Is it feasible to apply for January intake now or is it too late in UK?

It is too late to apply for the September 2026 intake in both the UK and Latvia, as application deadlines have already passed.

You should focus on applying for the next available intake, typically in January or February 2027. This will give you enough time to prepare your application, gather documents, and complete any required exams or visa steps.

Deferring feels like the safe option, but for a UK entry it is not automatically the better one, because the decision genuinely depends on whether your specific course runs in January at all and what the current Graduate visa change means for your timeline.

January 2027 Versus Deferring, the Real Trade-Offs

Apply for January 2027 If

• You already have an offer from a university and course you are genuinely happy with.
• The January intake covers the same curriculum and outcomes as the September version.
• Your finances are ready now, since Student visa rules currently require showing £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 outside London for up to nine months.

Defer to September 2027 If

Your preferred universities or courses simply do not offer a January entry, or you would be settling for a noticeably weaker-fit programme just to start earlier. Deferring also makes sense if you genuinely need more time to raise your IELTS or PTE score, strengthen your academic profile, or finish saving the required funds.

Why the Graduate Visa Change Tilts the Decision

Students starting from 1 January 2027 fall under an 18-month Graduate visa rather than the current 2-year duration, with PhD graduates remaining eligible for 3 years. That is a genuine reason to lean toward January over September if your course and offer situation are already equal, since it locks in slightly more post-study time under the older rule for anyone who can start just before that change fully applies.

This Information Is Also Available On

GOV.UK, covering the Graduate visa overview and Student visa financial requirements.

My Advice

In my experience, students default to deferring simply because January feels rushed, without checking whether their specific course and offer are actually ready to go. If your offer and finances are in place, I would not defer purely out of caution. If your course genuinely does not run in January or your profile still needs work, defer deliberately to September 2027 rather than forcing a weak application through now.