Compliance with the Conditions of Your Visa
Tier 4 students must comply fully with the terms of their student visa. This means that you must:
- register on your course as soon as possible
- attend your course as required and make sure that any absences are authorised by your school
- ensure that you do not work more than 20 hours per week during term time (10 hours per week for students studying below degree level) and that you do not engage in business or fill a permanent vacancy (Also see Can I work during my studies? below)
- ensure that you register with the Police if required to do so and that you keep your police registration updated by reporting any change of personal circumstance or visa renewal
What happens if I breach the conditions of my visa?
It is now compulsory for Newcastle University to report to the UKBA on Tier 4 students who fail to register with the University, who do not attend regularly or who staff suspect of breaking the conditions of their student visa (e.g. by working more hours than they are allowed to). If this happens, your visa may be curtailed and/or you may be removed from the UK.
The above information is for guidance only and is not a substitute for reading the latest Tier 4 guidance policy thoroughly before making an application. Failure to do so could result in your Tier 4 application being rejected or refused.
If you have any queries regarding Tier 4 or any other immigration enquiries, please complete an enquiry form.
Leave of absence
If you wish to take a leave of absence from your studies, you will be expected to return to your home country.
You should be aware that your leave to absence will be reported to the UK Border Agency and your current Tier 4 visa will be curtailed to 60 days. You should not attempt to re-enter the UK on that visa. You should apply for a new Tier 4 visa in order to return to the UK.
You will need to complete and send a new CAS request form in plenty of time to have your application processed.
External re-sit students
If you are re-sitting modules or re-submitting a project and you do not have to be in attendance at the university, you will be required to return to your home country until you need to return to the UK for your examinations. You will be reported to UKBA as not being in attendance and your Tier 4 visa will be curtailed to 60 days.
You should not attempt to re-enter the UK on that visa. You can request a student visitor visa letter by contacting the Visas Team at least 6 weeks in advance of your anticipated return. A student visitor visa will allow you to return to the UK for the duration of your examinations. Should you be allowed to progress on your course, you can then request a CAS to apply for a Tier 4 visa from your home country.
Switching Institution
Students who applied for a Tier 4 visa before 5th October 2009
Tier 4 students who wish to take up a course of study with a new licensed institution and who have sufficient leave to cover the new course must get permission from the UK Border Agency to switch. Please note that the UK Border Agency may refer to institutions as sponsors.
From 21st April 2011, any student who applied for their current visa before 5th October 2009 will have to apply for permission to switch institutions on Tier 4 (PTS) application form
There is an application fee for this of £160. Please ensure that you read the accompanying guidance notes carefully.
Students may begin their studies at their new institution before UKBA permission to switch is granted, but they do so at their own risk. The type of course and the level of English required for the new course must be the same as those required for the original visa.
Students who apply for a Tier 4 visa after 5th October 2009
Students who applied for a Tier 4 visa on or after 5th October must make a further Tier 4 visa application and be in receipt of their new visa before they can change institutions and register on their new course. If a student begins to study with a new sponsor before having received their new Tier 4 visa, they are committing a criminal offence.
However, if the student’s new institution has Highly Trusted Sponsor* status, the student still needs to make a Tier 4 application in order to study there before registration, but such students do not need to await the outcome of their Tier 4 application before they can begin their studies. Such students should simply provide the Tier 4 sponsor with evidence that they have submitted a Tier 4 application such as proof of postage of the application or an acknowledgement letter from the UKBA. Again, if the student begins studying at the new institution before the new visa is granted, they do so at their own risk.
* Newcastle University is a Highly Trusted Sponsor. If you are switching to a different institution, you will need to check the status of that institution.
Can I work during my studies?
If you are in the UK on a student visa, you may be able to tell if you can work by looking at your visa sticker or UKBA biometric residence permit card.
Most students studying on a student visa at degree level or above have permission to work part-time up to 20 hours per week and full-time during university vacations, but special rules apply to postgraduate students writing up dissertations over the summer and postgraduate research students. Typically, the writing-up period is not considered as university vacation, and therefore the work restrictions may apply.
Students studying below degree level are limited to a maximum of 10 hours per week work.
If your visa sticker says ‘No work’, then you must not work in the UK, even on an unpaid basis.
Work Placements
While on a student visa, you will be allowed to undertake a course-related work placement which constitutes an assessed part of your course and does not exceed half of the total length of the course undertaken in the United Kingdom. If the work placement does not form part of your assessed course and/or exceeds more than half of the total length of the course, you may not be able to undertake the work placement on a student visa.
Prohibited Employment
Generally, while on a student visa, you will not be allowed to undertake the following types of employments:
- Self-employment
- Employment as a doctor or dentist in training
- As a professional sportsperson
- As an entertainer
- Employment that would fill a permanent full-time vacancy
Rules regarding working in the UK are very strictly enforced. There are severe penalties for students who exceed their relevant limit and for those who work without permission.
For further information about working during studies, please see visit the UKCISA website.
