Find out about your visa conditions and visa implications if your circumstances change
Before enrolling on your course at the University of Reading, you will need to provide evidence of your right to study in the UK. This could be in the form of your current visa or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or, if you have submitted an immigration application inside the UK and are waiting for a decision from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), you will need to provide evidence of that application.
If you obtain a new passport or visa during your studies with us, you should email a scan or clear photo of the document to immigration@reading.ac.uk.
Vignette
This is a visa sticker in your passport or travel document. This may be your initial entry clearance visa to enter the UK or it might be valid for the duration of your UK immigration permission. Example Visa.
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
This is in the form of a small plastic card, the size of a credit card and holds your personal details (name, date and place of birth), biometric information (facial image and fingerprints) and shows your immigration status and working conditions while you are in the UK. Example BRP.
UKVI are phasing out BRPs and these are only being issued until 31st December 2024. You will not need a BRP from 1st January 2025, and instead you will be able to prove your immigration status online. UKVI will update their information on how to prove your immigration status in 2024. Please contact the International Student Advisory Team if you are unsure what to do.
Digital immigration status
A digital immigration status is a visa which is viewed online and allows organisations such as employers, landlords and universities to verify your immigration status to assess your right to access their services. In most cases, a digital immigration status will be the only evidence you have of your permission to be in the UK.
If you have been issued with a digital immigration status the University of Reading will need to verify this online. You will have received guidance from UKVI about how to share details of your status with others. You will need to log into your account and generate a share code on this website: 'View and prove your immigration status’. To prove your right to study, you should select the 'something else' option when prompted to ensure the correct type of share code is generated for the University of Reading’s purposes.
Once you have generated a ‘share code’, you should provide this along with your date of birth so that the University can carry out the verification check and update your student record. Please be aware share codes are only valid for 90 days.
EU Settlement Scheme- holders of settled and pre-settled status
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, you may have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, which the University of Reading will need to verify online.
You will have received guidance from UKVI about how to share details of your status with others. You will need to log into your account and generate a share code on this website: 'View and prove your immigration status’. To prove your right to study, you should select the 'something else' option when prompted to ensure the correct type of share code is generated for the University of Reading’s purposes.
Once you have generated a ‘share code’, you should provide this along with your date of birth so that the University can carry out the verification check and update your student record. Please be aware share codes are only valid for 90 days.
Outstanding immigration application made inside the UK
If you have made an immigration application inside the UK and are waiting for a decision from UKVI, you may be permitted to enrol on your course whilst the application is under consideration The University requires evidence to confirm the date you made and paid for your application and the application must have been submitted before your previous immigration permission expired.
Evidence the University can accept includes:
- A payment confirmation email or a Document Checklist cover sheet (both of which would have been generated when your application was submitted);
- Written confirmation from a solicitor acting on your behalf that your application has been submitted; or
- Written confirmation from UKVI that they have received your application.
You will also be required to provide evidence of your previous immigration permission (leave) so that the University can confirm that your application was made before it expired.
If the University is unable to confirm from your documents the type of application you made, the date it was paid for, that it was made before the expiry of any previous leave or if it has been outstanding for longer than the advertised processing time without a decision being received, the University may have to carry out a right to study check with UKVI. The University will need your consent to do this. If your do not give consent and the right to study check cannot be done, you will not be allowed to enrol on your course until satisfactory (as determined by the University) evidence has been provided and verified.
Please note that this DOES NOT apply to individuals who hold a Graduate Route visa and who have applied from within the UK to switch to a Student route visa. You are NOT able to enrol onto your course until you have been issued with your new Student visa and have provided evidence of your new Student visa to the University.
You must ensure that you comply with the conditions of your Tier 4/Student visa at all times. Failure to do so is a criminal offence and can have very serious consequences. It may adversely affect your immigration record and result in the refusal of future UK visa applications you might wish to make, for a period of up to ten years. You will also put the University’s sponsor licence at risk and you may not be able to complete your programme as planned.
You must not stay in the UK beyond the expiration of your visa (unless you have made an application to remain in the UK before your visa expires).
You must not work more hours than your visa allows- find out more.
Please read and make sure you understand the University of Reading’s Institutional Home Office Compliance Policy and Tier 4/Student visa Academic Engagement Policy.
If you are undertaking a work placement, please also read the University of Reading's Tier 4/Student visa Work Placement agreement.
