Still growing.New universities and courses are added most weekdays (not weekends), each checked against the university's own page before it goes live — worth checking back. Sources last read 1 Oct 2026. How we verify →

StudyPath
QS #=179Cardiff, United Kingdom· QS World University Rankings 2027

Cardiff University

Cardiff University, in Cardiff, United Kingdom, has 20 undergraduate courses listed on StudyPath. International tuition runs from £24,700 to £31,700 a year depending on the course. Cardiff publishes its own accommodation prices, from £5,745.60 per year. 15 of the 20 publish an application deadline. 1 named scholarship is recorded against these courses. Every figure above was read from Cardiff's own published pages and last checked on 29 September 2026.

Applying from abroad? Deadlines, final results and start dates catch many students out. Read this before you choose ↓

Courses
20
Fees verified
20 / 20
Scholarship entries
10
cardiff.ac.uk ↗
International tuition across 20 courses

£24,700to£31,700a year

Lowest: Accounting BSc and 3 othersHighest: Computer Science with Cyber Security BSc and 5 others
Applies everywhere on the site, on this device — change it any time.
Not set — every fee below is the international rate. Home and EU/EEA rates are often far lower.

courses

20 courses

Accounting

BSc · 3 years · Accounting

International tuition

£24,700 per year

~£74,100 for the whole 3 years, at today's fee
Verified

2026/27 · Priced for this course · International students

Cardiff calls the international rate 'overseas' status. The fee is flat across all three years of the course.

Show the fee on the university's site
Intake
September 2026
Source
✓ Word for wordRead 3 Sept 2026
“Accounting (BSc) Accounting (BSc) Subject area: Accounting and finance UCAS code: N400 Next intake: September 2026”
Accounting | Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.uk
Open the official page ↗
Application deadline
around 30 June
Source

What you'll study

Not yet added.

Economics

BSc · 3 years · Economics

International tuition

£24,700 per year

~£74,100 for the whole 3 years, at today's fee
Verified

2026/27 · Priced for this course · International students

Cardiff calls the international rate 'overseas' status. The fee is flat across all three years of the course.

Show the fee on the university's site
Intake
September 2026
Source
✓ Word for wordRead 3 Sept 2026
“Economics (BSc) Economics (BSc) Subject area: Economics UCAS code: L101 Next intake: September 2026”
Economics | Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.uk
Open the official page ↗
Application deadline
around 30 June
Source

What you'll study

Not yet added.

Business Management

BSc · 3 years · Business & Management

International tuition

£24,700 per year

~£74,100 for the whole 3 years, at today's fee
Verified

2026/27 · Priced for this course · International students

Cardiff labels this table 'Tuition fees for 2026 entry' rather than an academic-year range; recorded under 'overseas' fee status, which is the rate international students pay (home-status rate for comparison: £9,790/year).

Show the fee on the university's site
Intake
September 2026
Source
✓ Word for wordRead 3 Sept 2026
“Business Management (BSc) Business Management (BSc) Subject area: Business management UCAS code: N201 Next intake: September 2026”
Business Management | Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.uk
Open the official page ↗
Application deadline
around 30 June
Source

What you'll study

Not yet added.

Business Economics

BSc · 3 years · Economics, Business & Management

International tuition

£24,700 per year

~£74,100 for the whole 3 years, at today's fee
Verified

2026/27 · Priced for this course · International students

Cardiff labels this table 'Tuition fees for 2026 entry' rather than an academic-year range; recorded under 'overseas' fee status, which is the rate international students pay (home-status rate for comparison: £9,790/year).

Show the fee on the university's site
Intake
September 2026
Source
✓ Word for wordRead 3 Sept 2026
“Business Economics (BSc) Business Economics (BSc) Subject area: Economics UCAS code: L115 Next intake: September 2026”
Business Economics | Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.uk
Open the official page ↗
Application deadline
around 30 June
Source

What you'll study

Not yet added.

