Visas and Immigration

Changes to your studies are reported to UKVI by the Immigration Compliance Team.  Please see their webpages for information about your responsibilities as a Student Visa holder, attendance and engagement requirements and more. 

If the changes mean your Student Visa sponsorship cannot be continued:

The Immigration Compliance Team will report this to the Home Office / UKVI, who would cancel your Student Visa as a result. You can expect your Student Visa to expire 60 days after the date Immigration Compliance team report the end of your Student Visa sponsorship to the Home Office (unless it already expires on a date sooner than this).  You will need to leave the UK before your Student Visa expires.

If the changes mean you need to apply for a new Student Visa: 

• Request a CAS

• Undergraduate and postgraduate taught students must be able to complete their course within the UKVI’s maximum period of study requirement (see Appendix Student paragraphs 19.1 – 19.5) for Admissions to be able to issue a CAS.

• If an ATAS certificate is required you need to apply for this and receive it in time to submit with your new Student Visa application documents.  Where your course requires an ATAS certificate, you must also receive this and show evidence of holding a valid ATAS certificate for your course to be able to study at UoG.

• See the ISS webpages to check if you are eligible to apply for a Student Visa inside the UK.  If not, you will need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK.

When you apply for a new Student Visa:

• You need to show your new Student Visa to the Immigration Compliance team once you have received this.

• If you make the Student Visa application inside the UK (this is called "extending" your Student Visa) - you must show the Immigration Compliance team evidence that you made an "in-time" visa application and have the relevant ATAS certificate if required to continue studying.

• Speak with your Course Adviser / Supervisor and your School Office / Graduate School to confirm your academic circumstances (e.g. if you need to resit an exam or have done so already) and concerns (e.g. resit will mean you cannot complete your course before your current visa expiry date).

• Request a new CAS.  The new CAS must state you are exempt from demonstrating academic progression due to undertaking resits to be able to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (see Student Appendix ST 14.4 (a) & (b).

• You need to show evidence of making an “in-time” Student Visa application to the Immigration Compliance Team before the deadline stated on their webpages (as part of Visa Registration / Check-in requirements).

• If a CAS cannot be issued but the resit exam will take place in the UK, you would usually be offered a Visa Letter with the exam resit details from your School / College Office. You would leave the UK before your current visa expires and apply for a apply for a Student Visa outside the UK – you would complete Visa Registration after coming back to the UK on this visa and before the course start date on the Visa Letter.

Please note:

If you are issued a CAS but do not meet all the UKVI’s eligibility requirements to apply for a Student Visa in the UK, including the academic progression requirement, you would need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK.

If it is not possible for you to be issued a CAS and you are given a Visa Letter see our webpages on how to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. Unfortunately where you return to study on a Standard Visitor Visa it will not be possible to apply for the Graduate Visa.

• Speak with your Course Adviser / Supervisor and your School Office / Graduate School to confirm your academic circumstances (e.g. if you will need to repeat study or have done so already) and your concerns (e.g. repeating study will mean you cannot complete your course before your current visa expiry date).

• Request a new CAS. The new CAS must state you are exempt from demonstrating academic progression due to repeating study to be able to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (see Student Appendix ST 14.4 (a) & (b).

• You need to show evidence of making an “in-time” Student Visa application to the Immigration Compliance Team before the deadline stated on their webpages (as part of Visa Registration / Check-in requirements).

Please note: if you do not meet all the UKVI’s eligibility requirements to apply for a Student Visa in the UK, including the academic progression requirement, you would need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK.

Can I transfer to a different course at UoG?:

The Immigration Rules (Appendix Student, ST27.3) state when you can start studying a new course at UoG without first applying for a Student Visa – see points (b) to (f).  Please note: UoG is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. 

In brief, UKVI say you can only transfer to a new course of study at UoG without needing to apply for a new Student Visa first where all of the following apply:

If you need to make a Student Visa application before you can start your new course: 

• You will need to receive a new CAS for the new course of study to use for the Student Visa application. If you are transferring to a new course at UoG and the School Office / Graduate School have confirmed that you do not need to apply to Admissions for a place on the new course to do this, you would request a CAS via the College you will study the new course with.

