Student route (formerly Tier 4)
United Kingdom
One-year master's, and a graduate route that is narrowing
The shortest route to a recognised master's degree, and the destination whose rules are moving fastest. Two changes matter for anyone applying now: maintenance thresholds rise on 30 November 2026, and the Graduate Route shortens for applications made on or after 1 January 2027.
Figures verified
September 2026
- Funds to evidence
- £13,347 London · £10,224 outside London
- Post-study work
- Graduate Route — 18 months from 1 January 2027
- Intakes
- September · January · May
SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026
Why UK
The case, and the conditions.
- Visa
- Student route (formerly Tier 4)
- Currency
- GBP (£)
- Processing
- Varies by application centre and season.
The United Kingdom remains the most efficient postgraduate destination in the English-speaking world. A taught master's is ordinarily completed in twelve months, which compresses tuition, living costs and lost earnings into a single academic year. For a student funding study from family income rather than a loan, that compression is often the whole argument.
It is also the destination where the rules have moved most often. Maintenance requirements, the length of the Graduate Route and the treatment of accommodation payments have all changed since 2024, and two further changes land inside the next application cycle. An application built on last year's numbers is an application built to fail.
What has not changed is what the caseworker is actually assessing: whether the course is a credible next step from your transcript, and whether the money in your account is genuinely yours and genuinely available. Those two questions decide most Student route files.
We take UK files on the basis that the financial evidence is prepared first and the personal statement second. It is the opposite order to how most students want to work, and it is the order in which the file is actually assessed.
Changes to plan around
Maintenance rises on 30 November 2026
£1,570 per month in London and £1,203 outside London for applications made on or after that date. If your funds are tight, file before it.
SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026
Graduate Route shortens on 1 January 2027
Applications made on or after 1 January 2027 receive 18 months rather than 24. This changes the payback arithmetic on a UK master's.
SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026
Programmes & institutions
What students in your field study here.
Programmes commonly offered here in the disciplines we specialise in, and the institutions worth knowing. A sample, not a ranking — and not a claim of partnership or placement.
Healthcare & engineering focus
- MSc Public Health
- MSc Renewable Energy Engineering
Other programmes that recur
- MSc Data Science
- MSc Advanced Computer Science
- MSc Finance and Investment
- MA International Business Management
Institutions to know
A sample of well-known institutions, not a ranking. We shortlist against your record, your discipline and your budget.
University of Edinburgh
EdinburghStrong across informatics, data science and public health.
University of Manchester
ManchesterLarge engineering and materials base with substantial industry links.
University of Glasgow
GlasgowBroad postgraduate portfolio with a well-run international office.
Queen Mary University of London
LondonLondon address with a wide taught master's catalogue.
University of Leeds
LeedsBusiness, transport and design, with sizeable September intakes.
University of Birmingham
BirminghamEngineering and business, with a well-established January intake.
Tuition
Additional to the maintenance figure
Tuition is set programme by programme, not nationally. We quote the exact figure from your offer letter and model it against the financial evidence your visa requires — we do not publish averages, because no student pays an average.
Cost of living, line by line
£1,136 – £1,483 per month
This is the figure the Home Office requires you to evidence, not a budget. It rises to £1,203 – £1,570 on 30 November 2026.
We publish the official maintenance benchmark because it is sourced and checkable. We do not publish a monthly city-by-city budget, because those numbers circulate unsourced and students plan against them.
Verified requirements
The figures, with the page they came from.
Maintenance is £1,483 per month in London and £1,136 per month outside London, for a maximum of nine months. From 30 November 2026 those monthly figures rise to £1,570 and £1,203. Funds must be held for the qualifying period before the application date, and the money is required in addition to any outstanding tuition.
SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026
| Requirement | Figure in force |
|---|---|
| Maintenance — London | £1,483 / month Up to nine months — £13,347 in total. Rises to £1,570 per month for applications made on or after 30 November 2026. SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026 |
| Maintenance — outside London | £1,136 / month Up to nine months — £10,224 in total. Rises to £1,203 per month for applications made on or after 30 November 2026. SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026 |
| Accommodation payment offset cap | £1,529 The maximum accommodation payment that can be deducted from the maintenance requirement, for applications made on or after 11 November 2025. SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026 |
| Graduate Route length | 18 months For applications made on or after 1 January 2027, down from 24 months. Doctoral provisions are set separately. SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026 |
| Graduate Route fee | £937 Payable in addition to the immigration health surcharge. SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026 |
| Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies | Required Issued by a licensed student sponsor. The CAS must match your qualifications, course and funding exactly. A documentary requirement rather than a published figure — confirm the current wording with the relevant authority or your institution. |
The process
From offer letter to decision.
Student route (formerly Tier 4)
The order matters more than the paperwork. Several of these steps require money to move, or a document to age, before the next one can start.
