Graduate Route, Skilled Worker & ILR — the real path

This guide reflects rules as understood in August 2026. UK immigration rules change frequently and settlement rules in particular are under active reform. Always confirm current requirements at gov.uk/student-visa, gov.uk/graduate-visa, gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa and ukcisa.org.uk before making any visa decision.

1. 1

   20 hours a week during term time

   You may work up to 20 hours per week while your course is in session, and full-time during official vacation periods and after your course ends (until your visa expires or the Graduate Route begins).

2. 2

   No self-employment, no freelancing

   Student visa conditions do not permit self-employment, freelance/contractor work, or setting up as a sole trader — only work as an employee for a PAYE employer.

3. 3

   Dependants are restricted

   Since January 2024, most taught-course (non-PhD, non-research) students cannot bring dependants on a Student visa. Only PhD and other full-time research programme students, and a few other narrow exceptions, retain the right to bring dependants — verify your specific eligibility on gov.uk/student-visa before assuming either way.

This length change is a genuinely important planning point: a bachelor's or master's graduate who applies for the Graduate Route on or after 1 January 2027 will get 18 months, not 2 years, to find a Skilled Worker sponsor — six months less runway than someone who applies before the end of 2026. The Graduate Route is unsponsored (you do not need a job offer to get it) but it also cannot be extended — when it expires, you must already be on a sponsored route, on another valid visa, or you must leave the UK.

Salary thresholds and the Immigration Salary List are reviewed and changed by the Home Office periodically. Treat the £41,700 and £33,400 figures above as the framework to understand, not as fixed numbers to rely on without checking — always confirm the exact current thresholds and occupation-specific going rates on gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa before accepting or negotiating a job offer.

The long-standing standard route to settlement for Skilled Worker visa holders has been five continuous years of qualifying UK residence. However, the timeline and structure of settlement is currently under reform through the government's proposed Earned Settlement changes, which have been discussed as potentially extending the qualifying period for some routes and linking settlement more closely to earnings, tax contributions and English language ability. As of August 2026 the exact final rules and effective dates are not settled in this guide's scope — do not assume the 5-year figure will remain unchanged for your case, and check the current position directly on gov.uk before making long-term financial or family decisions around settlement timing.

Graduate Route length, Skilled Worker salary thresholds, the Immigration Salary List and the settlement/Earned Settlement rules described above can all change with new Home Office policy. Always check current requirements directly on gov.uk/student-visa, gov.uk/graduate-visa, gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa and the independent guidance at ukcisa.org.uk before filing any application or making a decision based on a specific visa timeline.