The university acts as your academic sponsor for your Student visa. This means we are saying to the UK Government that we believe you are a responsible student and are capable of completing a degree at the University of Bedfordshire. We must:

• Report any student who fails to enrol on their course within the enrolment period
• Keep a copy of your passport and visa
• Maintain your contact details
• Monitor your attendance and engagement and report failure to meet the minimum requirements
• Report any changes in your circumstances e.g change of course or course dates, change of immigration category, a gap in your studies of longer than 60 days
• Report any suspicions you are breaking the conditions of your stay

When is the University obliged to withdraw my visa sponsorship?

In some circumstances we are obliged to withdraw your visa sponsorship. These circumstances include:

• You fail to enrol onto your course within the registration period
• You interrupt or withdraw from your studies
• You fail to engage sufficiently with your studies
• You have a gap of more than 60 days in your studies (not including vacation periods). This will require us to withdraw sponsorship. You would need to return home and apply for a new visa to return to the UK when you course recommences. This is usually caused by a failed unit. Remaining in the UK during a 60 day gap will negatively affect your immigration history and future CAS requests may be denied.

These are the responsibilities you have as a Student visa holder:

• Enrol within the enrolment period and show your passport and visa when required
• Provide the International Office with any new passport, visa or share code obtained after registration
• Ensure your contact details are correct at all times. These are your address, which should be near the campus where you are studying, your university and personal email addresses and mobile phone number. Update these via E-vision. You must also notify UKVI as instructed on Gov.uk - Report a change of circumstances
• Attend all your classes and meet all other engagement points (see 'Engaging with your studies' below)
• Respond promptly to emails or letters you receive from the International Office or other university departments relating to your visa or studies
• Seek authorisation for any term-time absence/travel, you will need to provide compelling evidence as it will only be agreed in exceptional circumstances and you must agree to return on an agreed date (see 'Engaging with your studies' below)
• Advise the university of any changes to your personal circumstances, including immigration status
• Leave the UK if you have a gap in your studies of longer than 60 days (not including holidays)
• Live near the university campus you are studying at (maximum travel time of 1 hour)
• Comply with all the conditions of your visa at all times. You must not work more hours than stated on your visa. Employers may be visited by UK Visas and Immigration. You may only work full time during confirmed vacation periods (this varies depending on your course and results)

Attendance

You must attend all your classes, ie lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and practical sessions. Attendance is registered via ID card swipes and QR code scans. Attendance of both face to face and online activities is monitored. If you do not attend, this will be noted as unauthorised absence. Please familiarise yourself with the University of Bedfordshire's Attendance Policy [PDF]

Submissions

You must attend all exams and submit all work on time and in the right way. If you do not, this is a non-submission and it may mean you cannot apply for a visa extension.

If you know that you cannot submit on time talk to your faculty and seek advice from Mitigating Circumstances at mitigation@beds.ac.uk before the submission date.

Absence

If you cannot attend due to illness

You must email Tracking at tracking@beds.ac.uk and your tutor stating the reason for your absence. You will need evidence such as a doctor’s note if your absence will be for more than a week. Ensure that you register with a GP at the beginning of your course.

If you think you will miss an assignment, you must talk to your faculty and seek advice from Mitigating Circumstances at mitigation@beds.ac.uk You will require medical evidence.

If you cannot attend for another reason

All term-time absences/travel must be authorised in advance and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Contact InternationalStudentExperience@beds.ac.uk for advice.

Prolonged absence may result in you needing to interrupt your studies. If this happens you may need to return to your home country and obtain a new visa to allow you to return.

Interrupting your studies during your course

If your interruption request is approved, the University is obliged to report this to the UKVI and withdraw visa sponsorship from you. You will be required to return to your home country. The UKVI will cancel your leave to remain under your existing visa. You will be required to request a new CAS from the university and to apply for a new Student visa before returning to the UK to resume your studies.

Before a new CAS is issued to you, the university will ask for proof that you have returned home in the form of a scanned copy of your entry stamp and boarding pass. We can never guarantee a new CAS and positive visa outcome.

The visa in your passport or your eVisa is your evidence of your right to be in the UK. We strongly advise that your passport is kept in a safe place at all times and are not used as evidence for proof of age, or carried with you on a daily basis, to avoid them being lost or stolen.

If you lose your passport you must:

1. Talk to the Visa Advice Team in the International Office.
2. Report the loss to the police. They will no longer provide a crime reference number for lost passports, but you will be able to declare that you have done this.
3. Obtain a new passport. To do this you will need to begin by contacting your embassy in the UK to find out the conditions you must fulfil in order to obtain the passport.
4. If your visa is in your passport, obtain a replacement visa. In order to obtain this you will need to start by applying to the UKVI. Speak to the Visa Advice team in the International Office or email them at visaadvice@beds.ac.uk for further information.
5. Bring your replacement passport (and visa) to the International Office so that your records can be updated.

Visa Advice - visaadvice@beds.ac.uk

Visa Monitoring - for providing documents and updates on your legal status or visa applications - visamonitoring@beds.ac.uk

Attendance & Absence - tracking@beds.ac.uk