Student Route from Inside the UK

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Find out how to apply for or renew your Student Route Visa from inside of the UK.

If your current visa was issued for you to study at a different institution, you will need to apply for a new visa to commence your course at Newcastle University.

Who can apply for a Student Route visa from inside the UK?

You can normally apply for a Student Route visa from inside the UK if you have successfully completed the programme for which you current Tier 4 or Student Route visa was granted. Your new programme of study should normally be at a higher level then your previous programme of study.

Exceptionally, if you have started a PhD or doctoral qualification at another institution, and you are applying for a Student Route visa to complete that qualification at Newcastle University, you can apply for the visa from inside the UK.

To find out whether you can switch into the Student Route in the UK, check the latest UKVI information.

Time limits

The Home Office impose strict time limits on the number of years an below degree level and Undergraduate students can spend in the UK studying at degree level on a student visa. The University may not produce a CAS for any student who would exceed these time limits as the result of a Student Route application.

How to apply

If you are already in the UK, we would encourage you to contact the Visa Support Team and request a copy of our guide to 'Making a Student Route application in the UK'

Once you have prepared the required documents, we can offer you one-to-one support in submitting your visa application. Please follow the instructions from the guide on how you can book an appointment to submit your visa application.

If you are planning to make the Student Route visa application without the assistance from the University, you should make every effort to submit a valid application which meets the Tier 4 requirements.

In order to get a Student Route visa, you will need:

A valid CAS
Student Route maintenance requirement (PDF: 109KB)

Additional requirements for a Student Route visa

Some additional requirements to bear in mind:

Before beginning the process, you should first read the Student Route guidance thoroughly
Before a CAS can be produced, students need to show that they have appropriate English Language Skills
Your CAS will show a list of qualifications used to assess your eligibility for your course. Original certificates/transcripts of these qualifications must be submitted with your Tier 4 application
Students studying some science, engineering or medical programmes at postgraduate level may be subject to ATAS clearance. If your offer letter or CAS states that you require ATAS clearance, please make an application through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website as soon as possible, as it can take up to six weeks for an ATAS certificate to be issued
You will need to submit your current passport and any expired passports containing your UK entry clearance
You will need to submit your biometric residence permit if you have one
You will need to submit your fully updated police registration certificate, if your visa requires you to register with the police. (Also see How can I register with the police?)
You (and any dependants) will also be required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your application
All Student Route and Student Dependant applications have to be completed online

Important things to remember

It is recommended that you should be in possession of the original documents when submitting your visa application, although copies and scans may be accepted by the Home Office.

Any documents not in English, must be accompanied by a professional translation in accordance with the Student Route Guidance.

Any currency amounts stated on documents must be converted in the pounds sterling using the OANDA website. The converted amount must be written clearly on the document.

CAS

A Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) is an electronic document produced by the University as confirmation that we are prepared to sponsor your stay in the UK for study purpose

You will need a new valid CAS if you each time you apply for a Student Route visa.

As a prospective student, your CAS will be sent to you automatically by e-mail from the relevant admissions department after your offer has been made unconditional. This may take several weeks during the summer when Admissions departments are very busy.

What is on my CAS?

When you receive your CAS, you must check the details on the CAS carefully. If there are any errors, you should inform the university immediately.

Your CAS will state your personal details and details of your programme of study, such as:

programme title and level
tuition fees charged and paid
qualifications used for admissions
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate, if required

Qualifications listed on your CAS

You may need to provide the qualification documents which are listed on your CAS when you submit your Student Route visa application. Any documents which are not in English or Welsh, must be professionally translated in to English.

You must refer to the Home Office Student Route Guidance for further details on appropriate translations.

If you are applying for a Student Route visa following completion of a programme of study undertaken in the UK, you must include confirmation that you have successfully completed that programme of study with your visa application. Normally, you will submit the formal award of that qualification such as a degree certificate.

If the formal award has not been made, you must request for a letter from the institution you are studying at which confirms that you are highly likely to successfully complete the programme you are currently studying.

ATAS

If you're changing course or renewing your Student Route Visa you will need to obtain a new Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

Programmes that require ATAS can include integrated undergraduate programmes, and taught and research postgraduate programmes. These programmes are predominantly in the science, engineering and medical subject areas. When you receive an offer for your programme of study, and if your programme requires ATAS, this will be stated on your offer letter.

Who will require an ATAS certificate

Nationals of EEA countries, Switzerland, USA, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and Australia do not require ATAS clearance.

All other nationals with limited leave to remain, including but not limited to the following visa categories:

Tier 4 (General); PBS dependant; Tier 1; Tier 2 or Skilled Worker; Tier 5; Short-term Study; Standard Visitor; ancestry visa; discretionary leave; asylum seekers leave; spouse visa.

Courses requiring an ATAS certificate

To find out whether your programme of study requires an ATAS certificate, you will first need to know the CAH3 code for that programme. This should be stated on your offer letter.

You can also complete the questionnaire on the ATAS website to check if your programme of study requires an ATAS certificate.

How to apply for an ATAS certificate

You will need to make the ATAS application in good time before applying for your visa if you intend to study on a Student Route; or prior to the start date of your course if you intend to study on a visa of a different category. Please note that an ATAS application can take up to 30 working days to be processed.

You can find more information on how to apply for an ATAS certificate here.

If you are applying for the Student Route, you will not receive a CAS from the University before providing your ATAS certificate.

If you are not on a Student Route visa but studying on a programme which requires an ATAS certificate, then we will need to ensure that you have obtained the it before starting your course of study.

When you will need a new ATAS certificate

If you change your programme or area of research, you may need to obtain a new ATAS certificate.

Dependants

If your family is already here with you in the UK, and you are renewing your Student Route visa, they may also be allowed to renew their visa as a dependant.

Extending leave as a Student dependant

If you are currently studying at Newcastle University as a dependant of a Student Route visa holder who is also studying at Newcastle University, we can assist you in extending your visa. Please request for our guide to 'Making a Student Route application in the UK'

If you have dependants aged 16 years old or above please note that you will be required to submit additional evidence as proof of their address as part of your PBS dependant application. This is detailed in the Student Dependant guidance.

If you are starting a new programme of study from 1 January 2024, you can only have dependants in the UK if you will be studying on a programme which is classed as a PhD or other doctoral qualification; or a research-based higher degree.

Switching into Student dependant from another permitted category

If you are already in the UK under certain immigration categories you may be eligible to switch into a dependant visa, please read through the Dependant guidance for more details. If you are switching to become a dependant of a Tier 4 or Student Route student you will need to make an application as a Student Dependant.

You will need to complete the relevant online application form for applying in the UK as a Partner or a Child and select "Applying to join somebody (a main applicant) in the UK". You may be required to provide the following documents:

Passport and current visa
Police Registration Certificate (if applicable)
Suitable financial evidence (see guidance for details)
Evidence of relationship (marriage certificate or birth certificate)
Proof of address (eg tenancy agreement, council tax bill, NHS registration card)
Translations of any documents which or not in English or Welsh

You may be required to provide further documents depending on your own circumstances. You will also need to pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS) as part of the Partner or Child application.