Passport and immigration permission

The University is required to keep a copy of your current passport or travel document and your current immigration permission.  If you have a Tier 4 or Student visa for a programme longer than 6 months, your immigration permission will usually be in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).

If you obtain a new passport or immigration permission during your studies , you must provide these to the University so we can update your student record . To do this, send a scan/photo of your new passport and both sides of your new BRP card to [email protected] or to the same email address via Safesend .  We will contact you again if you need to visit the Student Support Hub in-person with your original document(s).

Your contact details - addresses, email and telephone

You must ensure that your current term-time address and personal contact details (e.g. email address, telephone number) are up to date on your student record.

You will be asked to provide these when you enrol for your programme, but you can update your contact details at any time during your studies by logging into Sussed .

Keeping the Home Office up to date

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) have comprehensive guidance about reporting other changes of circumstances on their webpage Protecting your Student Status .

Use the Migrant Change of Circumstances (MCC) form to report:

• New passport details
• Changes to relationships with family members who have permission to be in the UK as your dependant

Use the Report a change of circumstances if you have a visa or BRP and any of the following change:

• Change of name
• Change of nationality
• Change of date of birth
• Change of gender

Changing your programme

If you have been granted your visa and you are considering changing your programme, you must contact the VISAS Team before your programme can be changed.

The study conditions of your current visa may not allow you to change your programme without applying for a new visa, even if the change will not require you to extend your time in the UK.

A change of programme includes:

•    Change of subject, e.g. MA Fashion Management to MA Fine Art
•    Change of level, e.g. BEng Mechanical Engineering to MEng Mechanical Engineering
•    Change to mode of study, e.g. full-time to part-time or distance learning
•    Adding or removing a placement

Repeating your studies

You should speak to your Faculty in the first instance to find out what type of repeat is most suitable in your situation.

There are two types of repeat available:

• Repeat in attendance (internal repeat): this means repeating the whole year in full, including attending all lectures and usually re-submitting all assessed work. It also usually requires you to pay full tuition fees to the University.  If you repeat in attendance, you will normally be able to keep your Student visa.
• Repeat non-attending (external repeat):  this means that you only repeat the assessments for the year, but are not required to physically attend on campus, and you are usually not required to pay tuition fees.  If you repeat the year non-attending, your Student visa will be cancelled and you will be expected to either leave the UK or switch into a different visa category if you meet the requirements to do so.

I am repeating a year attending. What happens to my visa?

If you are on a Student visa and you repeat a year of study in attendance, then you will need to extend your visa to complete your programme of study.  The earliest you can do this is 3 months before the expiry date of your current visa.

Please be aware that there is a 5-year study cap imposed on the total length of time that you are allowed to study in the UK at undergraduate degree level; we recommend that you discuss this with one of our Visa Advisors if you think you may exceed this 5-year cap.

When you need to extend your visa, you should seek advice at one of our Visa Drop-in Sessions . Ideally, you should contact us at least 3 months before your current visa expires.

I am repeating a year non-attending. What happens to my visa?

If you repeat a year of study non-attending, then we will remove sponsorship (cancel) your Student visa.  You will be given 60 days from the date you are notified by UKVI to either leave the UK or switch into a different visa category, if you meet the requirements to do so.

If you need to return to the UK during your time as a repeat non-attending student to sit exams, you can enter the UK on a Visitor visa .  To do this, you will need to request a letter of invitation from your Faculty.

If you return to the UK on a Visitor visa in order to sit your exams, you must send a copy of your Visitor visa (or Visitor stamp) to the VISAS Team so that we can update your student record. We may ask you to show this to us in person.

When you are ready to return to your studies full-time, you will need to apply for a new Student visa from your country of permanent residence. It is not possible to switch from a Visitor visa to a Student visa inside the UK. To apply for a Student visa you will need a new CAS. Please contact your Faculty to request a 'Continuing Student CAS Request Form'.

Below Degree level, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students

For those studying below degree level and those on an Undergraduate or a Postgraduate Taught (Master's) programme, you are expected to be awarded on or after the programme end date on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), therefore you are unlikely to complete your programme early. If you want to know your programme end date, please check your CAS statement, or contact your Faculty Student Office.

However, if you submit your dissertation or final project significantly before the programme end date on your CAS and you decide to leave the UK, then we must report this to UK Visas & Immigration. This means we must remove sponsorship of your Student visa.

Please be aware that once you have left the United Kingdom after completing your course, UK Border Control may not permit you to re-enter with your current Student visa, even if it is still valid.

If you choose to exit your course with a lower academic award (for example a Bachelors instead of continuing with an integrated Master's), we must report this to UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).  Once we have removed sponsorship, UKVI will curtail (cut short) your visa depending on the length of your course.  During the curtailment period you will have no right to work.

If you wish to apply for further study in the UK, you will need to meet academic progression requirements to apply for new Student permission inside the UK.

Postgraduate Research students

If you are a Postgraduate Research student (MPhil/PhD) and you are awarded before the programme end date on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), we will inform UK Visas & Immigration that you have successfully completed your programme earlier than expected. This means that we will remove sponsorship of your Student visa and you will have 120 days to remain in the UK. During this 120 day period you may work full-time. For further information please see our Working after your studies webpage . Once you have left the UK, you will need to apply for the appropriate type of visa if you want to return to the UK.

Graduation

If you need to return to the United Kingdom to attend your Graduation, you will have to enter the UK as a  Standard Visitor. There is further information about this on our webpage . You will be able to request a letter to support your visa application/entry to the UK, when you apply online for your Graduation ceremony. Please see the University's Graduation webpages for further information.

I am withdrawing from my studies. What happens to my visa?

If you withdraw from your studies, we are required to withdraw sponsorship of (cancel) your visa. You will then be given 60 days to either leave the UK or apply for a new visa under a different category of the Immigration Rules, if you meet the requirements to do so.

I have changed my immigration status. What do I need to do?

If you now have a new immigration permission in a different category, or if you have changed your nationality and have a certificate of citizenship or a new passport, you must contact the VISAS team. We will need to update your student record to comply with UK Visas & Immigration requirements.

Please send a scan/photo of the following documents (as applicable) to [email protected] or to the same email address via Safesend :

• Your passport photo page or citizenship document (if you have changed your nationality)
• Both sides of your new BRP card or your new immigration permission (if you have a new visa type)
• Proof of your visa application (if you have not yet received a visa decision)
• Your share code (if you have a new digital immigration status)

We will contact you if you are required to visit the Student Support Hub in-person with your original document(s).

If you previously held a Tier 4 or Student visa, we will need to remove sponsorship of this visa if there is still time remaining on your CAS. This means your Tier 4 or Student visa will no longer be valid and you must abide by the restrictions relating to your new immigration status.