Thread:Natsu11/@comment-4556650-20130817113203/@comment-5912473-20130822065426

Robo, it's all but implied that the "demon knights" are immediately promoted by Hendricksen. Dreyfus and Gilthunder comment on how Holy Knights were showing up out of nowhere (the New Generation are all ranked as such). They do note that some of the New Generation had previously been failed apprentices and about the missing apprentices in general, though. I'm willing to bet that Jericho's been promoted since drinking the demon's blood.

It's never directly stated though, so they could very well still be apprentices, but it wouldn't make any sense since they're already stronger than some of the other Holy Knights.