Visa cancellation

If you are sponsored for a Student visa, the University is required to notify UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) of certain changes in your circumstances.

Sometimes these changes require the University to withdraw sponsorship of your visa. This is because you would no longer be able to fulfil the purpose for which the visa was granted i.e. engaging with studies on a specific course. Sponsorship may be withdrawn if, for example: 

• you withdraw from your course
• you don’t arrive by your latest course start date
• you take an intermission
• you complete your course earlier than expected
• your immigration status changes
• you change course when the change is not permitted by your visa

When visa sponsorship is withdrawn, UKVI will normally cancel your Student visa.

The University's International Student Office submits these notifications to UKVI promptly, having identified the change from a student's record or correspondence. The report will include your most recent UK contact details, which are obtained from your student record. 

The International Student Office will email you if the University withdraws visa sponsorship, explaining what this means and what you may need to do next. 

At this stage, your visa is still valid but the report will be awaiting review by UKVI. 

If UKVI determine that visa cancellation is necessary, they will:

• shorten (curtail) your immigration permission
• send you an email confirming what this means and what the new expiry date of your visa is

UKVI action is not usually immediate but can happen soon after the notification is submitted by the University. 

If your visa is shortened by UKVI, the amount of time to which they shorten it (the curtailment period) depends on the circumstances:

• If you have not successfully completed the course for which your visa was granted, UKVI will shorten your visa to 60 days, starting from the date they make the decision to cancel the visa.
• If you have successfully completed your course but completed earlier than expected (i.e. earlier than the course end date provided in your original CAS - Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), UKVI will shorten your visa to include the same post-study period you originally had. 
  • Example: if you originally had four extra months after your course end date, your visa will be shortened to four months from your actual completion date.
• UKVI do not cancel a visa if the student already has fewer than 60 days' permission remaining. 

If visa sponsorship is withdrawn, your permission will end immediately if:

• you are outside the Common Travel Area at the time, or 
• you leave the Common Travel Area after visa sponsorship has been withdrawn

The Common Travel Area consists of the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. 

Do not try to use your Student visa to re-enter the UK if visa sponsorship has been withdrawn. 

Contact the International Student Office if you need advice about travel in these circumstances.

It is likely you will need to make plans to leave the UK before your new visa expiry date. It is best to assume UKVI will cancel the visa soon after the University’s report. 

Some students may be able to remain in the UK, for instance: 

• those who are planning to switch to a different type of visa
• PhD students who are withdrawn as a result of non-submission of thesis but are able to submit within 60 days

Monitor your emails, including your junk mail, for messages from UKVI. If you do not receive any correspondence from UKVI, do not assume that your visa remains valid – the communication may not have reached you if your contact details are not up to date. 

If you plan to return to study in the future, the International Student Office will advise you on what steps to take. You will usually need to:

• apply for a new Student visa; or
• use the Visitor route if you are only returning to repeat an exam or undertake your PhD viva

In both cases, if you are subject to the requirement to hold ATAS clearance, you will need a new ATAS certificate.

Take note of any steps that need to be completed before your new visa documentation can be issued to you and the timeframe for when you need to start relevant processes:

• PhD students withdrawn for non-submission must have submitted and been reinstated.
• Students returning from medical intermission must receive approval of fitness to study. Submit any necessary medical evidence in good time to allow for approval, the visa application process and travel. 
• Study arrangements may need to be clarified, for instance when repeating exams.
• If you will need ATAS clearance, contact the International Student Office for help in starting the process around 3-4 months before you are due to return to study.

If your visa is cancelled, you will not be refunded for previous visa application fees or immigration health surcharge (IHS) payments. 

If you need to apply for a new Student visa, you must pay the IHS in full again to cover the period of validity.

If you are required to apply for the visa outside the UK, you will not be reimbursed for any overlapping periods of leave for which you have already paid the IHS. 

If you need any advice about the visa considerations of a possible change in your circumstances or obtaining a visa to return to study, contact the University's International Student Office.