Your Visa: Your Responsibilities

2010/11

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ THIS

INFORMATION VERY CAREFULLY AS IT IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO OBEY THE LAW
In light of the recent changes in immigration legislation by
the UK Border Agency (UKBA), this booklet outlines your visa
responsibilities as an international student. It also provides contacts
& information together with a student visa checklist.
It is important that you read this information very carefully as it is
your responsibility to obey the law

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• ATTENDANCE
Student responsibility: It is your responsibility to ensure that you attend
100% of your course. Your student visa states that
you must provide satisfactory evidence of regular
attendance of all courses attended. In addition you
are required to attend monthly meetings with your
faculty contact. You will be informed of your faculty
contact and the location of your first meeting at
enrolment.
To work out when your monthly meetings will start,
follow these steps:
Step 1. What is your course start date?
Step 2. Look at the list of dates below and find the
next available date after the start of your course.

The dates for the monthly meetings are as follows:

15th October 2010 11th May 2011
12th November 2010 8th June 2011
8th December 2010 6th July 2011
12th January 2011 10th August 2011
9th February 2011 14th September 2011
9th March 2011 12th October 2011
6th April 2011 9th November 2011

Any absences must be authorised by your Faculty -
any trips back home must be taken during vacation
time except in the case of an emergency when it
must be authorised.

University responsibility: It is our responsibility to report to the UK Border Agency

(UKBA) on all students that have unauthorised absences.
Please note that this includes irregular attendance.
• KEEPING TO THE CONDITIONS OF YOUR VISA
Student responsibility: Working -
If you are on a Tier 4 student visa and you applied for
your visa before 3rd March 2010 and you have
permission to work, you must not work any more than
20 hours per week during term time which includes any
time taken to write up your dissertation or take exam re-sits.

If you are on a Tier 4 student visa and you applied for
your visa on or after 3rd March 2010 and you have
permission to work, the number of hours that you can
work during term time depends on what course you are
studying:

Students on degree or foundation degree level courses:
If you have permission to work on your student visa, you
must not work any more than 20 hours per week during
term time which includes any time taken to write up
your dissertation or take exam re-sits.

Students on below degree or foundation degree
level courses:
If you have permission to work on your student visa, you
must not work more than 10 hours per week during
term time which includes any time taken for exam re-sits.

If you are unsure of the types of work that you have
permission for please contact Student Services –
contact details are at the back of this booklet.

Public Funds - On a student visa, you are not allowed
to apply for any public funds. ‘Public funds’ means the
following types of UK welfare benefit: income support;
income-based jobseeker’s allowance; housing and
homelessness assistance; housing benefit; council tax
benefit; working tax credit; a social fund payment;
child benefit; any disability allowance; state
pension credit; child tax credit; attendance allowance;
carer’s allowance; income related employment and
support allowance; health in pregnancy grant.
Anything not included in the list is not regarded as
‘public funds’.


CONTINUED OVERLEAF
RESPONSIBILITIES: (CONTINUED)
• KEEPING TO THE CONDITIONS OF YOUR VISA (CONTINUED)

Police Registration - If your visa states that you

must register with the Police, you must do so within
7 days of arrival in the UK. If you change address or
course or extend your visa, you must visit the Police
to
have your certificate updated.
Please note: If you forget to register with the
Police, this could have serious consequences
for any future entry clearance applications that
you make abroad. You could be barred from
coming back to the UK for 12 months (and in
some cases five or ten years). It will also cause
problems for you when obtaining immigration
extensions in the UK. If your passport or
identity card does not tell you to register with
the Police, you do not need to do this.

University responsibility: If we find that you are breaking any conditions of

your visa we have a responsibility to report this
information to the UKBA.

• UPDATING YOUR CONTACT DETAILS

Student responsibility: It is your responsibility to ensure that you update
your faculty with the following details every time
they change:
• Full address in the UK
• Full home address
• All telephone numbers
• All active email addresses
• Emergency contact details
• New passport details
• New visa details (incl. student visa extensions)
You will be informed of your faculty contact
at enrolment.
University responsibility: It is our responsibility to ensure that the UKBA has
fully up-to-date details of ALL international
students.
• WITHDRAWALS, INTERRUPTIONS OF STUDY AND
CHANGE OF COURSE
Student responsibility: It is your responsibility to inform us of any intention you
have to withdraw from your course, take an interruption of
study or change your course or institution. It is important
that you first discuss this with your faculty and then make
an appointment to see an International Student Adviser
in Student Services for advice on your immigration
status before you make your final decision. The Adviser
will inform you of your next steps. See Useful Contacts
section for ways to contact the Adviser.
Changing your course
If you are on a Tier 4 student visa and want to change to
another course at Birmingham City University and the
new course is for a shorter length of time than the course
you were originally studying on, you must:
• Let the UKBA know by email at:
migrantreporting@ukba.gsi.gov.uk
• See an International Student Adviser for help with this
• Let your faculty contact know immediately
Changing University
The steps that you need to take to change university
depend when you applied for your Tier 4 visa.
If you are on a Tier 4 student visa and you applied for your
visa before 5th October 2009 and you are transferring to
another UKBA-approved education provider you must get
written permission from the UKBA. To get this you must:
• Send an email to: migrantreporting@ukba.gsi.gov.uk
with the following details:
- title of the new course with the start and end dates
- the name, address and contact details of the new
approved education provider
• See an International Student Adviser for help with this
• Let your faculty contact know immediately

If you are on a Tier 4 student visa and you applied for

your visa on or after 5th October 2009 and you are
transferring to another UKBA-approved education
provider you must:
• Apply for a new visa and this must be from within
the UK. You cannot start at the new institution until
your visa application has been approved.
• See an International Student Adviser for help with this
• Let your faculty contact know immediately

CONTINUED OVERLEAF
• WITHDRAWALS, INTERRUPTIONS OF STUDY AND
CHANGE OF COURSE (CONTINUED)
University responsibility: It is our responsibility to report all changes in student
circumstances to the UKBA.