• Students transferring to a new course at UoG who need to apply for a Student Visa to do so will need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK . This is because you would not meet the UKVI’s academic progression requirements to be eligible to make a Student Visa application in the UK.

• You need to return to the UK on your new Student Visa and complete Visa Registration before the latest course start date on your CAS.

Queries about whether you can transfer to a different course at UoG without first applying for a Student Visa?

E-mail us with the following details at: internationalstudentsupport@glasgow.ac.uk 

• Your Student Visa expiry date

• Date you applied for your current Student Visa

• Current course name and level of study

• New course name and level of study 

You must hold a valid Student Visa to be able to undertake a work placement or study abroad programme for your course.  Where the inclusion of a work placement or study abroad programme will result in your course end date falling after your current Student Visa expiry date, you need to apply for a Student Visa.   

UKVI say the work placement or study abroad programme must be an integral and assessed part of your course.  Additionally, a work placement  must not take up no more than 50% of the total time that you spend on your course.  Check if your work placement or study abroad programme meets the UKVI requirements with your School Office / Graduate School if you are unsure.

You can apply for a new Student Visa either before you start or after completing the work placement / study abroad programme - you need to show evidence of making the visa application to the Immigration Compliance Team. 

• Request a CAS stating the work placement or study abroad details and your new course end date.  The new CAS must state you are exempt from demonstrating academic progression due to undertaking a work placement or study abroad programme to be eligible to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (see Student Appendix ST 14.4. (i).

• If you do not meet the UKVI’s eligibility requirements (including academic progression) to apply for a Student Visa in the UK you will need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK.

• You need to show evidence of making an “in-time” Student Visa application to the Immigration Compliance Team before the deadline stated on their webpages (as part of Visa Registration / Check-in requirements).

For example, where you are progressing from a Bachelor’s degree to Masters degree (or Masters to PhD) as part of an integrated course where you have been offered a place at the higher level of the course following an assessment of your academic ability. Check the date you will start studies on the higher level of the course with your School.

You will need to apply for a Student Visa to cover the higher level of study portion of the course.  You must apply for the Student Visa and show evidence you have done this to the Immigration Compliance Team before the course start date on the new CAS (this will be the date your School says you will move on to the higher level of your course).

• Request a CAS  – the new CAS must state you are demonstrating academic progression due to progressing to the higher level of an integrated course after an assessment of your academic ability to be eligible to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (see Student Appendix ST 14.3. (a) & (b).  You can request the CAS within the 3 months before the date you will move to the higher level of study for your course.

• You need to show evidence to the Immigration Compliance Team of submitting the Student Visa application form online as part of Visa Registration before the course start date (for the higher level of study, stated on your new CAS) to be able to progress onto the higher level portion of your course.

• If you do not all eligibility requirements to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (including academic progression) as discussed on our webpages, you would need to apply for the Student Visa outside the UK. 

You will need to apply for a Student Visa where your main course of study is in medicine, veterinary medicine & science or dentistry and you will undertake an intercalated degree / PhD course at UoG or at another UK institution, or,  to resume your main course at UoG after completing a period of intercalation.  This is because the intercalated period will mean your main course can no longer be completed before your current visa expiry date.

If you will study the intercalated period at another UK institution:

So long as your current UoG Student Visa covers the period of intercalated study you will not need to apply for a new Student Visa before starting the intercalated period.  You will however need to apply for a Student Visa for UoG again after the period of intercalation ends to return to your main course at UoG (before your visa expires).

The institution you undertake the intercalated period with will be responsible for UKVI sponsorship duties for the duration of your intercalated period with them.  Immigration Compliance Team at UoG will report to UKVI when you start the intercalated period at the other institution.  See UKVI's Student Sponsor Guidance paragraph 5.39.

When to apply for a Student Visa:

You can apply for the Student Visa before or after the period of intercalated study, and you can apply for a Student Visa either inside or outside the UK.  When applying for a Student Visa in the UK you always need to apply on or before your current visa expiry date.

