18-month rule takes effect.
- Your qualification is borderline — a professional diploma, an integrated programme, or a postgraduate qualification that may or may not be on the approved list.
- You received a Chevening, Marshall, Commonwealth, or equivalent government scholarship in the 12 months before your application date and need a consent letter.
- Your university has not yet notified the Home Office of your course completion and you are unsure whether to wait or submit.
- You have dependants on your Student visa who need to apply alongside you.
- Your immigration history has complications — a previous refusal, a gap in status, or an overstay.
- You want a professional to check the full application before it goes to UKVI.
Not sure where your case stands?
We will confirm your eligibility, check whether scholarship consent is required, and tell you honestly what your case involves.
Key issues — what goes wrong and why
The scholarship consent trap
If you received a qualifying government scholarship — Chevening, Marshall, Commonwealth, or equivalent — that covered both your course fees and your living costs, in the 12 months before your application date, you must include written consent from the scholarship provider.
Missing scholarship consent can lead to the application being treated as invalid or refused, depending on how the Home Office treats the defect. Either outcome is serious if your Student visa is close to expiry.
Caseworker Insight: Chevening and Marshall both have established consent letter processes and will know exactly what you need. Allow 2 to 4 weeks. Do not submit your Graduate Route application without it in hand.
The university notification delay
Before the Home Office can grant a Graduate Route visa, your university must notify them through their Sponsor Management System that you have completed your course. This can take days or weeks after your results are released.
Your university's Home Office notification is central to the decision. Uploading your transcript and degree certificate can help support the application, but it does not replace the sponsor notification where the rules require it.
The qualification edge case
Your degree must be an officially awarded UK bachelor's, postgraduate degree, or a qualification listed in Appendix Graduate. If your qualification sits in the grey zone — a postgraduate diploma, an integrated programme where you completed a lower qualification than originally registered, or a professional qualification in a borderline regulated profession — include a written explanation with your application.
Caseworker Insight: The CAS is the primary source of truth. Caseworkers assess consistency across all submitted materials — CAS reference, results transcript, degree certificate, and university completion notification.
Graduate visa fees and costs — updated April 2026
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| KQ Solicitors fixed fee | £950 |
| Home Office application fee | £937 |
| IHS — 18-month visa | £1,152.50 |
| IHS — 2-year visa | £2,070 |
| IHS — 3-year visa (PhD) | £3,105 |
| Total — standard 2-year application with KQ fee | £3,957 |
| Total — 18-month application with KQ fee | £3,039.50 |
Each dependant pays the same application fee and IHS in their own right. For a couple on a 2-year Graduate Route, combined Home Office costs are approximately £6,014 before legal fees.
The application fee is the same whether you receive 18 months or 2 years. The IHS is where the difference shows — applicants receiving 18 months pay £917.50 less in IHS, but lose six months of permitted working time.
Home Office fees can change. Always verify the current fee on GOV.UK before submitting.
Quick cost check
Select the likely duration to see the estimated single-applicant total including KQ Solicitors' fixed fee.
What our Graduate visa service includes
- Initial assessment: we confirm your eligibility, scholarship consent requirements, qualification status, and document risks.
- Document checking: degree certificate, results transcript, CAS reference, scholarship consent where required, and consistency throughout.
- Application preparation: we prepare the full Graduate Route application on your behalf.
- Document uploading: we submit the finalised bundle to UKVI so nothing is missed or mis-uploaded.
No hidden costs. No hourly billing. Home Office fees are paid separately by you directly to UKVI.
How we work — your process with KQ Solicitors
- Free consultation: you explain your situation; we confirm eligibility and identify scholarship consent requirements.
- Eligibility and risk assessment: we check your qualification, CAS reference, university notification status, scholarship history, and immigration background.
- Personalised document checklist: you receive a list of exactly what we need.
- Document review: we flag inconsistencies with your CAS record and tell you what needs correcting.
- Application preparation: we prepare the full Graduate Route application and finalise the bundle.
- Submission and confirmation: we upload everything to UKVI and confirm receipt.
Graduate visa processing times — 2026
| Service | Target time |
|---|---|
| Standard | Approximately 8 weeks from biometrics |
| Priority / Super Priority | Not consistently available — confirm on GOV.UK before planning around faster processing |
Do not assume you can pay for a faster decision. Build your timeline around standard processing.
Section 3C leave: Once you submit a valid, in-time Graduate Route application, Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 automatically extends your existing Student leave while the decision is pending. You may continue under your existing Student visa conditions while the valid in-time application is pending — check your Student visa work conditions carefully before taking full-time work.
Critical warning: Leaving the Common Travel Area while your Graduate Route application is pending can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn under paragraph 34K of the Immigration Rules, usually without a refund.