Computer Science

BSc · 3 years · Computer Science

International tuition

£30,700 per year

~£92,100 for the whole 3 years, at today's fee
Verified

2026/27 · Priced for this course · International students

Cardiff calls the international rate 'overseas' status. The fee is flat across all three years of the course. Cardiff prices Computer Science and its other STEM undergraduate courses at the same flat £30,700/year overseas rate; separate, lower fees apply to non-STEM/classroom-based subjects, which StudyPath does not cover.

Show the fee on the university's site
Intake
September 2026
Source
Application deadline
around 30 June
Source

What you'll study

Not yet added.

Scholarships1 available

  • Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships

    £10,000 tuition fee waiver/discount applied to the first year of study only.

    Eligibility: International (overseas) fee status, self-financed, holding an offer for an eligible undergraduate degree (excludes Dentistry, Medicine and Healthcare programmes), meeting the original published admissions criteria for the programme.

    Nine scholarships offered. The source page is dated inconsistently between an 'autumn 2027' entry cohort (used throughout most of the page, including the headline sentence and key dates) and one stray reference to 'autumn 2026' in the eligibility list — recorded here as published; check the live page for the cohort year current at the time of application.

    Source
Entry requirementsEnglish · grades

English language

  • IELTS Academic, 6.5 overall, 5.5 in each subskill
  • TOEFL iBT, 90 overall
Source

Academic offer

A level: ABB-BBC
Source
Convert your grade to compare →

Applied Software Engineering

BSc · 3 years · Software Engineering

International tuition

£30,700 per year

~£92,100 for the whole 3 years, at today's fee
Verified

2026/27 · Priced for this course · International students

Cardiff calls the international rate 'overseas' status. The fee is flat across all three years of the course. Taught at Cardiff's National Software Academy, part of the School of Computer Science and Informatics.

Show the fee on the university's site
Intake
September 2026
Source
Application deadline
around 30 June
Source

What you'll study

Not yet added.

Scholarships1 available

  • Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships

    £10,000 tuition fee waiver/discount applied to the first year of study only.

    Eligibility: International (overseas) fee status, self-financed, holding an offer for an eligible undergraduate degree (excludes Dentistry, Medicine and Healthcare programmes), meeting the original published admissions criteria for the programme.

    Nine scholarships offered. The source page is dated inconsistently between an 'autumn 2027' entry cohort (used throughout most of the page, including the headline sentence and key dates) and one stray reference to 'autumn 2026' in the eligibility list -- recorded here as published; check the live page for the cohort year current at the time of application.

    Source
Entry requirementsEnglish · grades

English language

  • IELTS Academic, 6.5 overall, 5.5 in each subskill
  • TOEFL iBT, 90 overall
Source

Academic offer

A level: ABB-BBC
Source
Convert your grade to compare →

How Cardiff compares

Against the other universities in the United Kingdom on StudyPath, using each one's verified international fees and its own published housing prices. Universities are only compared with others charging in the same currency (and, for housing, for the same period), so no figure here has been converted. A ~ marks a year worked out from a per-term or whole-course fee.

Cardiff's lowest undergraduate fee for international students is £24,700 a year, for Accounting. Of the 43 other universities in the United Kingdom we list with undergraduate fees in GBP, 25 charge more at their lowest, 17 charge less, 1 charges the same. Their lowest undergraduate fees run from ~£2,939 (UoL Online) to £46,210 (Oxford).

Student housing. Cardiff's own lowest published rate is £5,745.60 per year. Of the 3 other universities in the United Kingdom we list that publish housing per year in GBP, 3 charge less. Their lowest published rates run from £4,853 (Manchester) to £5,371 (UEA).

Living costs. The living-cost figure for a student visa to the United Kingdom is £1,171 per month, on top of tuition (figure for 31 December 2025; read 19 Aug 2026 from gov.uk). The authority attaches conditions that can change this amount; see them in full on student finance.

