Student visa responsibilities

To maintain your visa rights in the UK you must continue at all times to meet the terms and conditions of your visa.

If we become aware that you are not complying with the conditions of your visa, we are under an obligation to report this to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).  On this page you will find details of the conditions you must adhere to in order to maintain your Student visa.  The UCL Student Immigration Compliance Team has created a Student visa and Sponsor Responsibilities Guide that you should review  in order to ensure that you comply with the conditions of your Student visa

ucl_student_visa_responsibilities_2022_final.pdf

Enrol on our Student Visa Responsibilities Moodle course 

A Student visa can only be used for study at the University and for the particular programme for which the visa was issued. Therefore you can only use your Student visa for study at UCL. If you have a Student visa from another university you will not be able to enrol or study at UCL unless you have made an in-time Student visa application to extend your visa and switch to studying at UCL.

To contact the Student Immigration Compliance Team, please open an enquiry via askUCL. 

On this page you can find information about your responsibilities relating to:

Documents

UCL are required to see originals of and keep copies of your documents. This includes the following:

Immigration documents

  • Passport
  • Travel vignette
  • eVisa/BRP
  • ATAS certificate (if applicable)

Documents used to obtain offer

  • English language evidence (if applicable)
  • Qualifications

You must be able to provide these documents for UCL at or before enrolment. If you are not able to do so you will not be able to start your studies.

If you are unable to enrol by the UCL enrolment deadline we must report this to UKVI. It is therefore important that you keep us updated if you cannot enrol before your start date for whatever reason. If you request a later enrolment date, we will consider whether you will still have sufficient time on your visa to complete your studies. If we do not think that you will have sufficient time to complete your studies, we will not allow you to enrol and your sponsorship will be withdrawn.

If your visa is due to expire before your studies have finished, you are required to provide UCL with evidence of your pending visa application and your new visa once it is received.  This evidence must be provided to UCL before your current visa expires.  You will receive email reminders of your impending visa expiry starting 3 months before your current visa expiry date.  If you do not provide either evidence of a pending visa application or a new visa before your current visa expires, UCL will be forced to de-register you from your programme and withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa.

You can use the Visa Document Upload function on your Portico homepage to upload copies of your immigration documents.  It is very important that UCL has up-to-date copies of your immigration status and it is your responsibility to update us with any changes. 

View and prove your immigration status

If you have been told you can view your immigration status online you can use the UK Visas and Immigration visa verification service to:

  • get a ‘share code’ to prove your status to others, for example employers, or educational institutions such as UCL
  • update your personal details, for example your passport number or email address
  • check what rights you have in the UK, for example the right to work, rent or claim benefits

Once you have your ‘share code’, you can provide this to UCL so that we may verify your immigration status.  As a visa Sponsor, UCL must also check the date on which you entered the UK to ensure you entered within the validity of your visa.  As such UCL may require you to also submit a copy of your boarding pass or flight details to confirm this. 

You will also be required to send a copy of your confirmation email from UKVI which confirms you have been granted the visa, as this provides information about the conditions of your visa. 

Who can use this service

You can use this service if you:

  • have settled or pre-settled status
  • applied for a visa and used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document on your phone

You cannot use this service if you have a vignette in your passport or a biometric residence permit to prove your immigration status.  There are different services for you to prove your right to work to an employer and to prove your right to rent to a landlord.

 Visa expiry 

If your student record shows that you have a visa which is due to expire within the next three months (and before your programme end date), you will be contacted by the Student Immigration Compliance Team.

If you are eligible to extend your visa from within the UK, you must ensure that you submit your visa application before your current visa expires. If you do not submit your application in time, you will become an overstayer.

If your visa is due to expire before your studies have finished, you are required to provide UCL with evidence of your pending visa application and this must be provided to us before your current visa expires. You must then provide us with your new visa once it is received. 

You will receive email reminders of your impending visa expiry starting 3 months before your current visa expiry date.  If you do not provide either evidence of a pending visa application or a new visa before your current visa expires, UCL will de-register you from your programme and withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa. 

You can upload evidence of your new visa via the ‘Visa and ID document upload’ function your Portico homepage. We will then use this information to update your student record. 

Overstaying 

Overstaying means allowing your visa to expire and staying in the UK, which is a criminal offence. 

If you have become an overstayer, you will need to depart the UK immediately. Any further visa application you make will need to be submitted from outside the UK. Please note that we may also be required to interrupt your registration whilst your case is resolved. You will be required to provide evidence to show that you have left the UK before we can consider assigning a new CAS.

