Your studies and your student sponsorship

Sponsored students – Your student visa and immigration status

If you take a break in your studies or finish earlier than planned your student visa will be cancelled by the Home Office and you will need to leave the UK. You will need to apply for new entry clearance to return to the UK if you will continue your studies later.

What will happen to my visa?

If you finish your studies early or you take a break in your studies, your student visa will be cut short (curtailed) by the Home Office and will no longer be valid after the amended expiry date.

The date it will be curtailed to expire will depend on when the Home Office process the curtailment and whether you have finished the course early and been awarded the qualification or, you have withdrawn or are intermitting.

The earliest your leave should be curtailed to is 60 days from the date you were reported by the University as having withdrawn or intermitted. If you have been awarded your qualification early your student visa will be curtailed with the same ‘wrap up’ period that was given when you were issued with your visa.

Can I stay in the UK?

You should not remain in the UK during any period that you are not required to attend and should leave the UK as soon as possible and by the date your leave is curtailed to or your current visa expires, whichever date is earlier.

If you haven't received notice from the Home Office that your leave has been curtailed, we recommend you leave the UK within 60 days of the date the University has reported your early finish to the Home Office. You should get an email telling you this. If you don’t,please contact the International Services Team. If your current visa expires before 60 days you must leave by the visa expiry date. If you remain in the UK after the date your visa is curtailed to expire without making a new, valid immigration application, you will be an overstayer. Overstaying your visa is a criminal offence and can have serious consequences for you.

When calculating the time you have spent in the UK studying as a sponsored student, the time the Home Office count will be from the date your student leave began to the date your permission expires or is curtailed to expire.

If you are intending to return to the UK to resume your studies or take a new course in the future, we recommend you keep evidence of leaving the UK such as airline tickets/boarding passes, stamps in your passport.

What must I do before I return to the UK to resume my studies?

If you had a student visa it will have been cancelled (curtailed) by the Home Office, you will not be able to enter the UK using this visa despite what expiry date it shows. You will need to apply for new entry clearance overseas before you return to your studies.

If you wish to apply for a student visa to return to study with us you will need to check with the International Services Team if you would be eligible to be issued with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Please note that the CAS start date will be the date the University expects you to recommence your studies in the UK.

Returning to resit exams or repeat modules

Final year

If you are returning to resit exams or repeat modules in the summer term and have not been attending in the autumn and/or the spring term, you will usually need to apply for entry clearance overseas as a visitor.

If you are returning to repeat modules in the spring term and resit exams in the summer term and the period of study will be less than 6 months you may be able to apply for entry clearance as a visitor.

If you are returning for your Viva you will usually have to apply for entry clearance as a visitor.

Other years

If you are not finishing your course after your repeat study and will continue your course in the next academic year you may be eligible for a CAS to apply for a Student visa.

How do I make a new immigration application?

See the Applying for a visa section for information on how to apply for a student visa or as a visitor.

Further immigration advice

Contact the International Services Team for further information.