By subject
SubjectLowest fee hereAgainst other universities in the United KingdomTheir lowest fees
Computer Scienceundergraduate£30,700Computer Science25 of 42 charge more~£7,276 to £66,580
Mathematicsundergraduate£30,700Mathematics16 of 42 charge more£17,400 to £50,420
Biology & Life Sciencesundergraduate£30,700Biological Sciences21 of 37 charge more£21,795 to £46,210
Economicsundergraduate£24,700Business Economics26 of 37 charge more~£2,939 to £46,210
Physicsundergraduate£30,700Physics24 of 36 charge more£23,500 to £50,420
Electrical & Electronic Engineeringundergraduate£30,700Electrical and Electronic Engineering22 of 35 charge more£21,795 to £45,500

Subjects taught at Cardiff

Each one opens every course in that subject, at every university we hold, with the same verified fees.

Where these figures come from

13 sentences from Cardiff's own site each back several figures above. Each is quoted once here; every course that uses one still opens it and links to its own source page.

  1. Used for application deadline on 15 courses

    “UCAS application deadlines You can submit your UCAS application from the beginning of September in the year prior to entry. You should apply as early as possible as courses may close if they become full. The closing date for UK applications is 14 January* (2026 entry) The normal closing date for international applications is around 30 June Clinical programmes have earlier application deadlines. For Medicine (UCAS codes: A101 and A104) and Dentistry (UCAS code: A200) the closing date is around 15 October in the year prior to entry. * 14 January is the UCAS equal consideration date. Applications received after this date may still be considered however this is not guaranteed. We therefore recommend that all UK applicants apply before 14 January.”
    How to apply | Undergraduate study | Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.ukread 20 Sept 2026
    Open the official page ↗

  2. Used for home fee on 13 courses

    “Fees for home status Year Tuition fee 1 Deposit Year one £9,790 None”
    The same sentence appears on 13 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026 to 27 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  3. Used for entry requirements on 10 courses

    “IELTS (academic) At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill. TOEFL iBT At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.”
    The same sentence appears on 10 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  4. Used for start dates on 10 courses

    “Next intake: September 2026”
    The same sentence appears on 10 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  5. Used for scholarship on 10 courses

    “Our nine Undergraduate International Excellence scholarships for 2027 offer £10,000 awards to undergraduate international students who can demonstrate their academic potential.”
    Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships - Study - Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open the official page ↗

  6. Used for international fee on 10 courses

    “Fees for overseas status Year Tuition fee Deposit Year one £30,700 None Year two £30,700 None Year three £30,700 None”
    The same sentence appears on 10 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  7. Used for international fee on 5 courses

    “Fees for overseas status Year Tuition fee Deposit Year one £31,700 None”
    The same sentence appears on 5 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 29 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  8. Used for international fee on 4 courses

    “Fees for overseas status Year Tuition fee Deposit Year one £24,700 None Year two £24,700 None Year three £24,700 None”
    The same sentence appears on 4 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 3 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  9. Used for course length on 4 courses

    “Duration: 3 years”
    The same sentence appears on 4 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 3 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  10. Used for home fee on 2 courses

    “Fees for home status Year Tuition fee Deposit Year one £9,790 None”
    The same sentence appears on 2 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026 to 3 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  11. Used for entry requirements on 2 courses

    “A level ABB-BBC”
    The same sentence appears on 2 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  12. Used for entry requirements on 2 courses

    “A level ABB-BBC. Must include grade B in Maths.”
    The same sentence appears on 2 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

  13. Used for entry requirements on 2 courses

    “A level AAB-BBB. Must include grade B in Maths.”
    The same sentence appears on 2 pagescardiff.ac.ukread 1 Sept 2026
    Open one of them ↗

More about Cardiff

Student body

QS's own figures · QS World University Rankings 2027

Students
26,082
International students
5,311
≈20% of the student body (worked out here)
Faculty
2,218
International faculty
29%

These come from QS, not the university's own pages. Unlike every fee and deadline on this site. QS is the primary source for its own rankings and measurements, which is why it is cited here and rejected everywhere else.

