Your visa responsibilities
Your student visa comes with important conditions, restrictions and responsibilities.
Visa conditions
When your visa is granted, check the decision letter, the entry clearance vignette (the sticker in your passport) and your biometric residence permit (BRP) and/or eVisa carefully and make sure you understand and follow any conditions included on your visa documents. This includes:
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the visa duration – when you can enter the UK and the date of your visa expiry
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restrictions on working in the UK – both hours and type of work are restricted. Degree level students are usually allowed to work 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during vacation periods, while courses below degree level allow up to 10 hours per week. Students on Visit or Short-term study visas are not granted permission to work.
Your immigration responsibilities
As a student visa holder, you have certain responsibilities while you are in the UK, under the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. The university also has certain responsibilities as your immigration sponsor.
It is very important that you are aware of these responsibilities and comply with them as conditions of your stay in the UK. Failure to comply can lead to suspension or withdrawal from your course, and may affect your immigration status.
Your immigration responsibilities
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Provide the university with your passport and visa (vignette sticker or stamp, BRP or Digital Immigration Status) so that we may take scans for our records, including any new passport or visa that you obtain while you are a registered student
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Keep your contact details in the UK up to date via the NottinghamHub, including any change of address
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Register for your course on time each academic year – see our guidance on late arrival if you may arrive late
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Study while you are in the UK, keeping good attendance and engagement on your course with no significant gaps or absences, ensuring that expected academic progress on the course is being made at all times. Follow University expectations and processes as detailed in the University's UKVI Academic Engagement Code of Practice.
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Follow University processes if you decide to defer or suspend your studies, transfer to a new course, extend your study period or withdraw from your course
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Return home if you defer, suspend your studies for more than 60 days, withdraw from your course or if your course is terminated
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Follow the immigration rules if you change education provider, meaning you must make a new visa application
Our responsibilities as immigration sponsor
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Take and retain copies of your passport and visa (vignette sticker or stamp, BRP and/or eVisa) and keep these updated while you are a registered student
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Keep up-to-date records of your contact details, including any changes of address
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Check your registration and report non-registration to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
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Monitor your attendance and engagement and report unauthorised non-attendance to UKVI
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Monitor any changes of status and report deferrals, suspensions, transfers, withdrawals and course terminations to UKVI
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Notify UKVI of any significant changes in your circumstances, such as a change of course or successfully completing your course if this is earlier than expected
Changes to your study status
If you need to make any changes to your study plans, such as transferring to a different course, extending your study period, suspending your studies or withdrawing from the university, see our guidance on student status changes and implications for your student visa, to understand your responsibilities and the University's in these circumstances.