Skip to main content

Visa Timescales for PGR Students

For many PhD students, your Tier 4/student visa will offer you sufficient time in the UK to complete your programme. However, if you find that you need further time on a student visa to complete your programme you should be aware that the procedures involved in issuing a new CAS may be lengthy and, therefore, you are requested to read the information below carefully so that you have an expectation of the timescales involved in progressing sponsorship for a student visa application in the UK.

Student visas

If you are approaching the end of your visa, you should be aware that the Visa Support Team will only issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for a student visa application to a PGR student where all the criteria below is met:

  • there is a confirmed genuine academic reason for the student to remain in the UK
  • the Visa Support Team has an official confirmed deadline for the end of the programme, which is provided by the Graduate School
  • the student fully meets the requirements to make a valid student visa application in the UK (including the requirements for any dependents applying at the same time)
  • the student submits a CAS request to the Visa Support Team 4 weeks before the expiry date of their current visa
  • the student allows a reasonable timescale (a minimum of 5 working days) to make a student visa application before the current visa expires
  • they can meet all other requirements set out in the Student Immigration Compliance Policy

Please note that there have been considerable delays with ATAS clearance in recent months, so where fresh ATAS clearance is required, applicants are encouraged to apply for it at least 10 weeks before a CAS is required, if possible.

You should consider the following approximate possible timescales involved in obtaining the required verifications:

  • Approximately 12 weeks from submission to date of oral examination
  • Approximately 2 weeks from date of oral examination to confirmation of outcome from your Graduate School

*Where a student is within 6 weeks of their Tier 4/student visa expiry date and does not have a confirmed date for a viva or a confirmed outcome following a viva, the student will be issued with a discretionary 6 month CAS (allowing a 10 month visa) from the visa expiry date. This must be agreed with the Adviser issuing your CAS and cannot be altered at a later date. In all other cases, the CAS will be issued in line with academic requirements only.

Additional information

If you believe you may require extra time on your student visa, it is essential that you recognise, and allow for the timescales involved in completing all procedures in respect of obtaining a CAS and accessing an application check with the Visa Support Team.

Unfortunately, in some circumstances, limited remaining immigration leave may not allow time for all of the required procedures to be followed.

You should be aware that if the end of your leave is approaching and it is not possible to complete all of the necessary procedures outlined above, you should always be prepared to leave the UK or switch into another appropriate immigration category before the expiry date of your current visa.

If it is confirmed that there is an academic need for you to return to the UK to complete the programme at a later date, then further advice should be sought from the Visa Support Team.

Student visa no longer required

If you have returned home, or intend to return home to complete your studies and will not be returning to campus you should complete the Outside Study application on NU Reflect.

If you have switched into another immigration category, please let the Visa Support Team know by sending a copy of your new immigration documents to compliance@ncl.ac.uk