Changes in Student status and your Tier 4 student visa

1. Suspension of studies

If you rusticate or suspend your studies for personal or academic reasons (e.g. illness, pregnancy, maternity or paternity leave, financial reasons) then the UK Border Agency (UKBA) would usually expect you to return to your home country unless you are not medically able to do so.

If you are suspending for maternity or paternity leave, please email tier4compliance@admin.ox.ac.uk to check whether you can remain in the UK or not and to find out how your Tier 4 visa will be affected.

If you hold a Tier 4 visa issued using a CAS number, the University is obliged to report your suspension to the UKBA who may cut your visa length short

Please note that we will contact you by email to discuss any unusual circumstances before a report is made to the UKBA and in some cases a report may not be required.

If a report is made to the UKBA, then you would need to leave the UK and when you are ready to return to the UK and resume your studies, you will need to apply for a new CAS number and student visa in your home country.

Our report to the UKBA and your visa curtailment will impact on your right to work in the UK and it will also affect the permission to stay and work of any Tier 4 dependants you have in the country. If your suspension has been reported, you will therefore need to advise your employer that you have ceased studying.

If you would like advice before proceeding with your suspension, please email Student Information at tier4compliance@admin.ox.ac.uk outlining for how long you intend to suspend and the reason for your suspension.

Students who suspend their studies should be aware of the UKBA’s time limit on degree level studies in the UK. This was introduced as of April 2012 and it limits the number of years students can spend studying at degree level in the UK on a student visa. This includes old style, pre-Tier 4 and Tier 4 student visas. Although UKBA have suggested that “compelling and compassionate circumstances” will be taken into account when calculating the time limit, we cannot guarantee that any time spent on suspension (whether reported to the UKBA or not) would not be included in the time limit.

For more information about the time limit, please refer to the information on the UKCISA website and the UKBA’s webpage (you will need to select the following option: If you are at least 18 years old and studying at or above degree level).

2. Withdrawing from your course

If you withdraw from a course then the University will need to inform the UK Border Agency if you needed a CAS number to apply for your visa.

We will email you before we make a report to the UKBA to discuss any unusual circumstances you may have i.e. transferring to a different sponsor or visa type. If you have not moved to another Tier 4 sponsor or visa category, once our report to the UKBA is made, you will need to make arrangements to leave the UK. There is no fixed guidance how soon you should leave the UK but it should not be more than a few weeks, and must be before the curtailment date notified by the UKBA.

3. Lapsed status for graduate research students

If you are a graduate research student and your status lapses because you have not submitted on time or been granted an extension of time, there could be implications for your visa status. If you are resuming soon then the university may be able to continue to sponsor you. If you are unlikely to resume your studies then we would need to notify UKBA who would reduce your visa length and you would be required to return home or find another visa status.

4. Transfer to another course

If you transfer to a different course at Oxford and you hold a Tier 4 visa issued with a CAS number, then the University needs to inform the UK Border Agency. Course changes can also have an impact on your ATAS clearance if you had to obtain one for your original course, or if you have not had to apply for an ATAS certificate before, you should check if you now need to.

For more information about ATAS, please visit the following page on our website and select Step 2: http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/international_students/visabefore/tier4studentvisa/.

You can also find out more about ATAS on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/.

• i. If your new course is shorter your visa length may be reduced. You will need to email the UK Border Agency at migrantreporting@ukba.gsi.gov.uk with your new course details. We will also report the course change to the UKBA. If your immigration permission is cut short, the UK Border Agency will let you know in writing.
• ii. If your new course is longer, then an application to extend your visa will need to be made before your current visa expires. We will also report your course change to the UK Border Agency. Although you can continue study on your existing visa until it expires, it is advisable to sort out your visa for the new course as soon as convenient. For more information about extending your visa within the UK and the University’s Batch Scheme, please refer to http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/international_students/visaduring/extendingyourvisa/.
• iii. If you have transferred to a course with the same length, although this may not have an impact on your visa duration, we will still need to inform the UK Border Agency of the change.

