Links
Extending your student visa in the UK
There have been fundamental changes to UK immigration recently with the introduction of the Points Based System. Anyone who needs to extend their student visa in the UK must now apply under Tier 4 of the Points Based System and must be able to demonstrate that they meet the 40 points requirement. This is made up of 30 points for a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, CAS, from the university and 10 points for the required level of maintenance funds. Information on how to request a CAS is available here.
Please be aware that UKBA regularly change the application forms and policy guidance and therefore you must check the UK Border Agency website before submitting your application.
Extending your student visa in the UK
Remember to keep a regular check on the date when your Leave to Remain (visa) expires to ensure that you make your application well in advance of your permission to stay running out, as there are very strict measures in place regarding those whose applications arrive at the Home Office after the visa expiry date. We would recommend you start to research information on the requirements for your application around 4 months before the date of expiry to ensure that you have plenty of time to collect the necessary documents.
There are three ways to extend your student visa in the UK:
- Student Batch Scheme - this is a postal scheme which is administered by the International Student Advisers. Your application will be checked and sent with others to a special unit within the Home Office which deals only with student applications. The charge is the same as a normal postal application - £386. The application will take a minimum of 3 months. If you would like to send your application through the Student Batch Scheme please collect an application form from the Student Services Enquiry desk in the Fraser Building or download a form and checklist from the links on this page. To make an appointment with an Adviser when you have completed your form, please contact the Student Services Enquiry desk in the Fraser Building in person or telephone 0141 330 7000 between 09.00-17.00.
- By post to the Home Office - you can download a copy of the Tier 4 (General) form via the link on the right of this page and post the completed form and accompanying documents to the Home Office. This will normally take a minimum of 3 months and costs £386.
- In person - you can make an appointment to apply at the Public Enquiry Office in Glasgow (Tel: 0870 606 7766, online appointment booking is available via the UKBA website). Applications are generally processed on the day of your appointment and will cost £702. Within around a week of your appointment you will be sent your Biometric Residence Permit which is now your visa. If you would like to apply in person, you must arrange your appointment at least 6 weeks before you want the appointment as the Public Enquiry Office appointments book up far in advance. If you are not given an appointment on a date before your student visa expires you must then post the application.
If you are accompanied by a dependant(s) i.e. partner/child, each dependant must now complete a separate application form which is available to download from the UKBA website: There is now a charge for each dependant which is £193 if the application is submitted at the same time as the main applicant by post and £351 if the dependant applies at the same time as the main applicant in person.
How to make your Tier 4 application
In addition to the various UKBA guidance notes, International Student Support has prepared a Tier 4 (General) information sheet & checklist as well as a Interactive guide to completing the Tier 4 (G) application form to help you complete your application, . Whichever way you choose to make your application it is your responsibility to ensure that you apply for your visa in good time, well before your existing visa expires. Under the new points based immigration rules the University must keep a copy of your passport and your new visa or Biometric Residence Permit. It is your responsibility to ensure that you bring your passport and visa or Biometric Residence Permit showing your new visa details to the Student Services Desk in the Fraser Building so that they can be recorded. You must do this as soon as you receive your new permission to stay.
Biometric Residence Permit cards
If you need to extend your student visa in the UK you will be required to provide biometric information in order to be issued with a Biometric Residence Permit. This replaces the stickers (vignettes) which were previously placed in passports.
After you have submitted your application to the UK Border Agency you will receive notification that you should attend the local centre for biometrics (the Public Enquiry Office in Glasgow) to have a digital photograph taken and a scan of fingerprints. If you have dependants here who are applying with you they will also need to provide this information. You will receive a letter by post giving instructions of how to make the appointment which you must do within the given time period. When the visa has been granted you will receive a Biometric Residence Permit which will show relevant information about your status in the UK as a student and the conditions you have on your stay (for example, working permissions under a student visa). The Biometric Residence Permit is not a travel document and when you travel you must take both your passport and your Biometric Residence Permit with you.