From Student Visa to Skilled Worker

We speak to a lot of students in their final year who have a job offer lined up and think the hard part is over. Getting the offer is one thing. Moving from Student leave onto the Skilled Worker route is another — and the Home Office will not stretch the rules because your graduation is next week.

If you are still on a Student visa, you generally need a licensed sponsor, a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, and a role that meets the skill and salary requirements as they stand when you apply. Those requirements change. What your friend did two years ago is not a safe template.

Student leave has clear edges. Apply too early and you may not meet the conditions. Leave it too late and you risk a gap — which can mean unpaid leave, travel problems, or having to leave the UK and apply from overseas. Course end dates, CAS expiry and the sponsor’s own licence status all need to line up.

• Confirm when your Student leave actually ends — not just when term finishes
• Check the sponsor is licensed for the role and can assign a CoS in time
• Make sure the salary and job code meet the current Skilled Worker rules
• Allow time for biometrics and any documents that take longer than you expect

Some people move onto the Graduate route first, then switch later. That can work well, but it is not always the best path. It depends on the job, the salary, and how soon the employer can sponsor. Treating Graduate leave as “extra thinking time” without a plan is how applications get rushed.

If you are an employer hiring a graduate, do not leave Right to Work and sponsorship to the week before they start. We see that more often than we should.

Online checklists go out of date quickly. If your offer is firm and your leave is running down, it is worth a proper look at the numbers and the timeline before anyone presses submit. We can talk that through in a consultation if you need it.