Your Tier 4 Visa Requirements: Advice & Frequently Asked Questions

Recent consultation with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) regarding students taking leave of absence from their place of study, has resulted in the following arrangements being put in place from the start of the 2012/13 academic year.

Undergraduate students

You must get authorisation from your Department / School for any periods of absence from your programme.

Where a period of absence is longer than 4 weeks (authorised or unauthorised), the University must inform UKBA that you are no longer in attendance on your programme.

UKBA will be informed when:

• You do not attend your programme for longer than 4 weeks during normal University term time.
• You suspend your studies.
• You take a break from your programme for any reason.

Holiday periods

This does not apply during normal University holiday periods.

Visa implications

If the University does inform the UKBA, from that date you will have 60 days to leave the UK (if you have not done so already) and UKBA will curtail your visa after this period. This means that you will not be able to use the same visa to re-enter the UK and must apply for a new visa to re-enter before you intend to return to Durham.

All periods of absence of less than 4 weeks must also by authorised by your Department, though this will not affect your Tier 4 visa.

Post-graduate taught students

You must get authorisation from your Department / School for any periods of absence from your programme.

Where a period of absence is longer than 4 weeks (authorised or unauthorised), the University must inform UKBA that you are no longer in attendance on your programme.

UKBA will be informed when:

• You do not attend for longer than 4 weeks during periods where you are required to attend.
• You are not in the UK for longer than 4 weeks (including holiday periods*)

The UKBA will not be notified when:

• You are not in the UK because you are attending a work placement or internship which is an assessed part of your programme.

*Holiday periods

Normal University holiday periods do not apply to Postgraduate students.

Visa implications

If the University does inform the UKBA, from that date you will have 60 days to leave the UK (if you have not done so already) and UKBA will curtail your visa after this period. This means that you will not be able to use the same visa to re-enter the UK and must apply for a new visa to re-enter before you intend to return to Durham.

All periods of absence of less than 4 weeks must also by authorised by the Department but this will not affect your Tier 4 visa.

Postgraduate research students

You must get authorisation from your Department / School for any periods of absence from your programme.

Where a period of absence is longer than 4 weeks (authorised or unauthorised), the University must inform UKBA that you are no longer in attendance on your programme.

UKBA will be informed when:

• You are not engaging with your programme for longer than 4 weeks.
• You are not in the UK for longer than 4 weeks (including holiday periods*)

The UKBA will not be notified when:

• You are not in the UK because you are undertaking research or other fieldwork as part of your programme.

*Holiday periods

Normal University holiday periods do not apply to Postgraduate students.

Visa implications

If the University does inform the UKBA, from that date you will have 60 days to leave the UK (if you have not done so already) and UKBA will curtail your visa after this period. This means that you will not be able to use the same visa to re-enter the UK and must apply for a new visa to re-enter before you intend to return to Durham.

All periods of absence of less than 4 weeks must also by authorised by the Department but this will not affect your Tier 4 visa.

Re-entering the UK after absence

If you have taken leave for more than 4 weeks and you need to apply for a new visa to return to Durham, you can apply for a Tier 4 Visa before you travel to the UK.

Alternatively, if you intend to remain in the UK only to complete your programme and submit your work, you can apply for a Student Visitor visa, which allows you a maximum of 6 months in the UK. However there are some restrictions which you should carefully consider before you choose this option.

Returning to the UK after the end of your programme

If you choose to return to the UK after your programme has ended you will not be able to use the same Tier 4 visa that you used previously and you should consider applying for an appropriate visa before you travel.

Further information about about returning to the UK after your programme has ended.