International students in the UK received better news than expected in the late-October Budget. The government had planned to cut the Graduate Route, the visa that lets graduates stay and work after their degree, from two years to 18 months from January 2027. That plan has now been partly reversed.
Who keeps the two years
Graduates of universities with a strong immigration compliance record and good labour-market outcomes for their graduates keep the full two-year Graduate Route. The exact eligibility criteria have not been finalised yet.
Compliance is measured through ratings that UK Visas and Immigration introduced in June 2026. To earn a green rating, a university needs a visa refusal rate below 4% and an enrolment rate of at least 96%; a course completion rate of at least 92% will be added. The ratings are expected to be published in 2027.
The government also plans to expand the High Potential Individual scheme, which lets graduates of leading overseas universities live and work in the UK.
A levy on universities from 2028
Separately, England's International Student Levy is planned to start on 1 August 2028. Universities, not students, will pay £925 a year for each international student above an allowance of 220, indexed to inflation. An updated government impact assessment expects around 11,500 fewer international enrolments a year by 2033/34 than there would otherwise have been.
Key points
- The planned cut to 18 months (from January 2027) has been partly reversed.
- Graduates of high-compliance universities with strong job outcomes keep two years.
- Final Graduate Route criteria are not published yet; compliance ratings are expected in 2027.
- From August 2028 universities in England pay a £925 levy per international student above 220.
If post-study work in the UK matters to you, ask each university about its compliance standing and its graduates' job outcomes before you accept an offer.
Sources
- UK policy changes could reshape the geography of student accommodation demandGlobal Student Living · Nov 1, 2026
- UK Budget 2026: immigration changes offer targeted relief for employers and universitiesPinsent Masons Out-Law · Oct 28, 2026
Written by the Study and Work Abroad team in our own words from the sources above. Rules change often: before you apply, ask us to check the current rules for your case.
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