Visas and immigration

Starting an undergraduate programme

• If you have already been studying in the UK, you must have successfully completed the qualification for which you were last granted a student visa (or if you changed programme, the programme that you changed to). This means that you must have received the award or have formal written confirmation of the award from your institution. Please note that other conditions still apply as per previous rules. 

Changing from BEng to MEng

• If you change from BEng to MEng you may be able to extend your student visa from inside the UK. You must apply for and receive a new visa before you can continue on the MEng programme. You are strongly encouraged to discuss this with the visa advice team.

Changing programme

• You are not permitted to change programme if the new programme cannot be completed within the length of your current visa. If however you changed programme (within the length of your current visa) and subsequently require additional time to repeat part of that new programme, you may be able to extend your visa from inside the UK.  Other conditions in regard to course changes still apply. 

Extending visa for current programme

• If you have transferred from another campus and decide to increase the amount of time spent studying in the UK, you must apply for your visa extension from outside the UK unless you will be progressing from BEng to MEng - please discuss such cases with the visa advice team.

Additional time needed due to re-sits/repeat year

• If you have had to repeat a course or undertake a resit and now need additional time to complete your programme, you might be able to apply for your visa extension from inside the UK.  Please seek advice from the student visa team if you need additional time following a repeat year or having completed a resit/s. 

Starting an MSc

• If you have already been studying in the UK, you must have successfully completed the qualification for which you were last granted a student visa (or if you changed programme, the programme that you changed to). This means that you must have received the award or have formal written confirmation of the award from your institution.
• If you had a visa for MEng and were granted a BEng award prior to undertaking your MSc, you will need to apply for your visa extension from outside the UK.

Extending your visa for the same programme

• If you have transferred from another campus and decide to increase the amount of time spent studying in the UK, you must apply for a new student visa from outside the UK.

Changing programme

• If your new programme cannot be completed within the length of your current visa you will have to leave the UK and then apply for a new visa for your new programme, however you are strongly encouraged to discuss the implications of this with the student visa team.

Addition time needed due to re-sits/repeat year

• If you have had to repeat an course or undertake a resit and now need additional time to complete your programme, you might be able to apply for your visa extension from inside the UK.  Please seek advice from the student visa team if you need additional time following a repeat year or you have had a resit/s. 

Starting a PhD

• If you have already been studying in the UK, you must have successfully completed the qualification for which you were last granted a student visa (or if you changed programme, the programme that you changed to). This means that you must have received the award or have formal written confirmation of the award from your institution

Changing programme

• If you applied for your student visa on or after 06 April 2016 and then wish to change programme, this will only be permitted if you can complete the new course within the length of your visa. If you subsequently need more time to complete, you must apply for your visa extension from outside of the UK.  Other conditions apply.