• Request a CAS - the new CAS must state you are exempt from demonstrating academic progression due to undertaking an intercalated course, or are returning to undertake the remainder of your principal course after a period of intercalated study, to be eligible to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (see Student Appendix ST 14.4. (h).

• You need to show evidence of making an “in-time” Student Visa application to the Immigration Compliance Team before the deadline stated on their webpages (as part of Visa Registration / Check-in requirements).

• If you do not meet the UKVI’s eligibility requirements (including academic progression) to apply for a Student Visa in the UK you will need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK .

Your current visa may no longer cover the full duration of studies for your PhD.  For example, where your Viva date or end of corrections will fall after your current visa expiry date.

• Request a CAS - the new CAS must state you are exempt from demonstrating academic progression due to applying to complete the same PhD at UoG that your current visa was granted for you to study to be able to apply for a Student Visa in the UK (see Student Appendix ST 14.4. (c).

• If you do not meet the UKVI’s eligibility requirements (including academic progression) to apply for a Student Visa in the UK you will need to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK.

• If an ATAS certificate is required remember you should apply for this at least 2 months before you will make the visa application.

• You need to show evidence of making an “in-time” Student Visa application to the Immigration Compliance Team before the deadline stated on their webpages (as part of Visa Registration / Check-in requirements).

If you require less than 6 months in the UK you could request a Visa Letter from School / College Office instead of a CAS to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa (instead of a Student Visa).  You would leave UK before your current visa expires and apply for a Standard Visitor Visa from outside the UK. 

The Standard Visitor Visa has different conditions attached to it (for example, no paid or unpaid work is permitted) so you would need to consider if this visa type is suitable for you.  Additionally, you cannot apply for the Graduate Visa where you are studying in the UK on a Standard Visitor Visa.

Effect on your Student Visa

• Your Student Visa will be cancelled

• Your Student Visa expiry date may fall sooner

See the Immigration Compliance webpages (“Attendance and Engagement” section) for information on the length of permitted absences you can take before your Student Visa would be affected. 

Where you will be absent from study or “suspend” studies for 60 or more days, your School will inform the Immigration Compliance team of this as you will no longer meet the attendance and engagement requirements. 

The Immigration Compliance team would report the end of your Student Visa sponsorship to the Home Office - they will e-mail you to confirm the date they make this report. 

Usually, you would expect your Student Visa to expire 60 days after the date the Immigration Compliance Team send the report to the Home Office (unless your current visa expiry date is sooner, in which case your visa expiry date would remain the same).

The Home Office would process the cancellation of your Student Visa and would send you written confirmation of your Student Visa cancellation, including the date by which you can expect your Student Visa to expire.  Make sure your e-mail address and UK address details with the Home Office are up to date and that you can access the e-mail address they have for you, and check your Inbox and Junk folders for any communications from the Home Office.

You would need to leave the UK (or apply for new immigration permission to stay in the UK under a visa route only where you are eligible to do so) before your Student Visa expiry date. You cannot use a Student Visa that has been reported for cancellation to travel to the UK. 

Your Student Visa work permissions

The “Employer’s guide to right to work checks” states you will still be able to work on your Student Visa (under the Student Visa work conditions) until the new date your current Student Visa will expire.  See the information under the sub-heading “Impact of a change in circumstances on a student’s right to work”.

Returning to study at a later date

Your School can discuss with you when you can resume your studies at a future date.  You would need to request a CAS to use to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK and receive a new Student Visa to resume your studies with.

Effect on your Student Visa

• Your Student Visa would be cancelled

• Your Student Visa expiry date may fall sooner

See the UoG webpages for information on withdrawing from studies. 

When the withdrawal request has been processed by Registry, the Immigration Compliance team will be notified.  They will report the end of your Student Visa sponsorship to the Home Office and will e-mail you to confirm the date they make this report. 

Usually, you would expect your Student Visa to expire 60 days after the date the Immigration Compliance Team send the report to the Home Office (unless your current visa expiry date is sooner, in which case your visa expiry date would remain the same).