Show the QS profile
✓ Word for wordRead 1 Sept 2026
“Total students 26,082 UG students 84.6% PG students 15.4% International students 5,311 UG students 62.8% PG students 37.2% Total faculty staff 2,218 Domestic staff 71% Int'l staff 29%”
Cardiff University : Rankings, Fees & Courses Details | TopUniversitiestopuniversities.com
Open the official page ↗

About & contact

Cardiff, United Kingdom· view on Google Maps ↗cardiff.ac.uk ↗

Find nearby

Halal food ↗Mosque ↗Supermarket ↗Pharmacy ↗Bank / ATM ↗SIM card ↗

These open a map search near Cardiff. StudyPath isn't listing or vouching for specific places — what the university itself publishes about on-campus facilities appears under On-campus amenities, cited like everything else here.

No admissions email, phone number, or address verified for this university yet. Not yet collected, not necessarily unavailable.

Accommodation

£5,745.60–£9,702per year

Cardiff University, University Hall residence, total accommodation cost for the year by room type (39-week contract), 2026/27

  • Shared bathroom£5,745.60
  • Ensuite£6,694.80
  • Studio£7,644
  • 1 bedroom flat£8,752.80
  • 2 bedroom flat£9,702

No additional charges for utilities or the University's internet network; rents refer to single occupancy except couples/family residences.

Published by the university itself, not a live listings price. Actual cost depends on room type, availability and when you apply.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 4 Sept 2026
“Shared bathroom £5745.60 3 X £1915.20 Ensuite £6694.80 3 X £2231.60 Studio £7644.00 3 x £2548 1 bedroom flat £8752.80 3 x £2917.60 2 bedroom flat £9702.00 3 x £3234”
University Hall - Study - Cardiff Universitycardiff.ac.uk
Open the official page ↗

Search student housing near Cardiff → (partner link)

Applying to the UK from abroad: what catches students out

Deadlines, results and start dates, in the words of UCAS and GOV.UK. Check them before you choose, not at the last step.

When to apply (UCAS)

  • For 2027 entry, applications to Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “Applications for any 2027 entry course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry, should arrive at UCAS by 18:00 (UK time) today to guarantee equal consideration.”
    2027 entry deadline for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry | UCASucas.com
    Open the official page ↗
  • For most other courses, apply by 13 January 2027 to be guaranteed equal consideration.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “The January equal consideration date will be 13 January 2027.”
    2027 cycle toolkit | UCASucas.com
    Open the official page ↗
  • After that date, the most popular courses are the ones likely to close.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “Be realistic and honest: The courses that are likely to close after the ECD are the most popular ones.”
    Why students should apply by the equal consideration date (ECD) | UCASucas.com
    Open the official page ↗

Offers come before your results

  • UK offers usually come before your results: a conditional offer means you still have to get the grades it asks for.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “A conditional offer means you still need to meet the requirements – usually exam results.”
    University offers - conditional, unconditional, unsuccessful & withdrawn | UCASucas.com
    Open the official page ↗
  • Most universities want proof you've met the conditions by 2 September. Check your own offer for its date.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “Most unis and colleges set a deadline of 2 September for you to meet the conditions of your offer, or for you to send them additional information by.”
    Waiting for Your University Place Confirmation? | UCASucas.com
    Open the official page ↗

Student visa

  • From outside the UK, the earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you start your course.”
    Student visa: Overview - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗
  • You usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within: 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK”
    Student visa: Overview - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗
  • If you have no qualification that proves your English, you need a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “If you do not have any qualifications that prove your knowledge of English, you will need to pass a Secure English Language Test ( SELT ) from an approved provider.”
    Student visa: Knowledge of English - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗
  • You need a TB test if you're coming for 6 months or more and have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, within the last 6 months.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “You’ll need to have a tuberculosis ( TB ) test if all of the following are true: you’re coming to the UK for 6 months or more you’ve lived in any of these listed countries for 6 months or more you were living there (or another listed country) within the last 6 months”
    Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗

ATAS: some science and technology subjects

  • Some sensitive technology-related subjects need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to certain foreign students and researchers who want to study or conduct research in specific sensitive technology-related fields in the UK.”
    Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗
  • If yours does, you need the certificate before you apply for the visa.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “For some visas you will need to have an ATAS certificate before applying for the visa so it can be checked as part of your visa application.”
    Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗
  • It takes at least 30 working days (6 weeks), and there is no fast track.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “ATAS applications take at least 30 working days (6 weeks) to process, and some complex ones can take longer. There is no ‘fast track’ service’.”
    Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗

Partners and children

  • Only government-sponsored students, and postgraduates on a PhD or other research degree (for courses starting from 1 January 2024), can bring a partner or children.
    Their words
    ✓ Word for wordRead 11 Oct 2026
    “You must be one of the following: a government-sponsored student starting a course that lasts longer than 6 months a full-time student on a postgraduate level course (RQF level 7 or above) that lasts 9 months or longer If your postgraduate level course starts on or after 1 January 2024, it must be either: a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8) a research-based higher degree”
    Student visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UKgov.uk
    Open the official page ↗

The money you must prove for the visa, health cover and the work limits: further down, in “After you graduate” ↓

After you graduate

Rules read 17 Aug 2026. Check the current rules, this may be out of date

What United Kingdom's own immigration authority currently publishes. Not a ranking, not a guarantee, and not the same as what any agent or forum will tell you. Whether someone actually obtains residence depends on occupation, points, funds and policy that can change between application and graduation.

Money you must prove before the visa

£1,171per month, for each month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months, for a course OUTSIDE London — a course in London requires £1,529 for each month instead, on the same 9-month cap

Shown as a balance in a bank account. You keep control of it.

Figure published for: 31 December 2025 — the date gov.uk records against this guidance, whose change log for it reads 'Updated the How much money you need - Student visa section to reflect the changes in the living cost requirements'. The same log shows the previous rates (£1,136 outside London, £1,483 in London) applied to applications made on or after 2 January 2025, so the figure has moved each year. This amount is revised regularly, so check it again before you transfer anything.

This is living costs only and is IN ADDITION to course fees: the applicant must separately show enough to pay one academic year's tuition (up to 9 months), at the amount printed on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs. The money must have been held for 28 days in a row, counted back from the closing balance on the most recent evidence provided, and that 28-day period must end within 31 days of the application date. Each dependant brought along needs a further £680 per month outside London or £845 per month in London, again capped at 9 months. Someone boarding at a residential independent school shows the boarding fees instead. No financial evidence is needed at all if the applicant has already been in the UK on a valid visa for at least 12 months, is applying as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer, is applying to study as a doctor or dentist in training, or is a British national overseas or a national of one of the countries on the differential evidence requirement list (which includes Australia, Canada, China, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, the UAE and the USA among others). A student loan or financial sponsorship is accepted but needs evidence from the loan or sponsorship company.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 19 Aug 2026
“£1,171 for each month of your course (up to a maximum of 9 months), if you’re studying outside London £1,529 for each month of your course (up to a maximum of 9 months), if you’re studying in London”
Financial evidence for Student and Child Student visa applicants - GOV.UK (Home Office / UK Visas and Immigration)gov.uk
Open the official page ↗
Compare this against other countries →

United Kingdom also requires proof of health cover for this visa. See what's required →

