The 2026 Budget will keep a two-year Graduate visa for graduates of high-compliance universities where there are strong labour market outcomes, reversing a planned cut to 18 months. The Budget document, published on Wednesday 28 October, states that the graduate visa duration will be set at two years for graduates from such universities, as part of a package to tighten immigration for low and medium-skill migrants while improving the offer to international talent.

A planned cut reversed, for some

The longer visa had been due to fall from two years to 18 months for applications from January 2027, after a cut announced last year. The Budget does not define what counts as a high-compliance university, what constitutes strong labour market outcomes, or how many universities are expected to qualify, and it does not say whether eligibility will be linked to the tougher Basic Compliance Assessment requirements governing student sponsor licences. Research Professional News has approached the Home Office for further information on how high compliance will be defined, and universities will not be able to tell from the Budget alone which institutions meet the test.

What is still undefined

The same package expands the High Potential Individual visa from graduates of the top 80 institutions in the world to the top 150, with a proportional increase to the cap under the scheme. The announcement comes as international student visa applications have fallen sharply, down 32% in August 2026 compared with 2023, and universities have blamed Home Office policies for dissuading applicants. Anyone planning to apply should check the official GOV.UK Graduate visa page, as the Budget announcement is not yet a change to the Immigration Rules and the eligibility criteria are still to be set out.

Sources: GOV.UK Budget 2026 and Times Higher Education.