- 01
Secure an unconditional offer and a CAS
Varies by institution
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is issued only once conditions are met and any required deposit is paid. Every detail on it must reconcile with your documents.
- 02
Hold the maintenance funds for the qualifying period
Plan at least a month ahead of filing
Funds must sit in an acceptable account for the required consecutive period ending shortly before you apply. Money that lands the week before is the single most common avoidable refusal.
- 03
Complete the online application and pay the health surcharge
Same day
The immigration health surcharge is paid for the full visa length at the point of application.
- 04
Biometrics and document upload
By appointment
Attend your visa application centre. Where a digital route is offered, follow the instructions on your grant email precisely.
- 05
Decision and travel
Per published standard
Check the current published service standard for your centre. Do not book non-refundable travel before a decision.
Rights and pathways
What the visa lets you do.
Work rights are conditions printed on the visa you are actually granted, not a national constant. Read the grant notice — where we quote hours or caps, we quote them from the published source rather than a figure that may already have moved.
After you graduate
Graduate Route — 18 months from 1 January 2027
The Graduate Route currently gives 24 months of unsponsored work rights (36 months for doctoral graduates). For applications made on or after 1 January 2027 it drops to 18 months. The application fee is £937, paid in addition to the immigration health surcharge.
SourceUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026
While you study
Term-time work at degree level, within the cap printed on your grant.
Term-time work is permitted for most students on degree-level courses at higher education providers, within an hours cap stated on your visa grant. Students at some provider types have no work rights at all — read the grant letter, not a forum.
Toward residence
No direct route — switch to a sponsored work visa, then qualify by residence.
No direct route from the Graduate Route itself. Settlement ordinarily requires moving onto a sponsored work visa with an eligible employer and completing a qualifying residence period — plan for the switch, not for an automatic path.
English tests accepted
Secure English Language Test where required; many universities accept their own assessment
Processing
Published service standards differ by application centre and season and priority services are not always available — check the standard in force for your centre before you book flights.
Common refusal grounds
What gets UK files refused.
Almost none of it is academic. These are the grounds we prepare against from the first week of a file.
Maintenance funds held for too short a period
How we pre-empt it
We set the funds clock at the start of the file and file only once it has fully run.
Account holder or sponsor not permitted under the rules
How we pre-empt it
We check the account type and relationship against the rules before a single document is gathered.
CAS details that do not match the submitted documents
How we pre-empt it
We reconcile the CAS line by line against transcripts, English scores and funding before you apply.
Course progression that the caseworker cannot follow
How we pre-empt it
The personal statement is written to make the academic step from your transcript to the course explicit.
Example pathways
Profiles that consider UK.
Example pathways describe typical profiles. They are not testimonials and do not describe any individual student or outcome.
- Example pathwayPharmacy · Pharm-D → master's
A Pharm-D graduate from Lahore exploring MSc Clinical Pharmacy in the UK
Why UK fits
A taught master's is ordinarily one year, and the maintenance threshold and Graduate Route are published and sourced.
Read the pathway → - Example pathwayNursing · BSN → master's
A BSc Nursing graduate considering Ireland
Why UK fits
Nursing and health master's programmes are widely offered, with a one-year format and published maintenance thresholds.
Read the pathway → - Example pathwayPublic Health · Bachelor's → master's, after a gap
A working professional with a study gap returning to a master's
Why UK fits
One-year taught master's programmes suit a professional returning to study, and the thresholds are published.
Read the pathway →
Start here
UK, or one of the other six?
Book a free profile assessment. We will tell you honestly whether this destination fits your record, what would have to change first, and — if it is the better answer — which of the other six fits it better.
Talk to an advisor
- +92 300 0000000
- Mon–Sat, 10:00–18:00 PKT
- Fees and services are discussed openly during consultation.
The other six
Most students compare at least three.
Canada
Capped, but materially easier for master's applicants in 2026
Explore CanadaAustralia
Genuine Student, evidenced properly
Explore AustraliaUnited States
Decided in three minutes, prepared over three months
Explore USAGermany
Low tuition, high documentation
Explore GermanyIreland
English-speaking, EU, and explicit about its numbers
Explore IrelandNew Zealand
Three years after a bachelor's, and a new short-term route
Explore New Zealand
Important — please read
Medica Study Advisor is an independent study-abroad consultancy. We are not a law firm and do not provide immigration legal advice. Visa rules, fees and financial thresholds change frequently — always confirm current requirements with the relevant official government authority before acting. Figures shown were last verified in September 2026.
Medica Study Advisor does not guarantee admissions, visa outcomes, jobs or sponsorships. We provide guidance, information and support to help you pursue opportunities responsibly.
Verified againstUKCISA — Student update: changes to the Student and Graduate rulesLast verified September 2026