Your legal obligations
Your Tier 4 visa obligations
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You have a responsibility to ensure that you comply with the conditions of your Tier 4 student visa. Not complying with your visa conditions is a ciminal offence and can lead to removal from the UK and refusal of future visas for a period of 1-10 years. Your responsibility includes making sure you do not stay beyond the expiry date as stated on your visa, unless you have made a renewal application. You must also adhere to the work conditions of your visa. You should also ensure that you co-operate with the University in fulfilling its Tier 4 duties so that it maintains its status as a Highly Trusted Sponsor enabling international students to continue studying at Oxford. This includes replying to any enquiries from the University relating to your visa without delay. |
As part of your Tier 4 student visa responsibilities, you must:
- Keep your contact and personal details up-to-date on Student Self Service at all times. This includes changes to your name, address, telephone / mobile and email details.
- Ensure your passport and visa / Biometric Residence Permit card have been scanned by your college at registration and immediately every time you renew your passport and/or visa.
- Inform your college or department immediately if your visa status changes from a Tier 4 (General) Student to any other visa category (for example, a work visa status or an Ancestry Visa) or if you no longer require a student visa to study in the UK because you have acquired an EEA nationality or Indefinite Leave to Remain.
- If applicable, register with the police and update your Police Registration Certificate with any changes.
- Attend all required lectures and tutorials, and hand in all required course work. If you are going to be absent for any reason, please notify your college or department as soon as possible. If there are any concerns about your attendance, you may be reported to the UK Border Agency.
- Bear in mind that a change to your student status will impact on your visa, and possibly, your work entitlement. This could also affect your dependants’ permission to stay and work.
- Comply with any other conditions of your Tier 4 visa – for example, you should not exceed the allowed number of hours you can work during term times, ensure you have a valid visa throughout your studies, etc.
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The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) have produced a helpful guide outlining Tier 4 students’ visa responsibilities. For a complete list of the conditions of your visa, please refer to the UKBA website. |
The University’s obligations as your sponsor
As a Highly Trusted Tier 4 Sponsor, we are required by the UK Border Agency to maintain a complete and up-to-date record for each of our Tier 4 students. As part of this, we must:
- Ensure your contact and personal details are kept up-to-date at all times – this includes changes to your name, address, telephone and email details.
- Keep copies of your passport ID page, your visa / Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card and your ATAS certificate, if applicable.
- Make further scans every time you obtain a new passport or visa / BRP card.
- Inform the UKBA if you fail to register / enrol at the start of your course and each year afterwards.
- Notify the UKBA if you change visa status e.g. to a work visa or indefinite leave to remain and no longer require your Tier 4 student visa.
- Monitor your attendance and keep a record of it.
- Report your non-attendance if you are absent for an extended period and we have been unable to contact you or find out the reason.
- Contact the UKBA if you suspend your studies, defer, transfer course, withdraw from a course or complete your studies earlier than the end date stated on your CAS. The University will usually email you before making a report to the UKBA. If you have any questions about our reporting obligations with regards to student status changes, please email us at tier4compliance@admin.ox.ac.uk. You can also find out more about this on our Student Status Changes' webpage.