In order to be eligible for the Graduate visa, you must be resident in the UK for at least 12 months of your programme (or the full lenth of your programme if you are a 9 or 12 month Masters student). However, absences when you are not required to attend classes are permissible. 

Universities have sought clarification of this from UKVI and the current position is that as long as you are meeting all attendance and engagement requirements from your University, absences from the UK at times when you are not required to be in class will be acceptable. The University of Exeter will confirm that you meet the residency requirement for Graduate visa eligibility as long as you have met all attendance and engagement requirements for your modules and attended in person check-ins at times where these are required. For dissertation modules, if you are not required to have in person contact, longer absences from the UK are likely to be acceptable. 

You should be aware, however, that you will need to declare your travel history on the Graduate visa application form. UKVI have said that they do not intend to carefully scrutinise this travel history, but we have to advise that there is a possibility that they will do so and that they will question any long absences during your course. We currently do not believe that they are likely to do this, but you need to be aware of the possibility. If you wish to avoid any risk to your Graduate visa application, you should ensure that any absences from the UK during term-time, including during dissertations, are short.

The usual expectation of the Graduate route is that you study your course fully in the UK. However, the government recognises that some students have needed to study remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If you studied remotely in 2020/21 or 2021/22 academic years, you need to have arrived in the UK, with a valid Student/Tier 4 visa by the dates listed below.