Graduate to Skilled Worker Visa (2025–2026)
Can I Switch From a Graduate Visa to a Skilled Worker Visa Under the New Rules?
Switching from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa is now far more tightly controlled than it was before July 2025. Having a job offer or a sponsoring employer is no longer enough — the Home Office will scrutinise whether the role, salary, and sponsorship genuinely meet the rules in practice.
A well-timed and well-structured application can succeed. A rushed or poorly analysed one can result in refusal, loss of status, and wasted fees.
This guide covers:
- What changed for Graduate → Skilled Worker applications after July 2025
- What counts as a genuinely graduate-level (RQF 6) role
- Salary thresholds, “new entrant” discounts, and common misunderstandings
- The most common refusal risks we now see in practice
- When timing matters — and when waiting is safer than applying
- How to assess whether your application is realistically viable
Detailed guides for specific issues:
- Graduate to Skilled Worker Visa (2025–2026) – What has changed, who can still switch, refusal risks, and a one-page decision guide
- Skilled Worker Salary Requirements Explained – Going rates, new entrant discounts, and hidden pitfalls
- Is My Job Really Graduate-Level? – RQF Level 6, job duties, and occupation code risks
- Employer Sponsorship Risks – When a sponsor licence is not enough
(Each guide focuses on how applications are assessed in practice, not just what the rules say.)
Need specific advice on your situation?
These guides explain how applications are usually assessed in real cases. They are not a substitute for advice on the facts of your individual situation.
If you are unsure whether your role, salary, or employer will stand up to scrutiny — or if your Graduate visa expiry is approaching — we can provide a realistic viability assessment before you apply.
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Graduate to Skilled Worker Visa (2025–2026): What You Need to Know Before You Apply
For many international graduates, switching from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa is the only realistic long-term route to staying in the UK.
Until recently, that switch was relatively achievable. Since July 2025, it has become significantly more difficult — and far less forgiving of mistakes.
We are now seeing refusals in cases where applicants assumed that a job offer, a sponsor licence, or a headline salary figure was enough. It often isn’t.
This post explains what has changed, why refusals are increasing, and how to assess whether your own application is genuinely viable before you apply.
What Changed After July 2025?
The Skilled Worker route was tightened in several important ways, particularly for people switching from a Graduate visa.
In practice, the Home Office now looks much more closely at:
- whether the role is genuinely graduate-level (RQF Level 6)
- whether the job duties match the occupation code used
- whether the salary complies in substance, not just on paper
- whether the employer and role make sense within the business
Many “mid-skill” or junior roles that could previously be sponsored no longer withstand scrutiny, even if the employer is willing to sponsor.
The Biggest Misconception We See
A common assumption is:
“If my employer has a sponsor licence and pays me enough, I should be fine.”
That assumption is now risky.
The Home Office does not just check:
- the job title
- the salary figure
- the existence of a sponsor licence
Instead, it asks:
- Does this role genuinely require graduate-level skills in the UK labour market?
- Do the day-to-day duties match the occupation code, or has the code been chosen to make sponsorship possible?
- Is the salary guaranteed, contractual, and compliant with the rules — not padded with allowances or assumptions?
- Does this role make commercial sense for this employer?
If the answer to any of these is unclear, refusal risk rises sharply.
Who Can Still Switch Successfully?
Graduate → Skilled Worker applications are more likely to succeed where all of the following are true:
- You are currently on a valid Graduate visa and have complied with its conditions
- The role is clearly graduate-level, involving analysis, judgment, or professional responsibility
- The occupation code genuinely reflects what you do day to day
- The salary meets the higher of the general threshold or the occupation-specific going rate
- The employer is organised, compliant, and understands sponsorship duties
- You apply with enough time left on your Graduate visa to correct problems if they arise
Where one or more of these is weak, careful planning — or delay — is often safer than rushing an application.
The Most Common Refusal Risks We See
Since mid-2025, refusals are most often linked to:
1. The Role Is Not Accepted as Graduate-Level
This is the single most common problem. Titles are irrelevant; the Home Office looks at real duties, seniority, and autonomy.
2. Occupation Code Mismatch
If the code appears “engineered” to fit sponsorship rather than genuinely matching the role, credibility issues arise quickly.
3. Salary Problems
Typical issues include misunderstanding going rates, relying on non-guaranteed pay, or using allowances to paper over a shortfall.
4. Sponsor or Role Credibility
The Home Office considers whether the role makes sense in the organisation and whether the sponsor is likely to meet compliance duties.
5. Applying Too Late
Late applications leave no room to fix problems. A refusal close to expiry can have serious immigration consequences.
Timing Matters More Than Many People Realise
A technically eligible application can still fail if it is made at the wrong time.
Applying several months before your Graduate visa expires allows time to:
- confirm the correct occupation code
- tighten job descriptions so they reflect reality
- align salary structures properly
- address sponsor readiness and compliance
Applications made in the final weeks of a Graduate visa are significantly higher risk.
A Practical Question to Ask Yourself
Before applying, ask:
“If this application were refused, would I be surprised?”
If the honest answer is yes, the application probably needs further work.
If the answer is no, you may be ready to proceed — ideally with professional input.
Final Thought: This Is a Risk Decision, Not a Form-Filling Exercise
Graduate → Skilled Worker applications fail far more often because of role credibility and planning errors than because of missing documents.
Checklists do not fix those problems.
If you want a realistic assessment of whether your case will withstand scrutiny, rather than reassurance or box-ticking exercise , a short viability assessment can help you decide whether it is safe to apply — or whether changes should be made first.
This blog post is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration outcomes depend on individual circumstances and Home Office discretion