You must cooperate with the University of Reading in fulfilling its Sponsorship duties. By working together, we can ensure you comply with the conditions of your Tier 4/Student visa. You must:
- Provide the University with your passport and visa documentation at enrolment. Thereafter, you should provide the University with any renewed/replacement passports and visas so that we always hold a copy of your current immigration documentation.
- Provide the University with evidence of any applications for further leave to remain in the UK during your studies with us and inform us immediately of the outcome of the application.
- Inform the University if you change into a different visa category and provide evidence of your new visa.
- Inform the University if you acquire a different nationality and provide evidence of your new nationality.
- Ensure your current UK contact details (address and phone number) are held on RISIS at all times.
- Attend and engage in all academic aspects of your programme.
For more information on your responsibilities as a Tier 4/Student visa holder please contact the immigration team for advice at immigration@reading.ac.uk.
As a Student visa sponsor, the University has various duties and responsibilities set out by UKVI. The University must:
• Notify UKVI if you do not enrol on your programme as expected.
• Hold a copy of your current passport and immigration documentation throughout your studies with us.
• Hold up-to-date UK term-time contact details for you, including both address and phone number.
• Monitor your attendance and engagement with your studies.
• Notify UKVI if there is a change of circumstances with your studies, for example if you change programme, suspend or withdraw from your studies prior to completion or you complete earlier than the expected programme end date given on your CAS.
• Notify UKVI if we believe you are breaching the conditions of your leave (e.g. working more hours than is allowed by your visa)
• Notify UKVI when students successfully complete their programmes for Graduate Route purposes.
As a Student visa holder you are expected to be in the UK throughout term time. Your attendance will be monitored during term time, and absences will be recorded and may affect your Student visa sponsorship and Graduate Route eligibility.
Distance learning is not permitted as a Student visa holder, and all course-related work is expected to be undertaken on campus or from your UK address.
FAQ travel during term time
Q- Can time spent outside the UK during term-time affect my Graduate route eligibility?
A- At the time you apply for the Graduate route, you must meet all the eligibility requirements. One of which is the study in the UK requirement, the rules for which are different depending on the length of your course.
Courses of 12 months or less:
If you are studying a course of 12 months or less, you must have studied the whole course physically in the UK as a “Tier 4 Student” or “Student”.
Courses of more than 12 months:
If you are studying a course of more than 12 months, you must have studied at least 12 months of the course physically in the UK as a “Tier 4 Student” or “Student”.
You must declare the details of all travel in your Graduate Route visa application, and you must be honest with your answers. The University cannot say if UK Visas & Immigration will take into account short periods of overseas travel during term-time when considering your Graduate route eligibility.
It is therefore ultimately your responsibility to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements of the Graduate route before you apply.
Q- I have no teaching during the last week of term, can I leave the UK early?
A- If you have no timetabled teaching and if you have submitted all outstanding work/undertaken all exams (including in-person and online) before you leave the UK, you would not be recorded as non-engaged with your programme for visa compliance purposes, and your Student visa sponsorship will not be affected.
It is therefore ultimately your decision as to whether you leave the UK before the end of term.
Please also see FAQ “Can time spent outside the UK during term-time affect my Graduate route eligibility?” for information about overseas travel and the Graduate route.
Q- I have no teaching on the first day(s) of the new term and so I am planning to return to the UK a few days late. Is this ok?
A- If you have no scheduled teaching and no outstanding work to submit at the start of the term, this will be your decision to make. However the University will be monitoring attendance as term will have started, but if you have no scheduled academic commitments, for example, no teaching or submission deadlines during the period you are outside the UK, you will not be recorded as non-engaged with your programme for visa compliance purposes, and your Student visa sponsorship will not be affected. You must ensure that you are back in the UK in time for your scheduled academic commitments (e.g teaching/exams/submission deadlines). Distance learning is not permitted as a Student visa holder and therefore you must undertake all study-related activity from within the UK during term-time.
It is therefore ultimately your decision as to whether you return to the UK after the start of term.
Please also see FAQ “Can time spent outside the UK during term-time affect my Graduate route eligibility?” for information about overseas travel and the Graduate route.
Q- I have a gap in my scheduled teaching. Am I allowed to leave the UK for a short holiday?
A- The University does not approve absence requests for holidays during term-time and so will not provide letters of support for tourist purposes. If you want to travel during term-time, you will need to accept the associated risks of doing so without authorisation.
It is therefore ultimately your decision as to whether you leave the UK during term-time.
Please also see FAQ “Can time spent outside the UK during term-time affect my Graduate route eligibility?” for information about overseas travel and the Graduate route.
