Extend Your Student Visa

If you are already in the UK on a Student Route visa and want to extend your visa, please contact Chichester International Advice at international@chi.ac.uk.

Who can apply in the UK?

It is important that you meet the in-country visa application criteria which include the following:

1. You cannot switch to this visa if you have one of the following visas:

• • • • a visit visa
      • a short-term student visa
      • a Parent of a Child Student visa
      • a seasonal worker visa
      • a domestic worker in a private household visa
      • leave outside the immigration rule

2. Length of time spent on Tier 4 visa/ Student Visa  – See information on time limits here.
3. Academic progression requirements – You must have successfully completed your previous studies in the UK and you must be progressing to a higher level of study e.g. from undergraduate to postgraduate. See more on this requirements and exemptions in the Student Visa Guidance.
4. The gap between your current visa expiry date and the course start date must not exceed 28 days.

If you are a Pre-Sessional student and you need to extend your visa in the UK after completing you Pre-Sessional course, please visit our Pre-Sessional page for more information.

Starting your studies

To start your studies with us, you will need to submit a visa application using our CAS before the course start date. You can stay in the UK while you are waiting for your visa to be granted as long as you applied for your new visa before the expiry date of your current/most recent student visa. During this time you are covered by Section 3 C Leave. You cannot leave the UK while you wait for your visa to be granted.

We will require you to show us evidence that you have submitted your visa application using our CAS before you can fully register onto your course. You will also need to share your share code with us as soon as you receive your visa.

Please note that it can take up to 8 weeks to receive a decision when you apply for a visa extension in the UK.

Graduate Route Visa

You can switch from the Graduate Route visa to the Student Route visa in the UK, but you must have had your Graduate Route visa granted before you can register onto your course.

When can I apply?

Applications cannot be made more than three months before the start of the course. If you have an unconditional offer (i.e. you have met the academic conditions and paid your deposit) and you are within 3 months of your course start date, our admissions team will contact you regarding your CAS.

If you are a current student at the University of Chichester and you are extending your visa to continue on the same degree, you will need to request a CAS from Academic Registry. Current students do not need to pay a deposit. Contact the International Student Advisers for advice.

How do I apply?

1. Check the Student Route visa requirements to make sure you are ready to submit your application when the time comes. You will need to pay particular attention to making sure that you can provide evidence of having enough money in the correct format (see Student Visa Guidance for information on this).
2. Meet the academic conditions (provide evidence of your qualifications, English language test, references, portfolio etc.).
3. Pay a deposit (unless you are a current student extending to continue your studies).
4. Complete a CAS request form.
5. Receive your CAS.
6. Submit your online application and pay the NHS surcharge (£776 per year) and application (£490 per application) fees.
7. Wait for the visa decision (normally about 8 weeks). As long as you have submitted your application before the expiry date of your current visa, you will be covered by Section 3C which means that you are lawfully in the UK while waiting for a decision. You should not use your passport to travel outside the UK while you are waiting for the visa decision.
8. Receive your eVisa.
9. Check that your eVisa has correct leave dates and visa conditions.
10. Share your eVisa share code with our Student Records team.