Please note: : If UKBA request information about you from the university
and it is found that you have not met these responsibilities, you are at
risk of having your visa withdrawn and having to return home.
EXTENDING YOUR STUDENT VISA:
• Think about your visa extension 4 months before it expires and book on to a visa
workshop at least 4 weeks before. You must book a place if you wish to attend a
visa workshop: www.bcu.ac.uk/studentservices/events
• Keep photocopies - passport, visa, ID card for Foreign Nationals (if you have
one), police registration certificate, flight tickets (as you might need to provide
these for your visa extension) and other important documents.
• Keep your passport safe and always post your visa extension application by
‘special delivery’ - you will need to do this at the Post Office.
• You must obtain 40 points to get a student visa extension:
30 points - Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
10 points - Maintenance funds available to you
• You will need to get the CAS from your faculty. Please note that if there is more
than one month between your visa expiry date and the date the course will start
or continue (if it is your current course) you will not be able to get a CAS to
extend your visa in the UK. It can take up to 7 working days to produce a CAS so
leave plenty of time. You must use the CAS for your visa application within 6 months
of issue or it becomes invalid.
• You will also need to provide evidence that you have the required amount of
money. This should be in the form of a bank statement covering a 28 day
period, which should be no more than 1 month old so remember to leave plenty
of time to order this at the bank if necessary. You can also use your parents’ or
legal guardian’s bank statement to show that you have the correct maintenance
funds available to you. If you use your parents’ statements you will also need to
provide your birth certificate showing your relationship to that person and a letter
from them giving permission.

• For more information on the money that you must show for your student visa
extension please visit the websites below or contact Student Services.
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/applying
www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/immigration_uk.php
• If you are sponsored by a UKBA official financial sponsor, such as a government
or scholarship agency, you will need to provide your sponsorship letter.
• If relevant, you will also need to show your ATAS (Academic Technology
Approval Scheme) certificate (please see the Foreign and Commonwealth
website www.fco.gov.uk/atas for more information).

We recommend you go to www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/

adult-students/ for the up to date policy guidance.
USEFUL WEBSITES:
Tier 4 visa application form
For the up to date Tier 4 student visa extension application form and Tier 4 policy
guidance:
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/applying

Immigration Rules
For the immigration rules relating to the Tier 4 student visa:
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/
part6a/
(starts from paragraph 245ZT)

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

Information for international students about visa extensions, employment rules
and other international student issues:
www.ukcisa.org.uk

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

For details of your Embassy in case you need to renew your passport or if
you lose it or have it stolen. Also for information about the ATAS (Academic
Technology Approval Scheme) certificate and how to apply for it:
www.fco.gov.uk

Police Registration and lost or stolen passports

0845 113 5000 (Police Headquarters in Birmingham city centre)
For details of your nearest Police station to report a lost or stolen passport.
This website also has information about Police Registration:
www.west-midlands.police.uk

Student Services
This contains useful information on visas, immigration and cultural issues for
international students studying at Birmingham City University:
www.bcu.ac.uk/international/advice-and-support

This contains useful information on managing your money, healthcare, wellbeing

and other services for students.
www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/student-services
USEFUL CONTACTS:
Student Services
Student Services has the necessary
1st Floor Baker Building
expertise to help you with your visa
City North Campus extension application.
Perry Barr Please note that only the International
Birmingham Student Advisers in Student Services are
B42 2SU qualified to give immigration advice at
Birmingham City University.
Telephone: 0121 331 5588
Fax: 0121 331 6569
Email: student.servcies@bcu.ac.uk
ASK Us online web enquiry service: www.bcu/studentservices/askus
Web: www.bcu.ac.uk/international/advice-and-support
www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/student-services

International Office
3rd Floor Baker Building The International Office recruits
new international students. It deals
City North Campus
with enquiries and applications from
Perry Barr prospective students and is responsible
Birmingham for issuing offer letters and Confirmations
B42 2SU of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to new
Telephone: 0121 331 5389 international students.
Fax: 0121 331 6314
Email: international.admissions@bcu.ac.uk
Web: www.bcu.ac.uk/international

Immigration Advisory Service

The Immigration Advisory Service is a
3rd Floor, King Edward House charity organisation providing legal advice
135a New Street about immigration. The University refers
Birmingham students to this service if necessary.
B2 4QJ
Telephone: 0844 974 4000 (0121 616 3540 Birmingham Branch)
Web: www.iasuk.org/home.aspx

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

9-17 St Albans Place
London
N1 0NX
Immigration advice line for students in the UK: 0207 107 9922
Web: www.ukcisa.org.uk

All of the information contained in this booklet is correct at time of going to print (June 2010).
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