In all of the above cases, we will contact you by email to advise you of our report to the UKBA regarding your course transfer.

5. Completion earlier than expected

If you obtained your latest student visa with a CAS number and you finish your studies earlier than the course end date on your CAS, we will need to inform the UK Border Agency of your early course completion.

Depending on the amount of time left on your current visa, the UKBA may then decide to shorten your visa to 60 days. They will let you know in writing if they decide to do this.

The University will contact you by email before reporting your early completion to the UKBA. Please therefore ensure that you respond to our emails promptly, especially if there are any special circumstances to take into account.

6. Unexpected Absences

If you are going to be away from the University for an extended period of time, please inform your College Administrator (for undergraduates or visiting students) or Department Administrator (for postgraduates or recognised students).

The University monitors attendance throughout the year as part of our sponsor licence duties and we are required to inform the UK Border Agency of any cases of long-term unexpected absences. If we already know that you are away for an extended period of time, then we will not need to contact you to check this.

7. Deferring your course

If you have been issued with a CAS number and decide to defer the start of your course to the following year, you need to inform us and your college or department as soon as possible. This is to ensure that all our records are up to date and so that we can notify the UK Border Agency that you will not be arriving.

If you have not applied for a visa yet, your current CAS number will be cancelled and you will need a new CAS number to apply for a visa in due course.

If you have obtained a visa using our CAS number and decide to defer, your deferral will be reported to the UK Border Agency and you will not be able to use your visa to enter the UK. You will in this case need to obtain a new CAS number and apply for a new visa in good time before your new start date.

8. Visa Refusals in the UK and overseas

If your student visa application is refused – either in the UK or overseas, you should notify your college or department immediately with a copy of the refusal notice. As part of our Tier 4 responsibilities, we are required to report on the status of all issued CAS numbers.

You will need to make a new application and your college or department will also be able to assist you with the issue of a new CAS number.

If you do not understand the reasons for your refusal or would like help with your next application, then contact the Student Visa Advisers with a copy of your refusal notice at student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk .

9. Taking part in a Study Abroad / Exchange programme or fieldwork overseas.

In most cases this should not affect your student visa, if you are still enrolled and return to Oxford to resume your studies after this period has finished. If you need further advice, please contact your department or college. You must remain in contact with your department/college while away from the UK, so they can monitor your progress and attendance on your course overseas.

10. Re-sitting an exam

If you fail an exam in the summer and can re-take it again before the beginning of December you can remain in the UK to take the re-sit examination, and if necessary can extend your visa. If you fail an exam in the summer and cannot retake the exam (and hence continue your studies) until Hilary term, Trinity term or the next summer it will not be possible for you to remain in the UK. In most cases you will need to suspend your studies and return home.

If you hold a Tier 4 visa issued on the basis of a CAS number then the University will inform the UK Border Agency who will curtail your visa. You will require a new CAS and student visa to return to the UK.

Students who have failed an exam and need to obtain a new Tier 4 visa for a re-take should be aware of the newly introduced time limit on studies in the UK. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to obtain a Tier 4 visa for your re-sit, if you have already reached the UKBA time limit for studies in the UK. Although UKBA have suggested that “compelling and compassionate circumstances” will be taken into account when calculating the time limit, there are no guarantees that any time spent on suspension (whether reported to the UKBA or not) would not be included in the time limit.

For more information about the time limit, please refer to the information on the UKCISA website and the UKBA’s webpage (you will need to select the following option: If you are at least 18 years old and studying at or above degree level).

11. Re-submitting an assignment

If you need to re-submit an assignment/dissertation or thesis after the expiry date of your visa, your department/faculty will need to decide if your attendance in the UK is required until then.

If you are required to be in the UK for study purposes, your department may issue you with a CAS allowing you to apply to extend your visa for the additional time required.

Please speak to your department or college in the first instance regarding this.