If your course end date is extended because you have added a Year in Industry or Study Abroad year to your programme, you can make a new Student Visa application from within the UK in order to obtain a visa to cover the remainder of your studies. You can make the visa application at any point prior to your current visa expiring but not during the work placement (so either before your placement starts or once it has finished).  See our guidance on preparing for a visa application in the UK.

If you commenced a Bachelor degree and you now want to progress to an undergraduate Master’s degree and need additional time on your visa for the Masters year, you will need to make a new Student Visa application. You can make the application in the UK.

Once you hold the correct visa for the new course, your record will be transferred on to the new programme route.

You should also check if the Undergraduate Masters programme requires you to hold ATAS clearance. See http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/international-students/visas-and-immigration/atas/ for more information. You should obtain ATAS clearance in advance of making a Tier 4 application. 

Sometimes, you may have mitigating circumstances which mean that your course end date has been extended. If you need additional time on your Student Visa you will need to make a Student Visa application from your home country in order to obtain a visa to cover the remainder of your studies.

Please note: If you are currently undertaking a PhD and you need additional time to complete your course, you are able to make a visa application in the UK for this purpose. You are not required to leave the UK and apply from your home country. For further information on applying for a visa from within the UK please see our section: Applying for a student visa in the UK. 

If you commenced studying on a 4 or 5-year undergraduate Master’s degree, and you have now decided you want to move to a Bachelor degree OR an academic decision at exam board means that you have to move onto a Bachelor degree you can only make this visa application in your home country.

Once you hold the correct visa for the new course and have arrived back in the UK, your record will be transferred on to the new programme route

If you commenced studying on a 4 year PhD, and you have now decided you want to move to the MPhil OR an academic decision at exam board means that you have to move onto an MPhil, you will have to leave the UK to make a new Student Visa application for the new programme of study.

You should also check if the MPhil programme requires you to hold ATAS clearance. See http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/international-students/visas-and-immigration/atas/ for more information. You should obtain ATAS clearance in advance of making your new Student Visa application. 

Resits without attendance

If you are required to resit examinations but are not required to be in attendance at the College during that academic year, the College is required to inform the Home Office that you are not required to attend and they will take action to cancel your visa. You will need to make arrangements to leave the UK. You then apply to come back to the UK as a Short-Term Student in order to attend your exams. Once your exams are over you should leave the UK again to await the results. If you subsequently progress into the next year of your course at that stage you will be given a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) in order to apply for a new Student Visa. See http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/international-students/visas-and-immigration/short-term-study-visa/  for more information about applying as a Short-Term Student. 

Resits with attendance

If you are required to repeat an academic year with attendance at the College, this will extend your formal course end date. You will need to make a Student Visa application in order to obtain enough time on your visa to complete the course and you can make this Student Visa application from within the UK.

If you are permitted to interrupt your studies for a period of time and this extends your course end date, the College will normally have to inform the Home Office that you are no longer studying and you will have to make arrangements to leave the UK. You will need to apply for a new Student Visa from your home country before you can resume your studies.

If you change programme route within your department (for example, transferring to a different degree) and the new course is at the same level and is the same length as your previous course or shorter, there is no requirement for you to apply for a new Student Visa. However, the College is still required to inform the Home Office of the change so you will be asked to complete a Change of Study form. You should check if the new course requires you to hold ATAS clearance, as you will need to obtain this before you move to the new course.