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# Graduate Visa to Skilled Worker: How to Switch
- URL: https://blog.visajobshub.com/graduate-visa-to-skilled-worker-switch/
- Published: 2026-09-28T09:28:12.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-28T09:28:12.000Z
- Author: Fayez Bin Khalid

The Graduate visa is one of the best things that can happen to an international student. You can work for any employer, in any job, with no sponsorship needed.

But it has an expiry date, and it can't be extended. If you want to stay in the UK long term, you'll almost certainly need to switch to a Skilled Worker visa before it runs out. I've been through this process myself, and I've coached hundreds of graduates through it since. Here's how it works.

### Why the clock matters more than ever

Most people treat the Graduate visa as a two-year break before they need to think about sponsorship. That's a mistake. The switch takes planning, and most employers won't start the sponsorship process in your final month.

It's also getting shorter. Students who apply on or after 1 January 2027 will get 18 months rather than two years. If you already hold the visa, your two years stand. Either way, start planning your switch from day one.

### What you need to switch

To move from a Graduate visa to Skilled Worker, you need:

1. **A job offer from a licensed sponsor.** The employer must hold a sponsor licence from the Home Office. (Here's [how to check if a company has one](https://blog.visajobshub.com/check-if-company-has-sponsor-licence/).)
2. **An eligible role.** The job must be at degree level, known as RQF Level 6\. Every role has a four-digit SOC code, and that code decides whether it qualifies.
3. **The right salary.** More on this below, because it's where most switches succeed or fail.
4. **A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).** Your employer issues this. It's a digital reference number you'll use in your application.
5. **English language.** Since you have a UK degree, you typically meet this requirement automatically.

### The new entrant rule: your biggest advantage

This is the rule every Graduate visa holder needs to understand.

The standard threshold is £41,700 a year, or the "going rate" for the job, whichever is higher. That's a lot for a first graduate job.

But as a Graduate visa holder, you usually count as a "new entrant". The New Entrant salary threshold is £33,400 or 70% of the going rate, whichever is higher.

That difference is huge. It means far more roles become sponsorable, and far more employers can afford to sponsor you.

The catch is that it doesn't last forever. It's capped at 4 years including Graduate Route time. So if you spend two full years on your Graduate visa before switching, you only get two more years at the lower rate. After that, you'll need to meet the full threshold.

**The takeaway:** switching earlier gives you more time at the lower salary, and more time to grow into the full threshold.

### How the switch works, step by step

**Step 1: Check the employer and the role**  
Confirm the company is on the sponsor register with an A rating, and ask for the SOC code of the role. Check that code is eligible on gov.uk.

**Step 2: Check the salary**  
Look up the going rate for that SOC code. As a new entrant, your salary must be at least £33,400 and at least 70% of that going rate. Both, not either.

**Step 3: Get your Certificate of Sponsorship**  
Your employer assigns you a CoS. For a Graduate visa holder switching from inside the UK, the employer should normally assign an Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship. If your employer has never sponsored before, it's worth mentioning this, because it's a common mix-up.

**Step 4: Apply online before your Graduate visa expires**  
You apply on gov.uk from inside the UK. You don't need to go home first. You must have valid leave at the moment you hit submit. Overstaying will void your right to switch within the UK.

**Step 5: Stay put while you wait**  
If you leave the Common Travel Area while your application is being processed, your application will be automatically withdrawn. Don't book that holiday yet.

### Mistakes I see all the time

**Waiting too long.** The most common one. People leave it until the last few months, then panic when their employer says sponsorship takes time to arrange.

**Assuming any graduate job qualifies.** Around 180 occupations fell below the new RQF 6 line and out of the route after the 2025 changes. Your job title means nothing. The SOC code is what counts.

**The wrong CoS length.** Another mistake is being issued a CoS for a longer period than the period you qualify for the New Entrant rate. If your visa runs past your new entrant window, you may need to meet the full threshold for the whole period. Ask your employer to align the length with your eligibility.

**Changing jobs and losing the discount.** You can switch to a different employer after getting the Skilled Worker visa, but not on the New Entrant salary rate unless you are under 26\. Factor that in before you move.

### Start with the right employers

The hardest part of the switch isn't the application. It's finding an employer who can and will sponsor you, for a role that qualifies, at a salary that works.

That's exactly why I built [Visa Jobs Hub](https://visajobshub.com/?ref=blog.visajobshub.com). It scores UK job listings by how likely they are to offer sponsorship, so you spend your Graduate visa applying to jobs that can actually lead somewhere.

*Salary figures correct as of September 2026\. Immigration rules change regularly, so always check the latest guidance on gov.uk before you apply.*