Common mistakes that cause Graduate visa problems
| Mistake | Why it causes problems | How we help |
|---|---|---|
| Missing scholarship consent letter | Can cause invalidity or refusal — remedies depend on the decision and whether Student leave is still valid. | We identify consent requirements before submission. |
| Applying after Student visa expires | No Section 3C protection — overstaying record affects every future UK visa application. | We confirm your deadline and submission window. |
| Submitting in January 2027 instead of December 2026 | Potentially six months less permission for Bachelor's and Master's graduates. | We help late 2026 graduates submit before the deadline. |
| Degree not yet confirmed to Home Office | Exams completed or graduation attended is not sufficient. | We confirm completion notification status before submitting. |
| Document inconsistency with CAS record | CAS is the primary source. If documents do not match, the CAS wins. | We cross-check all documents against CAS before uploading. |
| Previous Graduate Route or DES permission | One-time entitlement — a prior grant normally means refusal. | We check immigration history before applying. |
| Leaving the Common Travel Area while pending | Can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn. | We advise on travel restrictions before any trip. |
Graduate Route document checklist
This browser-only checklist is for planning. It does not send information to KQ Solicitors.
When should you speak to a solicitor?
Not every Graduate Route application needs a solicitor. If your qualification is a standard UK bachelor's or postgraduate degree, you have no scholarship consent requirement, your university has already notified UKVI, and your immigration history is clean — a carefully self-prepared application is possible.
Speak to us before applying if your qualification is borderline, you received a qualifying government scholarship, your university has not notified UKVI of completion, you are approaching the 31 December 2026 deadline, you have dependants applying with you, or you have any previous refusal, gap in status, or immigration complication.
When this service may not be right for you
If your application is genuinely straightforward — a standard UK bachelor's or master's degree, no scholarship consent requirement, university notification already submitted, clean immigration history, and no document complications — you may not need legal representation.
We would rather tell you that than charge you for work you do not need. If after your free consultation we think you can handle it yourself, we will tell you.
Ready to apply? Talk to KQ Solicitors
£950 fixed fee. Initial assessment, document checking, application preparation, and uploading. No hidden costs. No hourly billing.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. If your qualification is standard, you have no scholarship consent requirement, and your immigration history is clean, you can self-prepare. If your qualification is borderline, you received a government scholarship, or you are close to the 31 December 2026 deadline, legal help before submission prevents serious consequences that are difficult to reverse once your Student visa has expired.
The Home Office application fee is £937 from 8 April 2026. The IHS is £2,070 for a 2-year visa or £1,152.50 for an 18-month visa. Total Home Office cost for a 2-year application is £3,007. KQ Solicitors charges a fixed fee of £950, bringing the realistic total to approximately £3,957 for a 2-year application.
PhD and doctoral graduates receive 3 years regardless of application date. Bachelor's and Master's graduates who apply on or before 31 December 2026 receive 2 years. Those who apply on or after 1 January 2027 receive 18 months. The trigger is when you submit — not when you graduated or when results were released.
No. Time on the Graduate Route does not count toward the 5-year qualifying period for ILR. To build toward permanent residence, you must switch to the Skilled Worker visa or another qualifying route before your Graduate Route permission expires. The settlement clock starts on the date of your Skilled Worker grant.
If the scholarship covered both your course fees and living costs and ended within 12 months of your application date, consent is likely required. Contact Chevening immediately to request a consent letter and allow 2 to 4 weeks. Missing scholarship consent can lead to the application being treated as invalid or refused — do not submit without it.
Leaving the Common Travel Area while your Graduate Route application is pending can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn under paragraph 34K of the Immigration Rules, usually without a refund. Seek legal advice immediately if you need to travel while your application is pending.
No. The Graduate Route is a one-time entitlement. A previous grant of Graduate Route or Doctorate Extension Scheme permission will normally result in refusal.
Most Graduate Route refusals do not carry a right of appeal. If the decision letter gives Administrative Review rights, you usually have 14 calendar days from the refusal notice to apply. Administrative Review is a paper-based check of whether the decision was made correctly — it is not a fresh application and cannot normally be used to add evidence that was missing the first time. If your Student visa has already expired, seek regulated legal advice immediately.
Yes. Our service covers initial assessment, document checking, application preparation, and uploading. You attend the biometrics appointment — we handle everything else.
Sources & Authority
Primary legal source governing the Graduate Route, including eligibility and grant length.
Caseworker-level guidance on how Graduate Route applications are assessed.
Statutory basis for continuation of leave while a valid, in-time application is pending.
Withdrawal of application on departure from the Common Travel Area.
Official fee schedule confirming Graduate Route application fee.
Used to confirm current university sponsor status at application date.