Leave to remain

Student Visa- Permission to Stay ( Leave to Remain) You will need to make a new application for permission to stay in the UK within 6 weeks of the official start date of the course or prior to your current visa expiry.

If you would like to join York St John University from another institution (switching sponsors), it is important to keep in touch with your current course, even if think you don’t want to do it anymore. Your attendance can affect your student finance, references and qualifications, all of which could be important for your next steps.

You will need to take the following factors into consideration when thinking about applying for a Student Visa in the UK:

If you do not currently hold a Tier 4 visa or a Student Visa:

• are you in a category that allows switching to Student Visa in the UK?
• do you meet the academic progression requirements?
• are you subject to any time limits on study?
• what is the gap between the expiry of your visa and the start of your course?
• when will you be allowed to start your course?

Switch to Student visa

You may be able to switch to a Student visa if you already have permission to be in the UK.

You cannot switch to this visa if you have one of the following visas:

• a visit visa (such as Standard Visitor)
• a short-term student visa
• a Parent of a Child Student visa
• a seasonal worker visa
• a domestic worker in a private household visa
• leave outside the immigration rules

If you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you do not need to apply for a visa.

If you are applying to start a new course at York St John University, you will need to make your new visa application before you can enrol onto your course. You will not be able to enrol on/start your course until you provide evidence that you have applied to extend your Student Visa in the UK.

If showing us evidence of an application, you must have used a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for York St John University,  and applied for an extension whilst you had existing student permission.

You will need to have your academic and financial documents approved by the Visa and Compliance team (visa@yorksj.ac.uk) before your new CAS can be issued. After your documents have been approved, the Visa and Compliance team will issue your new CAS and you will then submit the online Student visa application. You will send your application submission sheet to the Visa and Compliance team.

Making your Student Visa application from inside the UK:

• Passport and any previous visa(s)
• Original academic certificates (and any relevant translations)
• Police Registration Certificate (if applicable)
• Credit or debit card for paying the online fees:
  • Immigration Health Surcharge: £470 per year of study
  • Visa application fee: £490 (Standard Service)
• Financial documents ( if applicable)-  if you are applying for permission to stay in the UK and have been living in the UK with a valid permission (visa) for 12 months or more on the date of your visa application. This only applies to those extending their visa or switching to the Student route in the UK.

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. You’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

Applying for an extension of my visa as a continuing student

If you are a current student at the York St John University, and you need to extend your visa because you need extra time to complete your course but you are not repeating, please contact the Visa Compliance Team (visa@yorksj.ac.uk) to check whether you can extend your visa in the UK.

If you can extend your visa in the UK, you will need a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You must apply for your visa extension before your current visa expires.

Staying longer in the UK

You may be able to:

• extend your visa if you’re eligible, for example to continue your studies in the UK
• switch to a Student visa from another visa if you’re already in the UK
• switch to a Graduate visa to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after successfully completing your course

For more information about applying for Visa Extension,  please see the UK Visas and Immigration website- link: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/extend-your-visa

Students seeking advice about their in-UK applications can also contact the UKCISA helpline. link: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/About-UKCISA/Contact-us

The UKCISA website also provides helpful and up-to-date information for international students.

Important Advisory for International Students: Fraud and Scams

Unfortunately, there are individuals who seek to exploit international students who are trying to study in the UK. The Home Office has compiled some information about what to watch out for with regard to possible scams, please view their website to read this important information: Fraud tricks and scams guidance.

Questions?

If you have any questions about making a Student visa application from inside the UK, or if you wish to set up an appointment to speak to an advisor, email visa@yorksj.ac.uk.