The short answer
Plan the trip in two halves. The entry route for your visit comes from the official visitor pages. The ceremony itself, including dates, guest numbers and tickets, comes from the university, so use its own page. Keep flights and stays changeable until both are confirmed, and leave room around the day, because graduation weekends are tiring and busy.
Key terms in plain English
- Graduation or convocation: the ceremony where a university marks the end of a course. Dates and rules differ by university.
- Guest allocation: how many people each graduate may bring, and how tickets are issued.
- Accessibility: step-free routes, seating and help for guests who need it. Ask the university.
What the university decides
Look for the university’s “graduation”, “ceremony” or “guests” page, and note:
- the ceremony date and time, and when it may be confirmed
- how guests get tickets, and any deadline
- whether the ceremony is live-streamed or recorded
- accessibility arrangements for older guests
- dress, photography and arrival guidance
- anything printed on the invitation that your child receives
What the official visitor page decides
Whether anyone needs a visa, what a visit can include and what the application asks for are set by the destination’s authority. We link them but do not interpret them. See Check if you need a UK visa, IRCC’s visa or eTA questionnaire, Home Affairs’ Visa Finder and the Federal Foreign Office’s Visa Navigator.
Time together
- Arrive a day early. A late flight and a ceremony the next morning do not mix.
- Book a stay close to the venue or to your family, with a cancellation option.
- Leave an unscheduled day, for photographs, a meal and rest.
- Agree who is meeting whom, and where.
Checklist
- To do: Find the university’s page on the ceremony and guests
- To do: Ask your child to confirm dates, tickets and seating
- To do: Open the official visa-check tool and read the visitor page
- To do: Keep flights and stays changeable until dates are confirmed
- To do: Ask about accessibility for older guests
- To do: Plan an arrival day before the ceremony
- To do: Save the invitation, tickets and your plans in your vault
Common mistakes
- Booking before the date is confirmed. Dates can move.
- Assuming a ceremony ticket helps your application. The checklist for your visit says what it asks for.
- Underestimating the day. Long queues and long ceremonies tire everyone.
- Not asking about access. Ask early.
- Forgetting your child. They are probably busy too: agree who handles what.
Things that change
Ceremony dates, ticket arrangements and entry rules change. Check both pages again before you pay for anything non-refundable.
Verify before you act
Use the university’s own page for the ceremony and the official pages above for entry. For questions about your case, ask the official website or a licensed adviser.