Work during study

A Student visa holder on a full-time degree-level course sponsored by a higher-education provider with a track record of compliance may work up to 20 hours per week during term-time, and full-time outside of term-time. A student on a full-time course below degree level (sponsored by such a provider) is limited to 10 hours per week during term-time, also full-time outside of term-time. All other study, including any part-time study, permits no employment at all under the visa. Work that is an assessed, integral part of the course (a work placement) is separately permitted, as is an elected Student Union Sabbatical Officer or National Union of Students role, for up to 2 years.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 17 Aug 2026
“20 hours per week during term-time (full- time employment permitted outside of term-time)”
Immigration Rules: Appendix Student - Guidance - GOV.UKgov.uk
Open the official page ↗

Post-study work visa

Graduate visa . Up to 3 years
Available to a Student visa holder who has successfully completed an eligible UK bachelor's degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course for a minimum required period on that visa, and whose education provider has confirmed completion to the Home Office. It cannot be extended, and cannot be applied for from outside the UK. For a bachelor's or master's graduate it currently lasts 2 years — but only for an application made on or before 31 December 2026; for an application made on or after 1 January 2027 it will last only 18 months instead, a reduction already confirmed on the Home Office's own page. A PhD or other doctoral graduate gets 3 years regardless. It permits working in most jobs, being self-employed, and looking for work, but not most public funds and not professional sport. There is no route to extend a Graduate visa itself — a holder who wants to stay longer must separately qualify for and switch to a different visa (typically Skilled Worker) before it expires.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 17 Aug 2026
“A Graduate visa lasts for: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027 If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it will last for 3 years.”
Graduate visa: Overview - GOV.UKgov.uk
Open the official page ↗

Route to permanent residence

The Graduate visa does not itself lead to settlement and cannot be extended — a graduate who wants to remain permanently must switch to a different, qualifying visa (commonly Skilled Worker, which requires a job offer from a Home-Office-approved sponsor, a role on the list of eligible occupations, and a minimum salary) before the Graduate visa expires. Time spent on the Graduate visa (or as a Student) does not itself count towards the 5-year continuous-residence period ordinarily required for indefinite leave to remain (ILR, 'settlement') under a work route — that clock generally starts once the switch to a qualifying work visa is made, though it is counted as lawful residence towards the separate 10-year long-residence settlement route. After 5 years on an eligible work visa, a person who still meets salary and other eligibility rules may apply for indefinite leave to remain, which removes all immigration time limits. This 5-year figure is itself under active review: the Government's May 2025 immigration white paper proposed replacing automatic settlement after a fixed period with an 'earned settlement' model built around a 10-year baseline qualifying period, adjustable by contribution, integration, residence and character; a public consultation on implementing this closed on 12 February 2026 and the Home Office's own consultation page still states only that it is 'analysing your feedback', with no outcome or Immigration Rules change published as of this reading.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 17 Aug 2026
“After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as 'indefinite leave to remain'). This gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you're eligible.”
Skilled Worker visa: Eligibility - GOV.UKgov.uk
Open the official page ↗

Route to citizenship

Naturalisation as a British citizen is decided by the Home Office — the same department that runs the visa system. The most common route is holding indefinite leave to remain (ILR, 'settlement') for at least 12 months before applying, on top of the qualifying period already needed to reach ILR itself (usually 5 years of lawful residence, so around 6 years in total); a person married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen can instead apply as soon as they have lived in the UK for the last 3 years and hold ILR or settled status. Applicants generally must also prove knowledge of English to at least CEFR level B1 (or hold a degree taught or researched in English) and pass the Life in the UK Test, alongside a good-character requirement and limits on time spent outside the UK. The UK recognises dual nationality: Home Office guidance for passport staff, updated 13 October 2025, states the UK 'allows British nationals who have dual nationality, to hold a British passport' and that staff 'will never tell a customer to renounce another country's citizenship or cancel their foreign passport' — so becoming British does not require giving up an applicant's existing nationality, though other countries may not reciprocate.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 17 Aug 2026
“You can usually apply for ILR after you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years. To apply for citizenship with ILR you must usually have lived in the UK for 12 months after getting it.”
Check if you can become a British citizen - GOV.UKgov.uk
Open the official page ↗

