VISAS & IMMIGRATION
UK visa route comparison: work, talent, founder and study routes
Compare the route’s first gate—job offer, sponsor, endorsement, degree or course—before spending time and money on an application strategy.
- Decision points
- 7 useful sections
- Reading time
- 2 minutes
- Source checks
- 2 named checkpoints
- Last reviewed
- 12 SEPTEMBER 2026
Compare the gate before collecting evidence.
A decision shortlist—not legal advice. Every route opens to its current GOV.UK checkpoint.
Graduate permission changes from two years to 18 months for non-doctoral applications made on or after 1 January 2027. Verify your own date and eligibility.
Skilled Worker
You have an eligible job offer from an approved sponsor.
- JOB / COURSE OFFER
- Required
- SPONSOR / ENDORSEMENT
- Required
- ENGLISH
- Required
- INITIAL LENGTH
- Up to 5 years
- SETTLEMENT
- Possible after 5 years
Global Talent — digital technology
You can evidence leadership or potential leadership in eligible digital technology.
- JOB / COURSE OFFER
- Not required
- SPONSOR / ENDORSEMENT
- Not required
- ENGLISH
- No minimum rule
- INITIAL LENGTH
- Choose up to 5 years
- SETTLEMENT
- 3 or 5 years
Innovator Founder
You will build a new, innovative, viable and scalable endorsed business.
- JOB / COURSE OFFER
- Not required
- SPONSOR / ENDORSEMENT
- Endorsement
- ENGLISH
- Required
- INITIAL LENGTH
- 3 years
- SETTLEMENT
- Possible after 3 years
Graduate
You successfully completed an eligible UK course on a Student visa.
- JOB / COURSE OFFER
- Not required
- SPONSOR / ENDORSEMENT
- Not required
- ENGLISH
- Via prior study route
- INITIAL LENGTH
- 2 years before 2027; then 18 months
- SETTLEMENT
- No direct route
High Potential Individual
You graduated from an eligible overseas university within the last 5 years.
- JOB / COURSE OFFER
- Not required
- SPONSOR / ENDORSEMENT
- Not required
- ENGLISH
- Required
- INITIAL LENGTH
- 2 years; 3 with doctorate
- SETTLEMENT
- No direct route
Student
You have a course offer and CAS from a licensed student sponsor.
- JOB / COURSE OFFER
- Course offer
- SPONSOR / ENDORSEMENT
- Student sponsor
- ENGLISH
- Required
- INITIAL LENGTH
- Linked to course
- SETTLEMENT
- No direct route
Start with purpose and status
Nationality, current permission, location and intended activity can change the answer. Use the official checker and individual route before assuming that a route described online applies to you.
Employer-led routes
Skilled Worker normally requires an eligible job, approved sponsor, certificate of sponsorship, salary test and English. A company being on the sponsor register does not mean every vacancy is sponsored.
Evidence-led routes
Global Talent digital technology does not require a job offer or minimum salary, but most applicants need endorsement as a leader or potential leader. Evidence must match the published route, not a generic professional biography.
Founder and study routes
Innovator Founder requires endorsement of a new, innovative, viable and scalable business. Student permission requires a course offer from a licensed sponsor, funds and English; post-study options have their own dates and limits.
Compare the qualifying event first
Routes begin with different facts: an eligible job and sponsor, a qualifying university award, endorsement, family relationship or study offer. Do not compare only fees or headline duration before establishing which event has actually occurred. Build a one-page evidence map showing the official rule, the document that proves it and the date by which it must remain valid. If a required fact is missing, the route is not yet a practical option.
Separate permission from settlement
The ability to work, change employer, bring dependants, extend or qualify toward settlement differs by route and can change the long-term cost. A short route with broad work permission may still require a later switch, while a sponsored route can tie important decisions to the job. Compare the complete sequence, not only the first visa. Use the official GOV.UK page for current eligibility and obtain regulated advice when history or family circumstances are complex.
Build a change-safe application plan
Record passport validity, current permission, travel plans, English evidence, maintenance funds, sponsor or endorsement documents and any biometric step. Keep a dated copy of the official guidance used for the application, but recheck it immediately before submission. Do not book non-refundable travel around a typical processing time. A comparison tool supports questions; it does not replace the route-specific rules or a legal assessment.
