Right to Study in the UK
Page last reviewed on: 14 Mar 2022
Section 1: Purpose and Contents of this page:
This page provides guidance on different types of immigration status which allow people to study in the UK (for both new and returning students).
Contents:
Please refer to the following advice if you are expecting to enrol on a new course this year:
All students must complete course registration before they can start the course.
For non-UK/Irish students, there is an additional 'right to study' check which means you will need to provide a copy of your immigration documents (visa) to demonstrate your right to study before you can be fully enrolled at the University of Warwick.
If you are a collecting a Student Visa BRP card from the University of Warwick under the Alternative Collection Location (ACL) provision:
The arrangements to collect BRPs are operating form part of the right to study document check process. The following information applies:
You must bring the following ORIGINAL documents:
- Original visa which you used to complete the online registration process - this should be your Temporary Travel Visa
- Original passport which you used to complete the online registration process
- Original Home Office decision letter, if you have received one
- Copy of the UKVI visa application payment email which also confirms your full name and date of visa application (only applicable if you applied for your Student Visa in the UK)
You should have completed Course Registration and received an email from the Immigration and Compliance team confirming your BRP has been received prior to making an appointment and attending one of these events to help us to complete your enrolment as quickly as possible. You can find access to Course Registration via www.warwick.ac.uk/welcome/enrol/
If you are collecting your Student BRP card from the Post Office, OR,
If you have digital status, OR, are enrolling on another type of visa
You will still need to attend the in person right to study check event, and ensure that you have ALL your required documents with you.
See Visa type to choose during online course registration (warwick.ac.uk) for a full list of documents you need to upload and bring with you to the event depending on your visa type.
If you are enrolling based on evidence for submitted an in-time visa application in the UK
The relevant evidence would need to be assessed by and International Student Adviser. For more detailed information, please follow this link: Immigration Status that allows studies
I made a mistake when I entered some of my passport and visa details, will this be a problem when I arrive at the University?
Provided you hold a valid visa, or other immigration permission which permits study, you should not encounter problems when you arrive at the University.
The documents that you upload at online course registration will be checked against the data that you have entered. Any mistakes you made on the online enrolment form will be corrected when you attend the in person right to study document check event. You do not need to email the immigration or the enrolment team.
You will still be able to collect your Warwick ID card as soon as you arrive at the University.
I have a British/Irish passport but the online course registration form is asking for my visa details, what should I do?
The online enrolment form asks for visa details from anyone being of a nationality that would normally require immigration permission to study in the UK.
If you hold a current valid British/Irish passport which states your nationality as a British/Irish citizen, then you do not require a visa to study at Warwick, however, if this is not reflected in your University student record, the online enrolment form will ask for details of your visa.
You will need to email a scan of your passport data page to enrolment@warwick.ac.uk including your name and University ID number and request that your University record is updated; once this has been done you will be able to complete online enrolment without needing to enter visa details.
I made a mistake when completing the expected date of arrival or have since changed my plans to arrive earlier than indicated on the online course registration form, what should I do?
If your plans change or you decide that you will arrive on campus before the expected arrival date you have indicated on your online course registration form, please upload a copy of your Temporary Travel Visa and / BRP card (if you have collected it) and Entry Stamp where applicable / Or your current immigration permission. This page will be updated with information on how you can upload these documents shortly.
What is an entry stamp?
An 'Entry stamp' is the name given to a date stamp placed in your passport by Border Control when you arrive in the UK.
If you have a temporary travel visa vignette (sticker) inside your passport, the immigration official will stamp it with the date you have entered the UK.
This then 'validates' your visa and ensures that the Home Office record the type of visa you used to enter the UK.
Border officials should not endorse a visa vignette with an entry stamp before the visa is valid, e.g. before the start date of the temporary travel visa or visa vignette.
They may instead offer to stamp the page opposite.
For visa nationals and non egates users: It is very important that the visa vignette is stamped on entry to the UK in order to 'activate' your leave.
