From 3 August 2026, a child born in the UK during a parent’s current Graduate route permission can apply in the UK as that parent’s dependant. If granted, the child’s permission will normally end on the same date as whichever parent’s immigration permission expires first.
The change closes a gap in the previous rules. Graduate dependants generally had to have held permission as a Student dependant before moving onto the Graduate route. A baby born after the parent had already become a Graduate therefore had no clear rules-based route to obtain matching dependant permission.
The amendment does not allow a child living overseas to join a Graduate visa holder, extend the parent’s permission or create a direct route to settlement. Parents unfamiliar with the wider requirements can read our guides to a student visa dependant and how the Graduate route works.
What changed on 3 August 2026
The change was introduced by the Home Office statement of changes HC 259, published on 9 July 2026. Appendix Graduate now expressly covers a child born in the UK to a parent who holds existing Graduate permission.
The application must be made from inside the UK. The child must meet the relevant validity, suitability, relationship and care requirements. A separate application is required, and parents will normally need the child’s passport or another identity document and full UK birth certificate.
Home Office statistics recorded 221,335 grants of extensions onto the Graduate route in the year ending December 2025, 6% fewer than in the previous year. The Graduate route evaluation provides further information about how graduates use the route.
Before and after the change
| Point | Before 3 August 2026 | From 3 August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| UK-born child born during Graduate permission | No clear route under Appendix Graduate | Can apply as a Graduate dependant |
| Place of application | No standard Graduate dependant application was available | Application must be made inside the UK |
| Length of permission | Not provided for under the route | Ends when the earlier-expiring parent’s permission ends |
| Overseas children | Existing dependant rules applied | No new entitlement to join from overseas |
| Settlement | Graduate route remained non-settlement | No direct settlement route created |
Costs, timing and practical evidence
From 8 April 2026, the Graduate route application fee is £937 for each applicant, including a dependant child. A child under 18 normally pays the Immigration Health Surcharge at £776 per year. The final surcharge depends on the length of permission granted and is calculated in yearly and half-year periods.
A child born in the UK does not automatically become British. British citizenship normally depends on whether at least one parent was British or settled when the child was born. Parents should obtain the birth certificate, arrange a passport where possible and apply before international travel. An application may be withdrawn if the child travels outside the Common Travel Area before a decision.
Keep the child’s details and the parents’ eVisas and digital status records accurate. Our guide to UK immigration timelines can also help with planning.
Planning the family’s next immigration route
The Graduate visa cannot be extended. Many graduates therefore consider switching to a Skilled Worker visa. Eligible children may be able to switch as dependants, subject to the rules applying to the parent’s occupation and circumstances. Our guides explain bringing dependants on a Skilled Worker visa and the main Skilled Worker visa requirements.
The self-sponsorship route is not a separate visa category. It usually involves a UK business obtaining a sponsor licence and sponsoring the applicant under the Skilled Worker rules.
The Graduate route does not itself lead to settlement. However, lawful time on it can potentially count towards indefinite leave to remain based on long residence, provided all relevant residence and absence requirements are met. Different requirements apply under other child dependant and parent routes.
Get the detail right the first time
If you hold Graduate permission and need to regularise the status of a UK-born child, speak to our immigration solicitors in London for advice on the application and your family’s next route. Call +44 (0)20 7799 1600 or request a consultation.
