Student status changes and implications for your student visa

Changes to your status as a student can have an impact on your student visa.

The information applies to those with either a Tier 4 visa or a Student route visa. It is important that you understand if the change made to your status does have an impact and, if so, what action you need to take as a result in order to comply with immigration requirements.  Please refer to the table below for specific information on your situation. 

If you are unsure which status applies to you and/or you do not understand the immigration implications please contact an Immigration Adviser in the Visa and Immigration Team (email: immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk).  It is your responsibility to ensure you understand and follow the immigration rules and regulations.

Please note that this document only applies once you have changed your status. 

Status changes (please refer to the status which   applies to you below)

Immigration implications

  • Voluntary interruption of studies
  • Involuntary interruption of studies

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect

Impact on Student visa: If your interruption is for 60 days or less it should not have an impact on your visa. If your interruption is for more than 60 days we expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office* and you will need to apply for a new visa from overseas in order to return to your studies

Your responsibility: If your interruption is for more than 60 days we advise that you arrange to leave the UK within 60 days of the change taking effect.

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal.

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship. Failure to follow immigration regulations may mean that the University will be unable to act as an immigration sponsor on your behalf in the future. When returning to your studies you must make contact with an Immigration Adviser so that we can arrange to take a copy of your new visa/BRP and ensure your student record is in order.

  • Suspended – overdue fees

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect

Impact on Student visa: We expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office* and you will need to apply for a new visa from overseas in order to return to your studies.

Your responsibility: We advise that you arrange to leave the UK within 60 days of the change taking effect.

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal.

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship. Failure to follow immigration regulations may mean that the University will be unable to act as an immigration sponsor on your behalf in the future. When returning to your studies you must make contact with an Immigration Adviser so that we can arrange to take a copy of your new visa/BRP and ensure your student record is in order.

  • Extension of studies

University responsibility: There is no requirement for the University to notify the Home Office.

Impact on Student visa: Your current visa continues to be valid but you may need to extend your visa in order to complete your course.  Any new visa application may need to be made from overseas. When returning to the UK and your studies you must visit your local Student Service Centre so that we can arrange to take a copy of your new visa/BRP and ensure your student record is in order.

Your responsibility: To ensure that you extend your visa if appropriate.  If your visa application has to be made overseas you must take your new BRP to your local Student Service Centre upon returning to the UK so we can take scanned copies for our records (unless you collected your BRP from the University). 

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship.

  • Course transfer 

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect

Impact on Student visa: This depends on the type of transfer as outlined below:

Higher level studies and same level studies - If the new course is at a higher level or the same level as the previous course and cannot be completed within the duration of the existing visa you will need to apply for a new visa from overseas 

For students in the UK on visas applied for on or after 6 April 2016 the visa application will need to be made at the time the transfer is implemented.  

Lower level studies (including examination board recommendations to downgrade) - If the new course is at a lower level than the previous course and can be completed within the duration of the existing visa which was issued before 6 April 2016 no further action is needed unless you are moving from a postgraduate qualification to an undergraduate qualification and you are in the UK with dependants, in which case you should contact an Immigration Adviser. If the course cannot be completed within the existing visa or your current visa was applied for after 6 April 2016 you will need to apply for a new visa from overseas at the time the transfer or downgrade is implemented.

Your responsibility:

Higher and same level studies - To ensure that you extend your visa if your new course is longer or the same length but cannot be completed on your current visa.  You must make contact with an Immigration Adviser so that we can arrange to take a copy of your new visa/BRP and ensure your student record is in order.

If your new course is shorter, we advise that you arrange to leave the UK within 4 months of the new course completion date Please see below for ‘course completion (if earlier than expected)'.

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal.

Lower level studies – To ensure that you extend your visa if you applied for your visa on or after 6 April 2016.  You must make this visa application from overseas at the time the transfer or downgrade is implemented.  When returning to your studies you must make contact with an Immigration Adviser so that we can arrange to take a copy of your new visa/BRP and ensure your student record is in order.

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship.

  • Course completion (if earlier than expected)

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect

Impact on Student visa: We expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office*

Your responsibility: To arrange to leave the UK within 4 months of the new course completion date.

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal. 

  • Course Termination

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect.

Impact on Student visa: We expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office*

Your responsibility: To arrange to leave the UK within 60 days of the change taking effect. 

