How to plan the move from Graduate permission to employer sponsorship before your deadline becomes urgent.
GOV.UK currently says a Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years for PhD or other doctoral qualification holders. It cannot be extended, but you may be able to switch to another route such as Skilled Worker.
Work backwards from your visa expiry date and target offer date. Leave time for interviews, salary and occupation-code checks, offer approval, Certificate of Sponsorship assignment, application preparation, and any employer-side process delays.
If you are still on a Student visa, check the Graduate visa application timing separately: GOV.UK says you must apply before the Student or Tier 4 visa expires and after your provider has told the Home Office you successfully completed the course. That is separate from switching later into Skilled Worker.
No. GOV.UK says the Graduate visa cannot be extended, so candidates who want to stay longer should check whether they can switch to another route before expiry.
Start months before expiry. The right timing depends on the employer process, interview cycle, CoS timing, and whether the role and salary can meet the current Skilled Worker rules.