Your responsibilities
Your Tier 4 (General) visa has certain conditions attached to it. Therefore, you have certain responsibilities during your study in the UK.
Each of the sections below describes what is required when you arrive at Durham University and during your study.
- Fulfil all academic commitments
- Register with the Police (if applicable)
- Regularly check your University email account
- Keep your contact details up-to-date in DUO
- Inform your Department of any change in circumstance
- Inform UKVI of changes to your personal details
- Do not exceed your permitted working hours
- Inform the Student Immigration Service if your visa application is refused
- Inform the Student Immigration Service if you change immigration category
- Do not apply for or receive any public funds
- Comply with any other conditions of your Tier 4 visa
Fulfil all academic commitments
You are required to attend, engage and make progress with their study under the conditions of your Tier 4 visa. Failure to do so result in your place at the University and your abililty to remain in the UK.
UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) require that all students that hold a Tier 4 visa are monitored regularly during their study to ensure that they are engaging appropriately with their chosen programme.
The Student Immigration Service works closely with academic departments to help ensure that students are fully engaging with programme requirements. ‘Tier 4 students’ are monitored in line with standard University academic monitoring practice for all students (with or without a Tier 4 visa) and no additional activities are expected in order to meet UKVI monitoring requirements.
Students on taught programmes:
Academic departments will monitor your engagement and progress including (but not limited to) attendance at lectures, seminars, meetings and exams and submission of coursework. Registers are regularly taken at sessions where attendance is required and submission of all coursework is recorded.
In addition to this academic departments will identify if you miss compulsory academic commitments and contact you to address the issue. The Student Immigration Service will be also be notified and will contact you to remind you of your responsibility to engage with your programme under the conditions of your Tier 4 visa.
If problems with engagement and progress continue, you will be issued with an Academic Progress Notice (APN) in line with standard University procedure. If you fail to meet the requirements of the APN, action will be taken by your department and, where you are required to withdraw from study, UKVI will be informed.
Advice about absence, vacation periods & spending time outside the UK
Register with the Police (if applicable)
Students from certain countries are required by law to register with the Police within seven days of arriving in the UK. If you are required to register with the Police, this condition will be shown on the 30 day entry clearance visa your passport.
You must book an appointment with the Police in advance.
You must book an appointment with the Police in order to register
Regularly check your University email account
You must check your University email account regularly as we use this to contact you during your studies.
Keep your contact details up-to-date in DUO
You should make sure that your current address in UK, your mobile phone number and email address are correct and update your details if they change.
Inform your Department of any change in circumstance
The University is required to inform UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) if you are no longer residing in the UK. If you decide to leave the UK before the end of your programme, this must be agreed with your Department first.
If you are considering changes to your study including changing your programme, suspending or withdrawing from study you should also first discuss this with your Department before making any decisions.
The Student Immigration Service will notify UKVI once any changes have been agreed and have taken place.
Full details how these changes might affect your Tier 4 visa
Inform UKVI of changes to your personal details
UKVI require that you report any changes to your personal details to them.
The way in which you report the changes depends on where you are and whether you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or not.
Report your changes in circumstance by following the instructions on the UKVI website
Do not exceed your permitted working hours
If you are allowed to take employment, you may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time. If you are not allowed to work, your visa will be endorsed 'No work' or 'Employment prohibited'.
Further information on working during your studies
Inform the Student Immigration Service if your visa application is refused
If you have submitted a visa application and it is refused by UK Visas & Immigration, you must contact the Student Immigration Service and provide a copy of the refusal notice immediately.
Any delay in responding to your refusal notice could affect your ability to remain in the UK.
Inform the Student Immigration Service if you change immigration category
If your switch from one immigration category to another, particularly if you no longer hold or require a Tier 4 visa, you must bring your passport and new visa to the Student Immigration Service as soon as possible so that your record can be updated.
Do not apply for or receive any public funds
The conditions of your Tier 4 visa prohibit you from receiving any public funds (benefit) from the UK Government. If you apply for any benefit you do not qualify for, you will be breaching the conditions of your visa. This may affect any future visa applications.
A list of public funds is available from UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI)
If you have received or applied for any of public funds listed, you could be in breach of the immigration rules and you should contact us immediately.
Comply with any other conditions of your Tier 4 visa
You must comply with any conditions specified on your visa. If you have any questions about your visa status or the conditions attached, please contact the Student Immigration Service.