After receiving this report, the Home Office would process the cancellation of your Student Visa and send you written confirmation of your Student Visa cancellation, including the date by which you can expect your Student Visa to expire.  Make sure your e-mail address and UK address details with the Home Office are up to date and that you can access the e-mail address they have for you. 

You would need to leave the UK (or apply for new immigration permission to stay in the UK if you are eligible to do so) before your new, shorter Student Visa expiry date.  You cannot use a Student Visa that has been reported for cancellation to travel to the UK.

Work permissions

The “Employer’s guide to right to work checks” states you will still be able to work on your Student Visa (under the Student Visa work conditions) until the new date your Student Visa will expire.  See the information under the sub-heading “Impact of a change in circumstances on a student’s right to work”.

Returning to study at a later date

Your School can discuss with you if you may be able to resume your course at UoG on a future date and if you would need to reapply to Admissions to do so. 

If you need to apply again to Admissions you would expect to receive a CAS from Admissions after you accept your unconditional offer of study.  You would use the new CAS to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK.

Where they confirm you will not need to reapply to Admissions but can resume your course later, you would need to request a CAS to use to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK to receive a Student Visa to resume your studies with.

Effect on eligiblity to apply for the Graduate Visa

Please note that you need to meet all the UKVI's eligiblity requirements to be able to submit a successful Graduate Visa appplication.  This includes the "required period" requirement as discussed on the ISS "Graduate Visa" webpages.  UKVI say to meet the "required period" requirement, you must have studied your course in the UK while holding your current, valid Student / Tier 4 (General) Visa for either:

- at least 12 months (if the length of your course is more than 12 months) or

- the total length of your course (if the total length of your course is less than 12 months)

Please be aware that as withdrawing from your studies results in the cancellation of your Student Visa, where you no longer meeting the "required period" requirement as a result, that you would not be eligible to apply for a Graduate Visa.

Effect on your Student Visa

• Your Student Visa expiry date will fall sooner

Where you complete your studies earlier than the course end date stated on your CAS (and will receive the same qualification stated on the CAS used to apply for your Student Visa), your School will inform the Immigration Compliance Team of this and confirm the date of early course completion.  The Immigration Compliance team will report the date you completed your course to the Home Office.

After receiving this report, the Home Office will amend your Student Visa expiry date as a result. You would expect your new visa expiry date to be the number of months you will receive for the “wrap-up” period based on your course length (as per Appendix Student ST25.3) after the date you actually completed the course.  For example, your course length is 12 months or longer, you would expect your new visa expiry date to be 4 months after the date you completed your course.  

You would need to either leave the UK or apply for new immigration permission to stay in the UK under a visa route that you are eligible for (e.g. the Graduate Visa) before your new Student Visa expiry date.  

Your Student Visa work permissions

The “Employer’s guide to right to work checks” states you will still be able to work on your Student Visa (under the Student Visa work conditions) until the new date your Student Visa will expire.  See the information under the sub-heading “Impact of a change in circumstances on a student’s right to work”.

Travelling and returning to the UK on your Student Visa

If you leave the UK after completing your course and wish to return to the UK on your Student Visa, you must re-enter the UK before your new Student Visa expiry date.  You can still travel to the UK on your visa where Immigration Compliance team only reported an early completion date for your course to the Home Office.  See the ISS webpages for information on travelling outside the UK on a valid Student Visa.

Effect on applying for a Graduate Visa

You can still apply for the Graduate Visa where you meet all UKVI's eligiblity requirements to do so (you would submit the Graduate Visa application form on or before the new, shorter Student Visa expiry date).  Please see the eligiblity requirements discussed on the ISS "Graduate Visa" webpages, along with information on how and when to apply for a Graduate Visa.

Effect on your Student Visa

• Your Student Visa will be cancelled

• Your Student Visa expiry date may fall sooner

Where your school tell you that you will become an "exams only" student, you will no longer be meeting the attendance and engagement requirements for Student Visa holders discussed on the Immigration Compliance team webpages.

Your School would be required to inform the Immigration Compliance team of this change to your studies.  The Immigration Compliance team would report the end of your Student Visa sponsorship to the Home Office - they will e-mail you to confirm the date they make this report. 

