Leaflet

Maintaining your visa Advice and support for non-EU/EEA students

Welcome to Regent’s University London. Our Student Immigration Advisory Service (SIAS) team is here to help you with questions about immigration and visas, assist you with online visa applications and oversee compliance with Home Office requirements. Below is some essential information about your responsibilities with regard to your visa while in the UK and what you must do if there is any change in your circumstances during your time here.

Registration Please ensure that you bring both your visa and passport with you to registration, so that we can take copies of both documents in line with Home Office regulations. If you fail to do this you may not be able to register for the programme.

You will have received a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card or an Entry Clearance Vignette as your new visa. You must by law comply with the conditions attached to your visa.

Students of some nationalities will also be required to register with the police. This will be stated on your visa, and we can help you with registration.

It is important that you keep up to date with the conditions of your Tier 4 (General) student visa in order to protect your immigration status.

Change in immigration status The Home Office requires us to report certain changes in student circumstances.These include: ›› Withdrawals (whether you withdraw yourself or it is initiated by the University) ›› Expulsion for academic or disciplinary reasons ›› Deferrals or a break in studies ›› Completion of a course earlier than expected ›› A change in circumstances, such as transfer to another university campus ›› Suspension for non-attendance

Please inform us as soon as you become aware of any of the above changes in your circumstances, as this could affect your immigration status.

If any of these changes occur you will be sent an email automatically explaining any changes in your immigration status and what you must do next.

Please also contact us if you think there has been a mistake with the change of your status.

It is very importa about any change status while you a Regent’s Universi

Please visit us in Room A008, Acland

Taking a break in your studies You may be authorised to take a break in your studies for a semester or for up to one calendar year.

A break in your studies must be reported to the Home Office and your leave will be curtailed to just 60 days. However, we normally advise students to leave the UK as soon as they can. In most cases you will be required to leave the UK unless you are advised not to, due to ill health.

Return to study To return to study you must apply for a new visa in your home country. Regent’s University London will issue a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number.

We can give you support and guidance throughout the visa process, so please email us with your request.

It is important to note that if you are on a Tier 4 (General) student visa returning from a break in studies, the modules you are returning to complete must require some form of attendance monitoring. You cannot return to complete a dissertation only.

If you wish to come back to study for a period of six months or less, you will usually be encouraged to return on a student visitor visa.

It is your responsibility to contact us when you want to return from a break in studies.

You will need to submit the following: ›› SIAS CAS request form ›› SIAS five-year cap questionnaire ›› A scan of the entry stamp on your passport to confirm that you have left the UK ›› A copy of the bank statements that you will be submitting with your visa application Forms are available on the SIAS page on the University intranet.

Please note it can take up to five working days to issue a CAS after we receive all the required documentation.

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Five-year rule

Extending your visa

The Home Office has imposed a limit on the time a student may spend studying for an undergraduate or taught master’s programme in the UK.

If you require an extension because your programme end date has changed and does not match your visa expiry date, you will need to apply for a new Tier 4 (General) student visa. The SIAS team can assist you with this.

The maximum amount of time that you can spend studying on a student visa at degree level is five years.

You must apply through the Home Office website. Choose the Tier 4 (General) student application form and complete as much of it as possible. However, please do not submit the form until it has been checked by a member of the SIAS team.

The only exception to this is where a student has previously completed a degree-level course that is at least four academic years long and is making an application to study for a master’s degree. In this case, the maximum time allowed is six years.

You will need to send supporting documents for your online application by post. We provide a free service to check through the documents you must send, such as bank statements. You must also provide information such as previous addresses in the UK. Students of specific nationalities will require their police registration.

Visa expiry date It is your responsibility to be aware of the expiry date of your visa, especially where the end date of your programme has changed.

You will be reminded via email near the end of your programme and you can also monitor this through the University’s online student records system, e:Vision.

If you wish to seek an extension you will need to complete an SIAS CAS request form as well as an SIAS five-year cap questionnaire.

Forms are available on the SIAS page on the University intranet.

You should receive a decision on your application approximately 6-8 weeks after you submit the application and supporting documentation.

Alternatively, you can make an appointment with the Home Office to submit your documentation in person. You should receive a decision on your application immediately as this is a premium service.

For current costs of making a visa application, please contact the SIAS team.

Your contact details As well as keeping us informed about any changes that could affect your immigration status, you must also keep your contact details up to date via e:Vision. All correspondence from the University to students is usually done through email so please check your student email account regularly.

For more information on visas and immigration, visit: Home Office - UK Border Agency www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk UK Council for International Student Affairs www.ukcisa.org.uk

The SIAS team

Sanjay Parmar Student Retention & Immigration Compliance Manager

Justin Talbot Senior Student Immigration & Compliance Officer

Kara Dunkley International Student Adviser

Anjali Frank International Student Adviser

Charles Brider International Student Support Officer

Visit us in Room A008, Acland Building Tel +44 (0)20 7487 7562 Email visas@regents.ac.uk Web www.regents.ac.uk/visa