UCL will not normally provide sponsorship to an applicant or student who has overstayed their visa, unless there were exceptional circumstances which prevented the student from making an in-time visa application. These cases will be assessed on an individual basis by the Student Immigration Compliance Team.

Attendance and absence

Attendance monitoring is undertaken by academic departments at regular points during your registration at UCL. This is to ensure that you are engaging with your studies; to identify problems as early as possible to ensure that action can be taken to advise and/or assist; and to meet the requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration for those with Student visas. 

As a Student visa holder, your visa status is dependent on your continued attendance on your programme.  UKVI rules state that UCL must report a student who is withdrawn as a result of failing to attend their programme without being granted authorised absence. This means you must maintain attendance on your programme and meet any minimum attendance requirements.

If you fail to meet your attendance requirements and/or do not provide UCL with adequate reasons why you have missed attendance we may be required to report this to UKVI and withdraw our sponsorship of your visa. This will result in the curtailment (shortening) of your visa and you will be expected to leave the UK. 

Academic departments can obtain further guidance on Student Attendance Monitoring on our staff only webpage. 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students

The UCL Student Attendance Policy applies to all Taught students at UCL and expects you to attend all scheduled teaching events. Your status as a UCL student will be impacted if there are concerns about your absence. It is also a requirement of your Student visa that you attend your programme at UCL. Failure to so can result in withdrawal of your Student visa.

If your Department identifies an issue with your attendance, they will contact you directly to review the reasons for absence and follow up as appropriate. If you repeatedly fail to attend timetabled teaching events without having notified your department of your absence, you will be moved through a staged process as highlighted in the UCL Student Attendance Policy.  

RegisterUCL is UCL’s platform for logging and monitoring student attendance for Taught students.  Attendance is logged through the use of card readers located in the majority of UCL’s teaching rooms. Should you encounter issues recording your attendance (e.g. the card reader did not work, or issues with your student ID card), you are advised to report the issue using the RegisterUCL MyServices queue.  Do not to contact your department to raise these issues.

Dissertation period

Postgraduate taught (e.g., MA, MSc) and postgraduate research (e.g., MRes) students are expected to actively engage with their project or dissertation. Throughout this period, you must demonstrate monthly engagement by attending at least one supervisory meeting per month.

Postgraduate Research students

Attendance data for Postgraduate Research (PGR) students is not recorded in RegisterUCL. Instead, your department will submit attendance reports monthly via Portico. In accordance with UCL’s Doctoral Code of Practice and UKVI requirements, departments must provide evidence of PGR student attendance each month.

If you are overseas on authorised Study Leave and remain sponsored by UCL under a Student visa, attendance monitoring will still apply. You must continue to have monthly meetings with your supervisor.

If you hold a Student visa, attendance monitoring is required for the entire duration of your PhD programme, up until your award is confirmed.

Authorised absence

In exceptional cases, such as serious illness or injury, UCL may approve an authorised absence of up to 60 calendar days, provided you can still complete your programme within your current Student visa period. 

For undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, authorised absences during term time must not exceed 60 calendar days. During vacation weeks (i.e., out of term-time), you do not need to request an authorised absence. For postgraduate research students, the 60-day limit applies across the full duration of study (excluding Christmas and Easter closures), as term dates do not apply. 

Your request will be authorised at the discretion of your academic department, based on your ability to successfully complete your programme.  As a Student visa holder, periods of absence can only be approved if you are able to successfully complete your programme within the duration of your current visa.

If you are unable to engage with your studies for more than 60 calendar days, it is likely you will need to apply for an interruption of study, which would result in the withdrawal of your Student visa.

Programme Transfers

UCL is required to report any significant changes in your studies to UKVI. If any of the following are applicable, your Student visa may be affected and therefore you should seek guidance from the Student Immigration Compliance Team:

  • You apply for a programme transfer at UCL
  • You change your study location
  • The length of your programme becomes shorter or longer
  • You will complete a work placement
Programme Transfers guidance February 2026.pdf

 

Early course completion 

If you complete your programme earlier than expected, this means that you have been awarded your degree before the course end date stated on your CAS.

UCL is required to report early course completions to UKVI. Once this report has been sent to UKVI, your visa will be curtailed to a new expiry date. UCL will email you to confirm when your early course completion has been reported to UKVI. This email will also contain information regarding your new visa expiry date. 

Please note that if your visa has been curtailed as result of completing your studies early, you are still subject to UKVI’s rules around curtailment. This means that if you leave the UK but wish to return, for example to attend your graduation ceremony, you will not be able to do this on your current visa, and will need to obtain alternative leave, such as a Standard Visitor visa. 

Withdrawing from your programme

UCL is required to report to UKVI if you withdraw from your programme. In this case your visa will be curtailed (shortened) and you will be expected to leave the UK. 

Covid-19 and visa curtailments

If you require immigration advice in relation to COVID-19, please open an enquiry via askUCL. 

Interruptions and repeats of study

UCL is required to report to UKVI if you interrupt your programme of studies or if you need to take resits/repeats of study that do not require attendance.  In this case your visa will be curtailed (shortened) and you will be expected to leave the UK.

If you are interrupting your studies, you will need to re-apply for a new visa before you return to UCL to re-commence your studies. Please begin the process of obtaining your new Student visa at least 3 months before your intended return date to UCL.  You will need to arrange for a CAS request form to be completed and submitted to the compliance team via askUCL which can found on the website. 

If you are intending to return to UCL during your interruption as you are required to take re-sits, you will need a Standard Visitor Visa.  You can also visit the .GOV website for more information. 

Covid-19 and visa curtailments

If you require immigration advice in relation to COVID-19, please open an enquiry via askUCL. 

Change of immigration status

If you change your immigration status by moving into another visa category you must inform UCL straight away.  You can use the Visa Document Upload function on your Portico homepage to upload copies of your new immigration status.  It is very important that UCL has up-to-date copies of your immigration status and it is your responsibility to update us with any changes. 

Contact details

UCL must hold on your student record, your UK contact address, telephone number and email at all times.  If you change your contact details at anytime during your studies you are required to provide us with updated details as soon as possible.  You can update your contact details on your Portico homepage.  

Working in the UK

Your Student visa allows you limited working rights in the UK. Please see our guidance for further information about this: Working in the UK. 

As a Student visa holder, you must not work more than the maximum number of hours allowed by your visa or do any prohibited work. Failure to adhere to the work conditions of your visa can result in cancellation of your visa, fines and/or a ban on entry to the UK and so it is imperative that you ensure that you do not breach your working rights.

Work placements

If you are a Student visa holder, you are only permitted to undertake a work placement in the following circumstances:

The work placement must:

  • be an integral and assessed part of your programme
  • take up no more than 50% of the total time that you spend on your programme

If your work placement meets the above requirements, you will be permitted to work (paid or unpaid) for more than 20 hours per week.  However, you must not be self-employed, or employed as a professional or semi-professional sportsperson, or an entertainer.

As your visa sponsor, UCL will report the details of your work placement to UK Visas and Immigration.  This applies whether your work placement takes in place on the work placement premises, remotely or abroad. 

PGR students who wish to undertake a work placement must obtain confirmation from their supervisor that the placement is an integral part of their PhD research.  It is only in these circumstances that we will be able to continue to sponsor your student visa.

If you have any questions about undertaking a work placement as part of your programme, you should seek guidance from both your academic department and the Student Immigration Compliance Team.

Police registration

The police registration scheme ended on 4 August 2022 and therefore is no longer a requirement. As such, you no longer need to do this, even if you were previously told to.

Student visa advice

If you have further queries regarding your visa status you can contact the Student Immigration Advice Team by opening an enquiry via askUCL. 

After you have finished your studies

As part of your Student visa application you will usually receive an additional period of leave after you have finished your studies.  Once you have passed the official end date of your programme (as stated on your CAS) and you are therefore in your post-study period, you may do the following:

  • Enter and leave the UK
  • Work full-time in the UK, if your conditions of leave permit you to work.  Please click here to find out more about working after your studies.
  • Study in the UK
  • Visit areas in the UK
  • Apply to remain in the UK under an appropriate alternative route (e.g. Tier 1 and Tier 2). Please click here for information about non-Student visas. 

Please note that if you do travel during your post-study period, Border Force officials will need to be satisfied when you are entering the UK that you will either complete the activity you intend to carry out and leave the UK before your visa expires, or that you will submit an in-time visa application to extend your leave in the UK.  You should therefore carry any relevant documentation with you when you travel to show to the Border Force officer if required.  

Graduate visa

You may also be interested in applying for the Graduate visa.  The Graduate visa is available to international students who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at a UCL and who have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa at the time of application.  Please see our website for further information about this visa.