Early Completion

Early completion usually applies to the following scenarios:

• Undergraduate students who have changed course to a shorter programme, for example, from a four-year programme to a three-year variant

• Undergraduate students who are exiting a longer programme early due to an exam board decision, for example, graduating with a BEng after three years rather than an MEng as originally expected

• Postgraduate Research students who are exiting with a lower qualification, for example, being awarded an MPhil instead of a PhD

• Postgraduate Research students who have switched to an MPhil after thesis submission, where the outcome is a downgrade but no corrections are needed (pass straightaway)

• Postgraduate Research students who complete their studies and are awarded their PhD earlier than originally expected
  • If the PhD is completed 2 weeks earlier or more than the original end date, then the University will report the early completion to the UKVI. The report will result in curtailment for the Student Visa (it will be shortened) hence the new visa end date will be (new registration end date + 4 months).
  • The UKVI will update the visa end date on their system (this may not be reflected on your Evisa). Please ensure that you do not travel in and out of the UK once the report to the UKVI has been made. Please contact us, if you need any further assistanceLink opens in a new window.

If you are an Undergraduate student on an Integrated Masters you can choose early completion if you wish to exit with a lower award a year earlier than expected.

You will need to make your academic department aware that you wish to take an 'end-of-year course transfer' and request that the exam board at the end of year 3 award you a BSc/BA degree.

There is usually a deadline for you to request this.

Therefore if early completion is something you are considering you should contact your academic department in good time.

If you leave the UK after completing your course early you will not be able to use your Student Visa to return to the UK and attend your Graduation Ceremony.

In this situation, you will need to apply for a Standard Visit Visa to re-enter the UK.

This is because the University will notify the Home Office of your early completion which will trigger curtailment action against your Student Visa.

You can find out more on our Visas for Graduation page.

If early completion applies to you and you want to apply for the Graduate Visa, then you must ensure that you are in the UK when your degree is conferred, that you apply for the Graduate Visa as soon as you are eligible and that you remain in the UK until it is granted.

This is because your early completion will have been reported to the Home Office, which will take action to curtail your Student Visa. If you are outside the UK you will not be able to re-enter the UK using your Student Visa, and being in the UK with a valid Student Visa is a key application requirement of the Graduate Visa.

If you are ending the third year of a four-year integrated Masters and believe there is a possibility that your academic performance could result in the exam board awarding a Bachelors qualification, meaning you would exit the course a year early, you should ensure that you are present in the UK at the time this decision is made.

This is to avoid being unable to re-enter the UK on your Student Visa in the event your study is terminated and your visa is curtailed.

There will be no change to your UK immigration permission and rights while you are still studying.

However, as soon as your award is conferred, the University will report your early completion to Home Office UKVI and this will trigger curtailment of your Student Visa - This is because you no longer require a Student Visa once your course of study has ended.

You will be notified by email once the University has reported your early completion; read this email carefully as it provides information about what to do next.

You must not attempt to re-enter the UK using your Student Visa once this report has been made - your shortened visa "lapses" immediately upon you leaving the Common Travel Area.

If you do not intend to apply for a further visa to stay, we advise that you exit the UK, or, if you are eligible to do so, switch to another immigration category, within four months of the date of our email notification to you, or by the new visa expiry date in your UKVI curtailment notice, whichever is earlier.

If you do intend to apply for a further visa to stay, you should apply for and obtain that visa before attempting to travel, as you will not be able to return using your Student Visa.