Usually, you would expect your Student Visa to expire 60 days after the date the Immigration Compliance Team send the report to the Home Office (unless your current visa expiry date is sooner, in which case your visa expiry date would remain the same).  You would need to leave the UK on or before the date your Student Visa will expire. 

The Home Office would process the cancellation of your Student Visa and would send you written confirmation of your Student Visa cancellation, including the date by which you can expect your Student Visa to expire.  Make sure your e-mail address and UK address details with the Home Office are up to date and that you can access the e-mail address they have for you. 

Your Student Visa work permissions

The “Employer’s guide to right to work checks” states you will still be able to work on your Student Visa (under the Student Visa work conditions) until the new date your Student Visa will expire.  See the information under the sub-heading “Impact of a change in circumstances on a student’s right to work”.

Returning to the UK for exams / remaining studies for your course

It will not be possible for you to be issued a CAS for the exams to use to apply for a Student Visa in the UK where your School have confirmed you are an exams only student.  You will need to discuss with your School if you need to return to the UK in the future to undertake any other studies for your course - they can clarify if:

• You will return to the UK to undertake exam/s and progress to the remainder of your studies where you are successful in the exams (you would request a CAS to use to apply for a Student Visa outside the UK), or

• You will only return to the UK for exams and have no further work after the exams to progress onto where you are successful in the exams (you would expect to be issued a Visa Letter to use to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa from outside the UK).

Effect on eligiblity to apply for the Graduate Visa

Please note that you need to meet all the UKVI's eligiblity requirements to be able to submit a successful Graduate Visa appplication.  This includes the "required period" requirement as discussed on the ISS "Graduate Visa" webpages.  UKVI say to meet the "required period" requirement, you must have studied your course in the UK while holding your current, valid Student / Tier 4 (General) Visa for either:

- at least 12 months (if the length of your course is more than 12 months) or

- the total length of your course (if the total length of your course is less than 12 months)

Please be aware, as becoming an exams only student results in the cancellation of your Student Visa, that where you no longer meet the "required period" requirement as a result you would not be eligible to apply for a Graduate Visa.

Please see the information on the Immigration Compliance team's webpages about this situation.  Where you confirm with your School that you will write and submit your dissertation / project / thesis from outside the UK, your School will inform the Immigration Compliance team of this, as you will no longer meet the attendance and engagement requirements for Student Visa holders as a result. 

Effect on your Student Visa

• Your Student Visa will be cancelled

• Your Student Visa expiry date may fall sooner

The Immigration Compliance team would report the end of your Student Visa sponsorship to the Home Office - they will e-mail you to confirm the date they make this report. Usually, you would expect your Student Visa to expire 60 days after the date the Immigration Compliance Team send the report to the Home Office (unless your current visa expiry date is sooner, in which case your visa expiry date would remain the same).

The Home Office would process the cancellation of your Student Visa and would send you written confirmation of your Student Visa cancellation, including the date by which you can expect your Student Visa to expire.  Make sure your e-mail address and UK address details with the Home Office are up to date and that you can access the e-mail address they have for you, and check your Inbox and Junk folders for any communications from the Home Office.

You would need to leave the UK (or apply for new immigration permission to stay in the UK under a visa route only where you are eligible to do so) before your Student Visa expiry date. You cannot use a Student Visa that has been reported for cancellation to travel to the UK. 

Effect on eligiblity to apply for the Graduate Visa

Please note that you need to meet all the UKVI's eligibility requirements to submit a successful Graduate Visa application.  This includes the "required period" requirement as discussed on the ISS "Graduate Visa" webpages.  UKVI say to meet the "required period" requirement, you must have studied your course in the UK while holding your current, valid Student / Tier 4 (General) Visa for either:

- at least 12 months (if the length of your course is more than 12 months) or

- the total length of your course (if the total length of your course is less than 12 months)

Please be aware, as working on and submitting your dissertation / project outside the UK results in the cancellation of your Student Visa, where you no longer meet the "required period" requirement as a result you would not be eligible to apply for a Graduate Visa.