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Police Now National Graduate Leadership Programme 2027

Pays £32,256 to £43,689 a year.

NoNational Graduate Leadership Programme

No. Police Now does not sponsor its national graduate leadership programme for international students who need a visa. Police Now's own eligibility page accepts any nationality but requires the status of indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK, or settled status, which a time-limited visa does not confer.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Not published
Opportunity
graduate scheme
Pay
Rising to £50,256 to £59,964 within seven years, force-dependent
2027 cycle
Closed: applications for the March 2027 National Graduate Programme have closed; the next intake starts March 2028 and applications open early next year
Confidence
high

Police Now National Graduate Leadership Programme: at a glance

Police Now's National Graduate Programme is a salaried two-year leadership programme in which graduates are embedded in a police force, working on real cases with one-to-one coaching throughout. It starts at a partly residential training academy: eight weeks for the neighbourhood pathway and thirteen weeks for the detective pathway, with Counter Terrorism and Economic Crime following a similar structure to the detective pathway. Participants complete a fully funded Level 6 or Level 7 policing qualification. Source

Duration
2 years“Start your career on the programme with a salaried two-year leadership programme.”Source
Start date
March 2028 (next intake)“Register your interest to be the first to hear when applications open for our March 2028 intake.”Source
Who can apply
Any nationality, with indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK or settled status“You can be of any nationality to apply, providing you have the status of indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK, or settled status.”Source
Starting pay
£32,256 to £43,689 starting salary, depending on locationSource
Degree requirement
First, 2:1 or 2:2 undergraduate degree in any subject (or equivalent), by the programme start date“You will need to already have, or be expecting to receive, a First, 2:1 or 2.2 undergraduate degree in any subject from a UK university, or equivalent from a non-UK university, by the programme start date.”Source

How Police Now recruits

2027 National Graduate Programme, March 2027 start. 5 stages, from Police Now's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Police Now names them.

  1. Submit your application form

    Application form

    Account, eligibility check, choice of specialism and force, personal details; no CV, cover letter or essays, about 30 minutes on desktop or mobile.

    • about 30 minutes
    “No CV, cover letter or written essays – just clear, direct questions. You can apply on desktop or mobile in around 30 minutes.”
    Source

  2. Immersive assessment

    Immersive assessment

    Untimed online assessment of about 45 minutes on realistic policing scenarios with video, covering cognitive, motivational and personality components; 10-minute practice; feedback report for all.

    • about 45 minutes
    “Our immersive assessment has been designed to measure some of the key attributes that are important for success when on the programme. It is split into several components: cognitive, motivational and personality.”
    Source

  3. Assessment centre

    Assessment centre

    Virtual assessment centre (neighbourhood version set in a virtual community): one-to-one interview, written incident summary, community engagement role plays, team meeting and debrief.

    “Join a virtual assessment with group activities, interviews and role plays.”
    Source

  4. Conditional offer

    Offer

    Conditional offer and introduction to the chosen force; as little as 2 to 3 weeks from application.

    “If successful, we’ll make you a conditional offer and introduce you to next steps with your chosen police force.”
    Source

  5. Onboarding

    Other stage

    Vetting (typically 2 to 4 months) and medical checks before the training Academy.

    “Vetting, medical checks, support from your dedicated recruitment officer, and getting ready for the Academy.”
    Source

Every programme and stage at Police Now

“the status of indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK, or settled status”
Police Now, from its own careers pages
The catch: Being of any nationality does not help if immigration status is only a Student or Graduate visa. Settled or indefinite leave to remain is the actual bar, and some specialisms such as Counter Terrorism add a further UK or dual-nationality requirement on top.
Police Now early careersVerify on gov.uk

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What Police Now publishes about this programme

Checked against Police Now's own careers pages on 2026-10-24. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: not published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Police Now

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. Application dates last checked 2026-10-24. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Police Now sponsor visas for its national graduate leadership programme?

No. Police Now does not sponsor its national graduate leadership programme for international students who need a visa. The two-year National Graduate Leadership Programme places graduates as police constables with a partner force, starting salary paid from day one at the training academy and rising within a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship structure. Police Now's own eligibility page accepts any nationality but requires the status of indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK, or settled status, which a time-limited visa does not confer. The programme is currently recruiting for 2027 in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service only.

What is the Police Now national graduate leadership programme?

Police Now's National Graduate Programme is a salaried two-year leadership programme in which graduates are embedded in a police force, working on real cases with one-to-one coaching throughout. It starts at a partly residential training academy: eight weeks for the neighbourhood pathway and thirteen weeks for the detective pathway, with Counter Terrorism and Economic Crime following a similar structure to the detective pathway. Participants complete a fully funded Level 6 or Level 7 policing qualification.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme is not published clearly enough to judge against the threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Police Now?

Being of any nationality does not help if immigration status is only a Student or Graduate visa. Settled or indefinite leave to remain is the actual bar, and some specialisms such as Counter Terrorism add a further UK or dual-nationality requirement on top.

When do applications open for the Police Now national graduate leadership programme?

Closed: applications for the March 2027 National Graduate Programme have closed; the next intake starts March 2028 and applications open early next year. Checked on 2026-10-24 against Police Now's own site.

How long is the Police Now national graduate leadership programme?

2 years, according to Police Now's own careers information.

When does the Police Now national graduate leadership programme start?

March 2028 (next intake), according to Police Now's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Police Now national graduate leadership programme?

Any nationality, with indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK or settled status, according to Police Now's own careers information.

What does the Police Now national graduate leadership programme pay?

£32,256 to £43,689 starting salary, depending on location, according to Police Now's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Police Now national graduate leadership programme?

First, 2:1 or 2:2 undergraduate degree in any subject (or equivalent), by the programme start date, according to Police Now's own careers information.

How should I confirm Police Now's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Police Now's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.