Doctorate Extension Scheme

 In order to qualify for this visa you must:

• Have a valid a Tier 4 (General) visa or a Student visa at the time of application
• Be studying a PhD or other doctorate level qualification
• Apply before completing your course (expected submission date of the final version of your thesis)
• Apply in the 60 days prior to your final thesis submission
• Meet the financial requirement (maintenance)
• Apply from inside the UK

Check our flowchart to see when you can apply:

What if your current visa expires before your expected date of award?

Once you had your visa, you will be notified of your expected date of award. If you have corrections and your current visa is not long enough to allow you to complete them, you will need to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa extension.

Applying for a Tier 4 visa 

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

The CAS is an electronic document which is stored on the UKVI’s secure database.

The University will provide information about you to the UKVI, and they will provide us with a reference number, called the CAS number.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate (ATAS)

If you are studying a programme which requires an ATAS clearance certificate and your programme end date has been postponed by more than 3 months, you need to apply for ATAS to cover the remainder of your programme. Whilst you do not need to submit an ATAS certificate with your DES application, having a valid ATAS for the full duration of your course is one of the conditions attached to your Tier 4 visa.

Find out more about ATAS

Financial evidence

If you are making your application from the UK and have been living here continuously with valid leave for 12 months or more on the date of application, you will meet the financial requirement and won’t need to show funds. 

If you do not qualify for the above concession, you will need to submit a bank statement showing that you have held at least £2046 in your bank account for at least 28 days.  The funds must be either in your personal bank account or in your parents’ or legal guardian’s account.  

The statement must be in the format required for  Student visa application, and must not be more than 31 days old on the date that you apply.

Other documents

You will also need to submit:

• Your original passport
• Your Biometric Residence Permit (if you have one)
• Your up-to-date Police Registration Certificate (if you have one)
• If you have been financially sponsored by your home government or an international organisation in the last 12 months, you will need to submit a letter of consent from them
  • Your sponsor will need to give you their unconditional consent to make a visa application and to remain in the UK for an unlimited period of time

The application process is the same as the Student visa application.

Apply for a Tier 4 visa

At the end of the application, you will need to pay the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. 

Find out more about the Immigration Health Surcharge

UKVI: information about visa application fees

Please note that we offer a visa application checking service - this is an optional service, and you can use it once you are ready to apply. If you would like to know more about this, contact us.

Contact us

Once your award is confirmed, and the University has informed the Home Office, you will be able to work full time.

There are no restrictions on the kind of work you can do except:

• You can’t work as a doctor or dentist in training;
• You can’t work as a professional sportsperson or coach;
• You can’t work as an entertainer. 

If you have dependants in the UK with you, they will be able to extend their stay by applying for a visa extension as a Student DES dependant.

If your dependants are in the UK, they will need to make their visa applications at the same time as you.

If your dependants are not currently in the UK, they will be able to join you by applying for a Student DES dependant entry clearance visa. More information and guidance can be found on the UK Visas & Immigration website.

Tier 4 DES dependant (UKVI website)