Frequently asked questions

No. Advising on a person's immigration eligibility, or applying for them, is regulated work in the UK. Only advisers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority, solicitors and barristers can do it. I share general information, point you to the official gov.uk pages and help with the job search around them. For your own case, use the adviser finder on GOV.UK.

Career and job-search support for international students in the UK: CV and LinkedIn, sponsor shortlists, interview prep, reading a job ad the way a sponsor does, and planning your dates from official sources. For founders, sharpening the idea and plan before a meeting with an endorsing body.

No, and nobody honest can. Employers decide who they hire and the Home Office decides visa applications. I help you prepare well and avoid common mistakes.

Use the Quick checks first. They take a few minutes and cover the questions students ask most: is a job code on the eligible list, how long is my window, am I over my work hours. Then read the route guide that matches your stage, and book a short clarity call if something is still unclear.

Every route guide and blog post links the gov.uk page it is based on and shows the date it was last checked. Rules change, so treat the date as part of the answer and confirm on gov.uk before you act.

Gov.uk says the limit depends on your course level and what your visa conditions say. Usually it is up to 20 hours a week in term time for degree-level study, and up to 10 hours for study below degree level, with full-time work allowed in official vacation periods. Your own conditions come first, so check your eVisa or decision letter and ask your university advice team. Use the work hours counter to track your week.

Gov.uk lists self-employment and working as a professional sportsperson or entertainer among the things a Student visa does not allow. Check the Student visa work page and your own conditions before taking any paid work.

It is your online immigration status record. Employers can check your right to work using a share code you generate from your account. Set it up early and make sure your details match your passport. See View and prove your immigration status.

You apply through gov.uk once you have a job or are about to start one. Having work rights does not automatically give you a number. See Apply for a National Insurance number.

Your visa end date, your course end date, and the date your university will report your completion. Put them side by side in one calendar. The Graduate dates check turns your course end date into the dates that matter next.

Per gov.uk, applications made on or before 31 December 2026 receive 2 years, and applications made on or after 1 January 2027 receive 18 months. Doctoral qualifications receive 3 years either way. Check the gov.uk page before you plan, as rules can change.

No. Gov.uk states that a Graduate visa cannot be extended. You may be able to switch to another route, such as Skilled Worker or Innovator Founder, if you meet that route's requirements.

After your university has reported your successful completion to the Home Office, and before your Student visa expires. You do not need to wait for graduation or your certificate. You must apply from inside the UK.

Gov.uk says the Graduate visa lets you work, look for work or be self-employed in the UK. Check the current list of what you cannot do on the same page.

A Standard Occupational Classification code is a four-digit number that groups UK jobs by the work done. For sponsored work, your employer puts a code on your Certificate of Sponsorship. Look yours up with the SOC code checker.

Your employer. The sponsor assigns the code based on the real duties of the role. You can learn how codes work so you search for suitable roles and spot mismatches, but the code is not yours to pick.

Titles on the list are examples, not an exact match. Look at the duties instead of the title: find the code whose description fits the day-to-day work. If you are unsure, ask the employer which code they would use, and read the official eligible occupations page.

They are the labels gov.uk puts on each code in its list of eligible occupations. Higher Skilled is the level the Skilled Worker route is built around. Medium Skilled codes are listed too, but only some of them can be sponsored for new applicants, through the Temporary Shortage List. Ineligible means a job in that code cannot be sponsored. The SOC code checker turns this into one answer per code. The job also needs a licensed sponsor, a Certificate of Sponsorship and the salary and English requirements.

Some Medium Skilled jobs can be sponsored only because they are on gov.uk's Temporary Shortage List. Under Immigration Rules SW 6.1A, a code counts as on that list only where the application uses a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026. If your job's code is on the list, ask your employer now whether your certificate has been issued. The SOC code checker shows which codes are on the list. The Migration Advisory Committee has recommended a new list from January 2027, but that is not law until the Immigration Rules change.

Start with the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. It lists employers allowed to sponsor workers. It does not say whether a given employer will sponsor your particular role, so ask early in the hiring process.

Keep it short and factual, for example 'Graduate visa until [date]' in your profile line, or leave it for the application form if the form asks. Employers must check right to work before you start, but a clear line saves a recruiter guessing.

Gov.uk lists a job offer from a licensed sponsor, a Certificate of Sponsorship, a job in an eligible occupation, a minimum salary, and meeting the English language requirement. Read the Skilled Worker visa pages for the current detail, because thresholds change.

Gov.uk has different salary rules for some applicants, including people who are switching from a Student or Graduate visa. The figures change, so check the current numbers on the your job page rather than relying on a blog or video.

A record your sponsor creates on the Home Office system for your job. It carries details such as the job title, the SOC code and the salary. You need one to apply. The employer issues it, so you cannot buy or arrange one yourself.

Be careful. Genuine sponsors do not ask workers to pay for a Certificate of Sponsorship or for a job. If someone asks for money for a job offer, use the job scam check and see Action Fraud.

A route for starting a new business in the UK. An approved endorsing body must endorse your idea as new, innovative, viable and scalable. Per gov.uk the visa lasts 3 years and can be extended by another 3 years. The endorsement decision belongs to the endorsing body.

I help you sharpen the idea and the plan before you speak to an endorsing body. That is business coaching. Endorsement decisions are made by the endorsing bodies.

Pick a call, a day and a time on the booking page. Times are shown in UK time by default and you can switch to your own time zone. Calls are 10 to 30 minutes. You get the call link by WhatsApp or email before the session.

Message on WhatsApp or Instagram as early as you can and a new slot will be arranged.

Your name, email, WhatsApp number and message are stored so I can reply and run the session. They are not sold or shared for marketing. See the privacy section of the legal page. Please do not send passport, BRP or other ID numbers.

No. It is an AI assistant that answers from this site's own guides. It cannot see your case, and it is not immigration advice. For a person, use WhatsApp or book a call.