What the government currently prioritises

Skilled Worker visa sponsorship normally requires a salary at or above a standard threshold and the job's own 'going rate' — but an eligible job that appears on the Government's immigration salary list can be sponsored at a reduced salary floor and a lower visa fee, functioning as this route's shortage/priority-occupation mechanism. The list is a live, searchable Government tool rather than a fixed table reproduced here, and eligibility also depends on which part of the UK the role is based in. The Government's May 2025 immigration white paper announced this list is due to be replaced by a new 'Temporary Shortage List', with current sub-RQF6 immigration-salary-list occupations remaining usable only until December 2026 — so which occupations qualify, and under which list's name, is expected to change within the currency of StudyPath.

Show the source
✓ Word for wordRead 17 Aug 2026
“The immigration salary list is a list of skilled jobs which have lower salary requirements. If your job is on the immigration salary list you also pay a lower fee to apply for your visa.”
Skilled Worker visa: When you can be paid less - GOV.UKgov.uk
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Read 17 August 2026. Two things anyone timing a UK application should know: (1) the Graduate visa's standard length is confirmed dropping from 2 years to 18 months for any application made on or after 1 January 2027 — someone graduating in mid-2026 who applies before the end of the year still gets 2 years, but the same graduate applying only a few months later would not, so timing genuinely matters here. (2) the entire post-Graduate-visa settlement picture (currently 5 years of qualifying work-visa residence for indefinite leave to remain) is under active Government reform towards a 10-year 'earned settlement' baseline; the relevant consultation closed 12 February 2026 with no published outcome yet, so StudyPath records the rules as they stand today, not as they are proposed to become. Only gov.uk is treated as authoritative for UK immigration facts on StudyPath. citizenshipRoute added 17 August 2026: the ILR-plus-12-months residence path is cited to gov.uk/british-citizenship; the B1 English requirement to gov.uk/english-language; and the dual-nationality statement to the Home Office's own modernised guidance publication 'Dual nationality' (gov.uk/government/publications/dual-citizens/dual-nationality, 54d0b653a6707230), version 4.0 dated 13 October 2025 — chosen over an older 2017-archived caseworker PDF found during (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/.../dualnationality.pdf) precisely because it is current rather than an archived historical document, even though the substantive legal position (no UK-law bar on dual nationality since the British Nationality Act 1981) is unchanged between the two. naturalisationStatus set to 'published-route' on 18 August 2026: the authority already cited under citizenshipRoute publishes criteria a foreign resident could actually follow, which is the only claim this field makes. It is deliberately not a judgement about how attainable that route is in practice. citizenshipTerms records minimumResidenceYears 5 because 5 years is the residence figure GOV.UK itself states; the Home Office publishes no single years-to-citizenship number. Citizenship additionally requires having held ILR for the 12 months before applying, and most applicants only reach ILR at the 5-year point, so in practice the route usually takes about 6 years in the UK — a total the authority never states as a figure of its own, which is why it is not the number recorded here. studentVisaFunds added 19 August 2026. The Student route publishes two maintenance rates, not one, and the schema holds a single amount — so the OUTSIDE-London rate (£1,171/month) is recorded as the amount because it is the baseline the majority of StudyPath’s UK universities sit under, and the London rate (£1,529/month) is stated in both period and conditions and appears in the same quote, so it cannot be lost. Neither figure was multiplied out to a 9-month total: the Home Office publishes them per month with a 9-month cap and that is what is stored. Two Home Office pages were archived and agree exactly: the citizen-facing Student visa 'Money you need' page and the caseworker-facing financial-evidence guidance. The guidance page is cited because it alone carries the dated change log that gives effectiveFrom, plus the dependant rates and the exemption list. Note the trap here: search engines were still serving the superseded 2 January 2025 rates (£1,136 / £1,483) on the day this was collected, and those are the figures a student would find first.

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