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal.

Additional information: The University is not able to act as an immigration sponsor for a new course in the future for a student whose previous course is terminated (including where an Honours degree is downgraded to an ordinary degree). If you submit an appeal against the decision to terminate your course please contact
immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk for advice on what this means for your visa.

  • Withdrawal
  • Assumed withdrawal

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect

Impact on Student visa: We expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office*

Your responsibility: We advise that you arrange to leave the UK within 60 days of the change taking effect.

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal

Additional information: The University is not able to act as an immigration sponsor in the future for a student who is assumed to have withdrawn from the course as a result of lack of engagement. If you are moving to study at another UK institution you should contact your new institution for immigration advice on making a fresh visa application.

  • Resit without attendance
  • First sit without attendance

Impact on Student visa: If there is a gap of less than 60 term-time days between receiving your exam results and the resit examination(s)/study period it should not impact on your visa. However, if there is a gap of more than 60 term-time days between receiving your exam results and the resit examination(s)/study period we expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office*. In these circumstances a new visa will be required to return to the UK to take your resits/return to your studies. A short-term study visa may be recommended in some cases.

Your responsibility: If the gap between receiving your results and the resit examinations/study period is more than 60 term-time days we advise that you arrange to leave the UK within 60 days.  For advice on obtaining a new visa for future examinations/study periods on the UK, please contact:
immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal.

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship. Failure to follow immigration regulations may mean that the University will be unable to act as an immigration sponsor on your behalf in the future. When returning to your studies you must make contact with an Immigration Adviser so that we can arrange to take a copy of your new visa/BRP and ensure your student record is in order.

Undergraduate students receiving examination results in June and resitting in August do not need to leave the UK during the summer vacation. If you have questions about your specific situation, please contact: immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk.

  •  Resit with attendance
  • First sit with attendance
  • Repeat a stage
  • Repeat a semester

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect but ONLY where a gap of more than 60 term-time days exists (between a student receiving results and the resit/repeat period of studies).

Impact on Student visa: If there is no gap (apart from University vacations) between your previous studies and your resit studies your current visa continues to be valid but you may need to extend your visa in order to complete your course. If the gap between receiving your results and the resit/repeat period of studies is more than 60 term-time days we expect your visa to be curtailed by the Home Office*. In these circumstances a new visa will be required to return to the UK to take your resits/return to your studies. A short-term study visa may be recommended in some cases. 

Your responsibility: If there is no gap between receiving your results and the resit repeat study period, but your studies can no longer be completed within dates on your original visa you should apply to extend your visa.  For advice on obtaining a new visa for future study periods on the UK, please contact immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk.

If there a gap of more than 60 term-time days we advise that you arrange to leave the UK within 60 days of the change taking effect.

You are also required to keep your contact details up to date with the University, in case we, or the Home Office, need to contact you. Update your details by visiting your MyNottingham portal.

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship.

  • Compulsory year out – Study
  • Year out study/work (Abroad)
  • Semester out integral study
  • Year out integral study
  • Studying away from the University
  • Optional year out in industry/work
  • Compulsory year out work
  • Year out work (UK)
  • UNU sabbatical

University responsibility: To notify the Home Office of this change within 10 working days of it taking effect

Impact on Student visa: If the work placement or study abroad period was already included in your visa from the outset there should be no impact on your visa if your placement is in the UK or at an approved exchange or study abroad partner overseas. If the work placement or study abroad period was not included in your visa from the outset and you have transferred to a course including a work placement or study abroad period, the duration of the course will extend beyond the end date of your visa and you will need to apply for a new visa.  You can apply in the UK or overseas, either before or after the work placement/study abroad period (but not during).  If your work placement will be undertaken overseas please contact an Immigration Adviser for advice

Your responsibility: To ensure that the University knows the location of your work/study and to keep us informed if the arrangements change. To extend your visa if you transfer to a course including an optional study or work placement and to seek advice on doing this by contact: immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk

Additional information: Please be aware of Home Office time limits on studying in the UK on a Student visa and also University limitations on immigration sponsorship.

 

 

* The Home Office should contact you to confirm when curtailment action is taken against your visa

 

Visa and Immigration Team

Book an appointment to meet with
an immigration adviser via video call

t: +44 (0)115 84 66125
t: immigration-support@nottingham.ac.uk