GOV.UK now sets out the change plainly. A Graduate visa lasts two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it lasts three years.
The visa starts on the day your application is approved, and you cannot extend it. So the date of your application decides how long you get, and that makes the last weeks of 2026 matter for anyone who has just finished a course.
Students on a one-year master's that began in autumn 2026 will finish in 2027, so they should plan on 18 months. The same goes for anyone starting a UK master's or bachelor's in 2027.
The change comes on top of the higher money requirement for UK Student visas from 30 November 2026. Our United Kingdom guide covers visa costs and the scholarships that can pay them.