If you enter the UK before the start date of your temporary travel/visa vignette and it is not stamped by Border Control you will be asked to exit and re-enter the UK before you will be permitted to enrol on your course.
We therefore advise against attempting to enter the UK before the start date of your study visa.
If you are a non-visa national seeking entry to the UK as a short-term student on arrival, the entry stamp will confirm the date you arrived and is the start date of your six month visa. If you have used the E-gates then please see information further down
What if I am entering via the Common Travel Area (CTA)?
If you are entering the UK via Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, collectively referred to as the 'Common Travel Area', or CTA, then the border official will not endorse your Warwick Student visa with a date stamp, nor will this happen when you arrive to the UK.
During online course registration you should upload the date stamp from the CTA and the boarding pass which confirms the date of entry to the UK.
If you are a non visa national and have not obtained entry clearance prior to landing in the Common Travel Area, please be aware that you will only be permitted to enter the UK for 90 days, not 6 months as you would if applying for entry at the UK border.
If your course of study is longer than 90 days you will be required to exit and re-enter the UK via another route.
For more information about entry stamps, click here.
What if I enter using an eGate?
If you are of a nationality which may enter the UK via an eGate then you will not receive an entry stamp in your passport and should upload your boarding pass as evidence of your arrival in the UK instead. The entry date in the UK will be the start date of your visa and the expiry date of the visa will be 6 months from the start date.
If you are a non-visa national who has not been granted entry clearance prior to your arrival in the UK then you should not use an eGate but should have your passport endorsed by a UKVI Border Force officer.
See our Travel & Entry to the UK for more information
I am planning on entering the UK before my Visa vignette/Temporary Travel Visa is valid, will I be able to enrol?
No! you will not be able to enrol, please refer to the section above on Entry Stamps.
You must enter the UK within the validity of your visa/temporary travel visa for your Student visa to be activated.
Failure to do this will mean the University is unable to enrol you.
You will need to leave the Common Travel Area and re-enter the UK during the validity of your Visa/Temporary Travel Visa in order to to activate your Student visa.
Border Force Officers should not allow you to enter the UK to commence your study before your Temporary Travel Visa is valid.
After I have entered the UK, is there anything else I need to do regarding my enrolment?
Yes, you should upload a copy of your Entry Stamp to the UK using the Enrolment Dashboard page of the enrolment website, and ensure that you have booked an appointment at the right to study document check event, prior to your arrival at the University.
The University is required to have a copy of this information under its sponsor licence duties.
A link to the dashboard can be found on the enrolment webpage once you have completed the online course registration.
If you do not have an entry stamp because you arrived via the Common Travel Area or used an E-Gate, please upload your boarding pass or card.
I have entered the UK and arrived at the University before the planned in-person right to study document check events - can I collect my BRP?
No, the Temporary Travel Visa is currently issued for 90 days and this is a multiple entry visa.
This means that if you will be travelling outside of and returning to the UK before the expiry date of your temporary travel visa there is no need for you to have obtained your BRP before you travel.
You should book an appointment for the in person right to study document check event. Your BRP will be issued to you as part of the check. You will be emailed if you used our ACL code once your BRP has been received and is ready to be collected. PLEASE DO NOT BOOK AN APPOINTMENT IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS CONFIRMATION AND YOU ARE EXPECTING TO COLLECT YOUR BRP FROM THE UNIVERSITY.
What is my latest course start date?
The latest course start date is the final date by which you must have completed online course registration (online) and arrived on campus.
If you have been assigned a CAS by the University in order to apply for a Warwick Student visa then your CAS will include your latest course start date.
By ‘fully enrolled’ we mean you have completed online course registration, provided all required immigration permission which has been verified by a member of the Compliance team at a right to study document check event and physically arrived on campus. Once you have provided all the information and checked by the compliance team, you will be sent an email confirming you are "fully enrolled"
After the latest course start date has passed you will not be permitted to join your course and may have to defer your place until the following academic year, if possible.
You should contact your academic department if you need to request an extension of your latest course start date due to mitigating circumstances.