International students

Extending your student visa in the UK

 In April 2013, UKBA will change the visa application fees as well as the in-UK application procedures under Tier 4 and for Tier 4 Dependants – withdrawing the paper application form.  Additionally, UKBA will be abolished and will become 2 separate departments within the 'Home Office'.  International Student Support will update information and weblinks here as soon as possible however this will take time while we familiarise ourselves with the new regulations.  Remember, you should only take immigration advice from a regulated adviser - look out for the OISC 'tick' logo on any websites you use.

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

International Student Support has prepared a Tier 4 (General) information booklet 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 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 Enquiry 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 information

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 a local centre (designated Post Offices 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.


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 UKBA after the visa expiry date. 

We would recommend that 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.

Check the Links tab for useful resources on making a visa extension application in the UK.

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 UKBA which deals only with student applications. The charge is the same as a standard application - £406.  The application will take a minimum of 3 months. 

If you would like to send your application through the Student Batch Scheme, please ensure that you register online with UKBA and start to complete your online 'print and send' application form before your appointment with the International Student Adviser.  You can find some useful resources from the Links tab on this page. 

To make an appointment with an International Student Adviser when you have completed your form online application up to the 'Check' section and have collected all of your documents, please contact the Student Services Enquiry desk in the Fraser Building in person or telephone 0141 330 7000 from 09.00-17.00.

You must now apply using the online 'print and send' application which requires you to complete an application form online, print it out and send it to UKBA along with your supporting documents.  This will normally take a minimum of 3 months to be processed and costs £406.

Check the Links tab for useful resources on making a visa extension application in the UK.

You can make an appointment to apply at the Public Enquiry Office in Glasgow (online appointment booking is part of the 'print and send' application process).  Applications are generally processed on the day of your appointment and will cost £781.  Within around a week of your appointment you will be sent your Biometric Residence Permit (your visa). 

If you would like to apply in person, please note that Public Enquiry Office appointments book up far in advance.  If you are not able to obtain an appointment on a date before your student visa expires, you must then make a standard application instead.

Check the Links tab for useful resources on making a visa extension application in the UK.

This information is for dependants of Tier 4 (General) visa holders only.

From 4 July 2011, you cannot bring your dependants to the UK unless you are:

  • sponsored by a higher education institution on a course at postgraduate level which lasts 12 months or more; or
  • a government-sponsored student following a course which lasts longer than 6 months.

If you are accompanied by a dependant(s) (i.e. spouse/partner/child), you must include information about them as part of the online 'print and send' application process.  There is a charge of £305 for each dependant application if the application is submitted at the same time as the main applicant by post.  The charge is £680 if the dependant applies at the same time as the main applicant in person.

Please note that, if your dependant is over 18 years old, there is a higher application fee - £406 for a standard application or £781 for an in-person application.

If your dependants are applying at the same time as you and you would like to check your applications with an International Student Adviser, please ensure that you request a longer appointment.  The Student Services Enquiry desk will let you know the appropriate duration of the appointment.