Visa responsibilities
As a Tier 4/student visa holder studying at the University of Surrey, you are obliged to ensure that you maintain conditions of your visa. The University of Surrey acts as your Sponsor and the Visa Compliance Office will need to inform the Home Office if you break any of your visa conditions or if you plan to withdraw or change your course. Breaching your visa conditions as well as any interruption to your studies could result in the curtailment of your visa.
See full details of the University Immigration Procedures.
Keeping your personal details up-to-date
If you change your contact details whilst you are studying, it is important to let us know. Please update your details using Surrey Self-Service with proof of your new address, contact telephone number or personal email address. If you require a visa extension at any point, prepare in advance, and contact International Student Advice using Surrey Support for advice at least three months before the expiry of your current visa. International Student Advice issue Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) for all continuing students and can provide extra support when making the extension application This service is free of charge.
If you apply for a new visa during your studies, you must notify us by taking your passport and your new visa or biometric residence permits (BRP) to MySurrey Hive. This includes if you switch your immigration category and no longer require a student visa.
Engagement
As a student with a Tier 4/student visa, you are required to engage fully with all elements of your programme. The University will monitor your engagement throughout your studies.
For taught students on programmes below degree level (Pre-Sessional English and GSA foundation programmes) attendance at each class will be logged and you will be expected to meet the minimum threshold set by the UK Home Office. Further details are available in the University Immigration Procedures.
For taught students on degree programmes, engagement will be monitored by considering attendance at teaching events, use of SurreyLearn and other online resources, submission of assessments/exams and contact points with your personal tutor or supervisor.
Holders of student visas are not permitted to study via online resources only, therefore it is important that you attend scheduled teaching events. If you are unable to attend, you must inform the relevant academic staff and MySurrey Hive as soon as possible.
For research students, you will be expected to meet with your supervisor each month and log the details promptly via your Self-Service Account.
Full details of the University Engagement Monitoring Policy are in section 11 of the University Immigration Procedures.
Programme and registration changes
You must ensure that any changes to your course are permissible within the Home Office regulations, by seeking advice from International Student Advice or Visa Compliance before requesting changes. You may be asked to provide a supporting statement to justify any change, and may be required to apply for a new visa from outside the UK depending on the change being made.
You must complete online re-registration for your course on time each academic year. An email will be sent to your university email account in August of each year with instructions to follow.
You must follow the University’s procedures if you need to take a leave of absence or withdraw from your course. You should ensure that you obtain prior permission from your faculty for any absences.
Working during your studies
Please check the working during your studies webpage for full details of employment conditions for Tier 4/student visa holders.
Tier 4/student visa students cannot be self-employed or engage in business activity
Home Office regulations are very restrictive around self-employment and “business activity” whilst on a Tier 4/student visa.
The Home Office can deem a wide variety of activities as being against their regulations. Any of the following performed by a Tier 4/student visa student is likely to be deemed as a breach of their immigration conditions and constitutes a criminal offence:
- Setting up a business
- ‘Gig economy’ roles, i.e. Uber, Deliveroo
- Online business or e-commerce
- Consultancy work
- Running apps or games for profit through the App Store, Google Play Store, etc.
- Income from owning a property
- Business activity for an internationally based business whilst studying in the UK (note: you can continue to work whilst you are in your country but not whilst in the UK)
- Selling on eBay, Amazon, craft fairs etc (note: you’re able to sell your own unwanted items, but not make or buy items in order to sell as a trader)
- Youtube/Instagram marketing, sponsored posts and affiliate links
- Direct sales
- Professional or semi-professional sportsperson, including coaching, where the student has “derived… a living” from the activity
- Entertainer (where this is not done as an amateur hobby)
- Writing and publishing for ‘profit’(even self-published books being sold on Amazon).
This is not an exhaustive list and may be subject to change.
The Gov.UK website details is classed as self-employment. A Tier 4/student visa student cannot be self-employed.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs also has further information on Tier 4/student visa Working Restrictions.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
Your ATAS certificate is valid for the full length of your studies. However each time you apply for a new visa or a visa extension you will need to make a new ATAS application. This applies to all types of visa when attending a course, resitting modules/exams with or without attendance and regardless length of your studies.
It takes over four weeks to receive your ATAS certificate and the University cannot speed up this process. You cannot receive a CAS or start your course under any other visa category without ATAS clearance.
The university’s responsibilities
As your sponsor, the University of Surrey has a duty of care to its students and must comply by law with the UK immigration rules.
Our sponsor duties require us to:
- Ensure you have the appropriate immigration status which will allow you to legally study in the UK.
- Take and record copies of your passport, visa, and ATAS certificate (where necessary) when you register, and keep your record up to date with any changes throughout your studies.
- Monitor your engagement with your studies. If you fail to satisfactorily engage with your programme, sponsorship of your visa will be withdrawn.
- Notify the Home Office of any significant change in your circumstances which result in an end to your studies. These include, but are not limited to:
- If you withdraw from your studies for any reason
- If you do not register within the registration period
- If you are withdrawn or excluded by the University
- If you temporarily withdraw from your studies for a period of over 60 days
- If you fail to academically progress and are terminated from your programme
- If you re-sit part of your course with Assessment Only status
- If you finish your course earlier than the expected end date given on your CAS
- If anything suggests that you are breaking the conditions of your permission to stay in the UK, such as working in breach of your conditions
In all of the above circumstances the University will withdraw sponsorship of your visa and the Home Office will require you to leave the UK within 60 days.
- Notify the Home Office of any significant changes that occur during your studies. These include, but are not limited to:
- Reporting work placement details whilst on a period of Professional Training
- Reporting study placement details during a period of study exchange.
- Switching immigration status to another category
- Changing course from the original course stated on your CAS, within the rules set by the Home Office.
The changes above are reported for information and will not affect the validity of your visa.
- Ensure that any changes to your programme are permissible within Home Office regulations. It may not be possible for you to changes your course or length of study except in exceptional circumstances.
Conditions of service
If you require specific immigration or visa-related advice, please read our Conditions of Service and our Client Care Letter. These can be found on our visas and immigration page. If you have any questions or want to discuss the documents further, email internationalsupport@surrey.ac.uk.
Useful contacts
The International Student Advice (ISA) team provides a professional and dedicated advisory service to all prospective and currently registered international students, throughout their studies at the University of Surrey.
Contact International Student Advice, based in MySurrey Hive:
internationalsupport@surrey.ac.uk
The Visa Compliance Team ensures the University adheres to Home Office requirements set within the Student Sponsor Licence and the Student Sponsor Guidance. The Visa Compliance Team monitors sponsored students and makes reports to the UKVI when required.
Contact the Visa Compliance Team: