Student visa rights and responsibilities

It is important that you understand all of your Student visa rights and responsibilities. You are responsible for your immigration status in the UK, and you will need to abide by the conditions of your Student visa.

Important information

UK Immigration law is complex, and it is important that you are fully aware of your rights and responsibilities. It is important that you seek professional advice before making changes to your studies. In the UK, it is illegal to give immigration advice unless you are fully trained and regulated. We provide a fully trained and regulated immigration advisory service, and are the only people in the University who are permitted to give immigration advice to students. We are happy to help you, and you can contact us via our enquiry form.

 

Contact us

Successful study at University stems from a partnership between students and staff, and the University is committed to providing you with a learning environment and student services that enable you to fulfil your potential. Underpinning this partnership, the University has a supportive set of regulations, policies and procedures. These, along with the Terms and Conditions, form the contract between you and the University in relation to your studies at the University.

The student contract

 


Your Student visa is granted to allow you to study in the UK. 

You can:

  • Study a full-time programme with your sponsor (The University of Edinburgh)
  • Take additional studies with your sponsor or other institution (providing it does not interfere with your main course of study)
  • Work in certain jobs (how much depends on what you’re studying and whether you’re working in or out of term-time)

Find out more about working in the UK


Your Student visa has specific restrictions. 

You must not:

  • Claim public funds
  • Work as a self-employed person
  • Engage in business activity
  • Work as an entertainer, sportsperson or coach
  • Study your main programme with a higher education provider that is not the student sponsor of your visa
    • If you wish to study at another institution, you must apply for a visa for that institution before you can begin your programme
  • Overstay your visa in the UK (stay beyond visa expiry date), unless you have made a valid in-time visa extension inside the UK

Working in the UK guidance

Read more about public funds on the UK Government website


You must inform UKVI of any changes to your personal details. You can do this by updating your online eVisa account. 

If you change your personal details (such as term time UK address or nationality), or receive a new passport, you must inform our service. You can do this by updating your student record. 

Update your student record

You are responsible for all of the following:

  • Keeping the University up to date with your address, email address and telephone number
    • Student Self-Service: login to MyEd and then go to Accounts > Progression > My student record
  • Providing the University with a sharecode when you receive a new visa
  • Attending all  classes, lectures and seminars, or if you are a research student, engaging regularly with your supervisor
    • If you cannot attend for any reason, you must inform your School or supervisor, and get permission for your absence
  • Seeking immigration advice in a timely fashion
    • If you make any changes to your studies, such as changing the end date or taking breaks, your visa may be affected
    • Contact us before making any changes
  • If ATAS is required,ensuring that you obtain a new ATAS certificate when there are changes to your programme or when you apply for a new visa
  • Ensuring that you leave the UK, or apply to extend your stay, before the expiry date of your visa

As your sponsor, the University has agreed to be responsible for you while your visa is valid. We have a number of legal obligations which must be fulfilled.

Recording duties

The University must keep a record of:

  • Your current address, email address and telephone number
  • Your current UK immigration status (e.g. valid visa)
  • Your attendance at classes/seminars/lectures/etc. or other engagement with your studies

Reporting duties

The University is required to inform UKVI if you fail to enrol on time. 

You are required to enrol at the University by the latest start date on your CAS. If you cannot arrive by that time, you must arrange a later start date with your School, and let us know so we can tell UKVI.

If you cannot arrange a later start date, the University must tell UKVI that you will not start your programme, and your Student visa will be cancelled. You must not attempt to travel to the UK using your Student visa. 

If you defer your studies, the University will tell UKVI and your visa will be cancelled. You will need to apply for a new Student visa to begin your studies at a later date.


Student Visa holders are required to be actively and consistently engaging with their studies throughout the period for which the students are being sponsored.  As your visa sponsor, the University is required by the Home Office to monitor the academic engagement and attendance of students we are sponsoring under the Student Route.   

The requirement will depend on the level of your programme of study .

 

Below Degree Level (for example, English Pre-sessional Programmes or the International Foundation Programme)

For Student Visa holders studying below degree level (such as the English Pre-sessional or International Foundation Programmes), the Home Office requires us to check your academic engagement and attendance regularly and in a specified way.

Important attendance rules for below degree level programmes:

  • You must attend at least 15 hours of daytime classes each week (8 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday).
  • You must maintain levels of engagement of at least 85% of every month.
  • If your attendance drops below 85%, your Student Support Team will reach out to see how we can help.
  • If your attendance falls below 70% for three months in a row, the University will need to withdraw the sponsorship of your student visa, unless there are exceptional circumstances (like illness).

The Home Office (UKVI) asks the University to:

  • Check if any student has stopped engaging with their studies
  • Help students who are not engaging to start participating again
  • Keep records of why a student is not engaging and what the University is doing to help
  • Have clear rules about when the University must stop sponsoring a student's visa due to lack of engagement

If you're having trouble attending classes or engaging with your studies, please contact the Centre of Open Learning. 

Degree Level or Above (for example, MA / BA Honours; MSc; PhD)

Student Visa holders studying at degree level or above must be actively and consistently following their programme of study, for example:

  • Attending all required lectures, seminars, and tutorials; undertaking required laboratory work; submitting essays, assignments and attending examinations; and/or undertaking research or fieldwork
  • Actively engaging with their studies frequently and regularly

Student visa holders are expected to be in attendance on their chosen programme and actively engaged with their programme (as stated in the relevant Degree Programme Tables and programme handbooks).  

 

UKVI requires sponsors to be able to demonstrate that we have a robust system in place to identify any UKVI sponsored student who has stopped academically engaging and the action we will take to support the student to re-engage. We are required to demonstrate what actions are expected when a lack of academic engagement is identified and that we have a clear policy on when non-engagement will lead to withdrawal of sponsorship.  We are also required to annotate the student's record with the reason for the lack of academic engagement and the steps taken to ensure the student re-engages with their study.

 


Changing your programme of studies may affect the validity of your Student visa.


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