Guidance for processing Leave of Absence for students on collaborative programmes to ensure we are accurately recording when they are and are not on-campus at University of Edinburgh. Students on collaborative programmes should be recorded as on a Leave of Absence when they are away from Edinburgh at another institution as part of a collaboration, whether this is within the UK or abroad. This is to ensure that their student record clearly shows when they are on-campus at University of Edinburgh and when they are away, which will be particularly important for students that are studying with us on any kind of visa. Please note: this process only applies to programmes that are formally recorded as collaborations in EUCLID. Adding the Leave of Absence to EUCLID Schools should submit the Leave of Absence request directly onto the student record in the Student Hub through the programme change request form, then Student Systems can process the request in EUCLID. Guidance on the Programme Change Request form Leave of Absence for students not beginning their programme in Edinburgh If a student does not begin their studies here, a Leave of Absence will be required from start of programme and, where international check in is required, Student Systems will temporarily bypass the need for international check-in to allow the student to become fully matriculated as long as they have completed all other matriculation requirements. We can only complete temporary matriculation where a student is on a programme formally recorded as collaborative in EUCLID. All students need to have completed their annual registration form and the school will need to have confirmed their attendance, even though they are not yet engaging with the programme in person - if either of these are missing, the record will not be fully matriculated and Student Systems will not be able to add the Leave of Absence in EUCLID. Matriculation guidance for staff Then for international students once they do travel to Edinburgh later in their programme, they will need to complete the usual International Check-in process with the Student Immigration Service. International Check-in Immigration requirements for international students At any point that an international student intends to come to the UK (whether this be a week, a month, or year AND either at the start of or during their programme) they should consult with the Student Immigration Service as to their visa options. Ideally, and if required, the student should apply for a CAS/Visa that covers the period from when they arrive in the UK up to the end of their programme to prevent them having to pay fees each time they come to the UK and to ensure that they have continuous right to study in the UK (albeit spending time at a partner institution). It is important that Schools/supervisors understand that they cannot simply invite students to "visit" without the proper visa permissions. Contact the Student Immigration Service It is the responsibility of the student to alert the Student Immigration Service to the fact they are coming to the UK, and Schools should proactively monitor students to ensure they are liaising with SIS as appropriate. Student Systems Contact details Email: StudentSystems@ed.ac.uk This article was published on 2024-07-29