UK Graduate Visa Reduced to 18 Months from 2027; Student Visa Financial Requirements Increased in Late November

2026-10-04 · Guides

For UK Graduate Visa applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027, the duration for bachelor's and master's graduates will be reduced to 18 months, while PhD graduates will still receive 3 years. For Student Visa applications submitted on or after November 30, 2026, living cost requirements will be set at £1,570 per month in London and £1,203 per month outside London. This article outlines the timelines, costs, and strategies for navigating these two changes.

Two upcoming UK visa changes will affect Chinese students currently studying in the UK and those preparing to enroll.

Shorter Graduate Visa: Applications submitted on or before December 31, 2026, will still be granted a 2-year stay; those submitted on or after January 1, 2027, will only receive 18 months. Doctoral graduates are unaffected and will still receive 3 years.
Higher Student Visa Financial Requirements: For student visa applications submitted on or after November 30, 2026, living costs will be calculated at £1,570 per month in London and £1,203 per month outside London.

Both changes are determined strictly by the application submission date, regardless of enrollment or graduation dates.

1. Graduate Visa: Reduced from 2 Years to 18 Months

The Graduate visa (often referred to as the PSW) allows students who complete a degree in the UK to stay and work or look for work after graduation. The current durations listed on the UK government website (GOV.UK) are:

Submission Date	Undergraduate / Master's	Doctoral
On or before December 31, 2026	2 years	3 years
On or after January 1, 2027	18 months	3 years

This adjustment was first introduced in the UK government's immigration white paper released in May 2025 and was officially confirmed in the October 2025 immigration rule amendments. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has also clarified that Graduate visa applications submitted before January 1, 2027, will not be affected by this change.

Who is most affected?

One-year taught master's students enrolling in Fall 2026: Typically graduating in Fall 2027, they will only be eligible for an 18-month visa when applying.
Students graduating between summer and the end of 2026: If they can obtain their degree qualification and submit their application by December 31, 2026, they can still get the 2-year visa. Whether they can apply in time depends on when they meet the Graduate visa eligibility requirements. Please check GOV.UK and confirm with your university's international student office in advance.
Doctoral students: Unaffected.

Graduate Visa Fees

According to GOV.UK, the current fees for the Graduate visa are:

Application fee: £937
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,035 per year for non-student visas

The IHS is calculated based on the visa duration, with specific pro-rata rules for periods of less than a year. Please use the IHS calculator on GOV.UK to verify the exact amount based on your actual visa length.

Fees are subject to the amounts published on GOV.UK at the time of application.

2. Student Visa Financial Requirements: Increase from November 30

Applying for a UK Student visa requires proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living costs. Tuition is calculated based on the one-year tuition fee stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS); living costs have a fixed monthly rate.

On September 3, 2026, the UK Home Office published immigration rule amendments (HC 584), adjusting the living cost requirements:

Study Location	Current Rate (Submitted on or before November 29)	New Rate (Submitted on or after November 30)
London	£1,529 per month	£1,570 per month
Outside London	£1,171 per month	£1,203 per month

How to Calculate Required Living Costs

GOV.UK states that living costs are calculated using the monthly rate for a maximum of 9 months. This means for courses lasting 9 months or longer, living costs = monthly rate × 9. Under the new rates:

London: £1,570 × 9 = £14,130
Outside London: £1,203 × 9 = £10,827

For courses shorter than 9 months, the calculation is adjusted according to GOV.UK rules; please refer to the official website for specifics. The total amount required to prove is: one year's tuition fee on the CAS (minus any paid amount) + living costs.

Funds Holding Period

GOV.UK requires that these funds must be held in the account for at least 28 consecutive days, and the last day of this 28-day period must be no more than 31 days before the application submission date. Therefore, the funds must be in place well in advance and cannot be deposited right before applying.

Who is Exempt from Proving Funds

Situations listed by GOV.UK include: having lived in the UK on a visa for at least 12 months prior to applying for the Student visa; and applicants from countries on the official "low-risk countries and territories" list. Please check GOV.UK for the list and specific conditions; do not make assumptions on your own.

3. Other Student Visa Fees

According to GOV.UK, the current fees are:

Student visa application fee (submitted outside the UK): £558
Student visa Immigration Health Surcharge: £776 per year

How to Plan for Different Scenarios

Enrolling in January 2027: If you can submit your Student visa application by November 29, the current rates apply; if submitted on or after November 30, the new rates apply. It is best to prepare your funds according to the new rates to leave a buffer.
Enrolling in Fall 2027: Student visa applications will generally be submitted in 2027, so prepare according to the new rates. Keep the 28-day holding period in mind and leave room for exchange rate fluctuations.
One-year master's students enrolling in 2026: After graduation, you will most likely only be eligible for the 18-month Graduate visa. If you want to gain work experience in the UK, start looking for internships and preparing for job hunting earlier; do not wait until after graduation to begin.
Graduating this year and haven't applied for the Graduate visa yet: Confirm with your university as soon as possible when you will meet the eligibility requirements, and assess whether you can submit your application by December 31.

Rules may continue to change. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Please refer to the latest pages on GOV.UK before submitting any applications.

Need Help?

If you are planning your undergraduate or master's applications in the UK and want to calculate your funds and schedule your visa timeline in advance, check out our UK university admissions services and visa services. If you want to use the Graduate visa period to gain work experience in the UK, you can also explore our overseas internship programs, or directly book a one-on-one consultation.