I have retakes, when can I extend my Student visa?
If you need to extend your student visa, the earliest time the immigration rules allow you to make this application is 3-months before the start date in the new CAS. If you are extending your Student visa for the purpose of remaining on your current course, the new CAS date will normally be the day after your current expiration date.
See our full guidance on when to extend a student visa
When can I extend my Student visa to add my work placement year?
If you need to extend your student visa, the earliest time the immigration rules allow you to make this application is 3-months before the start date in the new CAS.
If you are extending your student visa to add a placement year, the start date in your new CAS is the day of the placement starting.
Please be aware in most cases, you can only extend your student visa to add a placement year before your placement begins or after your placement has ended – in most cases you cannot extend during the placement year.
Our webpages cover all the relevant information you will need to know
I am on a placement/sandwich year course and no longer want to do it, what will happen to my Student visa?
If you no longer want to complete your placement year or have been unable to secure your placement in time, this will affect your Student visa as students who complete their studies ahead of schedule usually will have their visas curtailed / cancelled by the UKVI.
Please contact your faculty office to confirm if they would allow you to complete the taught programme without the placement year.
Assuming you can continue, your early completion would only be reported to UKVI after confirmation you successfully completed the course. UKVI will then start the process for your early cancellation notice, but you are still likely to receive an extra four-month wrap-up period. UKVI should write to you confirming your new visa end date via email or post.
The university has no way to predict exactly when UKVI will take cancellation action against a Student Visa.
What documents do I need when extending my Student visa?
The documents required for a visa extension application depend on your personal circumstances.
If you are extending your student visa from within the UK, you are likely to not require as much documents if you initially made your application for the Student visa outside the UK.
Our visa extension webpage explains the circumstances for which certain documents may be required or not by you.
I am making my Student visa application and my BRP chip is not working, what do I do?
If you are making visa application using the UK Immigration ID Check app and it is unable to read your BRP chip, do not worry as there is alternative method to prove your identity. You would need to book an appointment with the Visa Application Centre (VAC) or at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.
Do I need an ATAS certificate when extending my Student visa?
If your course initially required an ATAS certificate when applying for your student visa, you are likely to need it again when applying for a visa extension. Undergraduate courses will not require an ATAS and only certain postgraduate courses require it. Our webpage contains more information about ATAS requirements. If you are unsure about anything, please contact the International Student Advice Service.
What is the difference between interruption and withdrawal and how does this affect my Student visa?
Whenever you interrupt or withdraw from study, your sponsorship to study is revoked by the university leading to your Student visa being cancelled by UKVI. Full details on this can be found on our interruption/withdrawal webpage.
However, interruption is intended as a temporary pause to your studies with the intention of you returning to the university. You have the possibility to return to the stage of studying you left upon your return. The Student Visa Compliance team will contact you to find out if you wish to return. They will normally ask for proof you returned home before doing this. Your point of return will normally be relative to the intake you started in at the next academic year. Please note there is a time-limit on how long you can remain interrupted. You should ask your faculty how long you have to return as this can vary.
A withdrawal is meant as a complete departure from the university. Should you decide to return to studies and your withdrawal cannot be turned into an interruption, you would have to apply again via the admissions process and start the course from the very beginning.
Should you wish to understand this in greater detail, please read the Student Withdrawal and Interruption of Study Policy and Procedures.
I want to return from interruption/withdrawal, what do I do?
If you have interrupted and want to return to studies, you would have to request a CAS from the Student Visa Compliance team. In addition to checking the documents you are required to send, they will normally ask for proof you returned home before issuing you a CAS. Your point of return will normally be relative to the intake you started in at the next academic year. Once you have your CAS, you now need to make a Student visa application.
If you have withdrawn from studies and want to return, you would have to apply again via the admissions process and start the course from the very beginning. To do this, please make an application using the portal. If you require the help of an agent to help you through the process, you can use the Greenwich in Your Country webpage to find agents working with the University of Greenwich within your country.
How can I change my programme and does this affect my visa?
Changing your course within the university can be straightforward from a process perspective. You would need to fill in the Programme Change Form and then have it approved by your current programme leader and the programme leader of the course you wish to change to.
Once the faculty approve the decision from an academic side, your course transfer application goes to the Student Visa Compliance Team to make a decision on whether your course transfer is in-line with the immigration rules.
From an immigration rules perspective, there are three things which need to occur for you to successfully change your course. Our changing your programme webpage clarifies this in detail.
If the Student Visa Compliance rule that you cannot make the course transfer without changing your visa, you will be asked to make a decision on remaining on your course or returning home to make a new visa application for the course you want to switch into. The Student Visa Compliance Team will lead on this decision.
Can I bring dependants with me to the UK?
Being in the UK with your family at home can be difficult, so we understand why you would want to bring them with you. Bringing your dependants is a possibility but only under specific circumstances.
I have completed my studies early, will my visa end date end?
Completing your studies early will likely lead to a reduction in the amount of time you will spend in the UK on a Student visa. This is because the university are obligated to report your early completion to UKVI. After this you will receive a new earlier visa end date from UKVI. It isn't possible for the university to predict exactly when your visa will be cancelled and what the new expiry date will be. This is only revealed when UKVI take the cancellation action and write to you with these details. UKVI do not share this information with the university.
I have changed my address/e-mail/contact details, what should I do next?
Changing your contact details is a common occurrence in life, though it is important you keep UKVI and the university updated with any changes, so important communication can be received by you.
To update UKVI, you must use their form which gives a list of acceptable reasons for making a change.
To update the university, you must do the following:
Go to the student portal
Click “Student Records” link at the top of the page
Click personal information
Click update “view/update address(es) and telephone number