Q- Can I travel overseas at the weekends during term-time?
A- If you are travelling outside the UK at the weekend, you do not need to obtain authorisation from your school. If you are travelling either side of the weekend, for example on a Friday or Monday, you should ensure that you are not missing any scheduled academic commitments.
Q- All my teaching has now finished. Do I need to be in the UK to work on my dissertation/take online exams?
A- Distance learning is not permitted as a Student visa holder. All study related work must be undertaken from within the UK during term-time. This includes working on your dissertation and taking online exams.
If you want to work on your dissertation/take online exams from overseas during term-time (even if permitted by your school) the University will be required to withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa, meaning it will be cancelled by UKVI and will not be valid for re-entry to the UK. You will also not be eligible to apply for the Graduate Route.
Q- I have a gap in teaching but some assignments due. Can I work on these from overseas?
A- Distance learning is not permitted as a Student visa holder. All study related work must be undertaken from within the UK during term-time. This includes working on your dissertation and taking online exams.
If you want to work on your dissertation/take online exams from overseas during term-time (even if permitted by your school) the University will be required to withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa, meaning it will be cancelled by UKVI and will not be valid for re-entry to the UK. You will also not be eligible to apply for the Graduate route.
You must not return to the UK as a Standard Visitor before the end of your course. This is because you are not permitted to undertake your course as a Visitor as per UK Visas and Immigration’s rules.
Q- Can I ask for an authorised absence if I want to be absent from the UK during term-term?
A- The University does not approve absence requests for holidays during term-time and so will not provide letters of support for tourist purposes. If you want to travel for a personal holiday during term-time, you will need to accept the associated risks of doing so without authorisation.
If there is an urgent and exceptional reason why you need to travel overseas during term-time, you should contact your school support centre or the HBS helpdesk for advice. Absence requests for exceptional/emergency reasons are authorised at the discretion of your school and will only be authorised for a short period, normally no more than 2 weeks.
Any period of absence (even if authorised) means you should not be undertaking any study-related work during this period of absence away from the UK, because distance learning is not permitted as a Student visa holder. You should only request an absence if you are confident that this complete absence from study will not affect you being able to complete your studies by your expected course end date.
Please also see FAQ “Can time spent outside the UK during term-time affect my Graduate route eligibility?” for information about overseas travel and the Graduate route.
Q- What will happen if I travel without authorisation during term-time?
A- It is ultimately your decision to travel without authorisation during term-time, and it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements of the Graduate route before you apply.
Please also see FAQ “Can time spent outside the UK during term-time affect my Graduate route eligibility?” for information about overseas travel and the Graduate route.
Q- What will happen to my Student visa if I am absent from the UK during term-time?
A- The University is required by UKVI to monitor your attendance and engagement with your programme, and we are required to withdraw visa sponsorship if you fail to engage with your programme for a 60-day period.
It is therefore unlikely that an isolated or short-term absence will affect your Student visa sponsorship. If there is an urgent and exceptional reason why you need to travel overseas during term-time, you should contact your school support centre or the HBS helpdesk for advice. You must remember that distance learning is not permitted as a Student visa holder, so you must not engage with your studies whilst on a period of absence overseas.
Regular and/or sustained absence will be identified through the attendance monitoring processes being undertaken by both your school and the International Student Advisory Team (for visa compliance purposes). Should regular and/or sustained absence be identified through the attendance monitoring processes, the matter will be escalated within your school and ultimately you may be required to suspend or withdraw from your programme, which would lead to the withdrawal of your visa sponsorship.
The University is required by UKVI to report students who have successfully completed their course within the validity of their current Tier 4/Student visa, and who meet the qualification and study in the UK eligibility requirements. Successful completion means you have been assessed by the University and has been or will be awarded a relevant qualification.
If you intend to apply for a Graduate Route visa, you must not apply until you have received email confirmation from the International Student Advisory Team that the University has notified UKVI of your successful completion of your programme.
For more information about Graduate Route eligibility requirements, please visit our Graduate Route information page.
Changes to your academic circumstances, such as a change of programme or a suspension of your studies, must be reported to UKVI by the University and may result in a withdrawal of visa sponsorship.
When the University submits a report to UKVI which may affect your immigration status, we will notify you by e-mail. Read more about changes to your academic circumstances and visa implications.
There are also some changes in your personal circumstances which you are responsible for reporting to UKVI yourself. Read more about what to do if your personal circumstances change.