Course Transfers for Student Visa Holders
Course transfers
If you change course after you have enrolled, this page will tell you what the possible implications for a Student Visa will be.
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If you originally enrolled on a Bachelors and want to transfer to an integrated Masters which is directly related - for example from a BEng to an MEng.
You will need to apply for an extension of your existing Student Visa to cover the additional year of study, paying the full visa application fee and immigration health surcharge to cover the extra year of leave. Before you can make this application you'll need to request a new CAS from the Student Visa Advice Service.
When to apply: The application to extend your Student Visa can be made at any time before your current leave expires.
Where to apply: You can apply from inside the UK or overseas, in a country where you hold a residence permit.
ATAS
If the integrated Masters requires ATAS clearance, then you'll need to apply for an ATAS certificate before you can be assigned a new CAS to extend your Student Visa.
If your Student Visa was granted for a four-year integrated Masters and you will transfer to the related three-year Bachelors course, either by choice or due to exam board results - for example, from MMath to BSc Mathematics.
You will not need to apply for a new Student Visa. This is because the final qualification could have, under other circumstances, been directly awarded from the original course and you can complete the new course within the duration of your current Student Visa.
The University will notify the Home Office that you have completed your course of study earlier than expected - called early completion - we'll send you an email once we have done this. UKVI will then take action to shorten your Student Visa by a year, as you no longer require this additional time to study in the UK. You can stay in the UK until your revised visa end date.
If you graduate with an award which was a possible outcome from the original course of study, then you will meet the successful course completion element of the Graduate Visa application criteria.
If the Bachelors is NOT the lower qualification of the Masters on your original CAS
If transferring to a Bachelors where the qualification outcome is not possible from the original integrated Masters, for example, switching from an MChem in Chemistry to a BSc in Mathematics, you'll need to apply for a new Student Visa before the course transfer can go ahead, usually by the end of the summer vacation.
As the new course is taught at a lower level than the course your visa was originally granted for, you can't make this application from inside the UK as you won't satisfy UKVI rules on academic progression. Instead, you'll need to apply overseas from a country where you are a national or hold a residence permit.
If you are progressing to a PhD from an integrated Masters and PhD programme.
You'll need to extend your existing Student Visa to cover the additional years of study, paying the full application fee and immigration health surcharge.
When to apply: Submit your Student Visa extension application before your current leave expires.
Where to apply: You can make the application from inside the UK or overseas in a country where you hold a valid residence permit.
ATAS
If your area of research requires ATAS clearance, you'll need to receive this before we can assign you a new CAS for the PhD visa application.
This might apply if you've been granted a four-year Student Visa for an integrated Masters, and wish to switch to a three-year Bachelors with an intercalated placement year.
If the award at the end of the Bachelors would not have been a possible outcome of the integrated Masters programme you'll need to apply for a new Student Visa, even though the course end dates are the same.
When to apply: In the summer vacation, before the start of the next academic year
Where to apply: You'll need to apply overseas in your home country or somewhere you have a valid residence permit, as the lower-level course won't meet UKVI rules on academic progression which would allow you to apply from inside the UK.
If the new course is the same length as the original course and will lead to the same, or a higher, qualification outcome, you will need to satisfy Home Office regulations on academic progression by showing how the two courses are related or how the new course supports your genuine career aspiration.
Example 1: Switching from BSc Computer Science to BEng Computer Systems
Your department has confirmed that the new course is related to the original course for which your Student Visa was granted. The course end date is the same and so the new course can be completed using your existing visa.
Example 2: Switching from BSc Computer Science to BSc Chemistry
Your department states that the two courses are not related, however, you submit a written statement with your course transfer request outlining your intent to pursue a career teaching Chemistry after graduation and showing how the new course will make this possible. The University accepts your explanation and because the course end dates are the same you can complete the new course using your existing Student Visa.
In both cases, the University will notify the Home Office of the change to your course details; this will have no impact on your Student Visa.
Courses that are NOT related or where a satisfactory statement is not provided
If the two courses are not related, or you can't show how the new course will support a genuine career path, you'll need to apply for a Student Visa before the course transfer can go ahead. This application can't be made from inside the UK as it won't meet UKVI rules on academic progression, so you'll need to apply from overseas in a country where you are a national or hold a residence permit
If you are in this position, then you'll need to time your application carefully during the summer vacation to ensure a new Student Visa will be issued in time for the transfer to be actioned, before the start of the next academic year.
You will exit with a lower award after being granted a Student Visa for a doctoral programme, either by choice or as a result of the exam board decision.
As you can complete your studies using your original Student Visa, you will not need to make a new application. The University will inform the Home Office of your early completion - we'll send you an email once this has been done - and UKVI will shorten your visa accordingly.
If you added a work placement or year abroad as an integral and assessed part of your course of study.
You'll need to apply for an extension of your original Student Visa to cover the extra year of study, paying the full visa application fee and immigration health surcharge for the additional year of leave. Before you can apply, you'll need to request a new CAS from the Student Visa Service.
When to apply: You cannot apply for a visa extension while on placement - we suggest that you make the application before the start of your final year.
Where to apply: We recommend making this application from inside the UK before your current Student Visa expires.
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A-Z of Visa Terms
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Check our list of common visa-related terminology.