Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students are studying at degree level (RQF 6 or RQF 7 for some integrated programmes) and have clear rules and conditions for study under Tier 4 and the Student Route.
Guidance for undergraduate students
Most students will receive a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to apply for a visa to cover the whole of their undergraduate programme, but if there are changes to study plans or personal circumstances, it may be necessary to make a Student Route application to continue your current programme, either in the UK or in your home country.
The Visa Support Team can help you with your Student Route application in the UK - see Applying for the Student Route Visa for further information.
Click on a section below for specific advice for undergraduate students.
Time limits for Tier 4 students studying at degree level
Students can only spend a limited number of years in the UK on a Tier 4 or Student Route visa. When calculating the permitted time spent in the UK, UKVI take into consideration all of the time you have spent in the UK on the visa, not just the time you’ve studied here.
The time limits for Tier 4 or Student Route students studying at degree level can be found on the UKCISA website.
If you have any concerns that applying for a new programme or extending your time on your current programme at degree level might not be possible under Tier 4 or Student Route due to time limits, please contact the Visa Support Team.
Requirements for making a Student Route application in the UK
There are specific requirements for students making a Student Route application in the UK.
If you have an offer from Newcastle University and are already in the UK or already studying at Newcastle University, and meet all appropriate Student Route requirements, you can get help from the Visa Support Team with making your Student Route application.
English language requirements
The Student Route has specific English language requirements for students studying at degree level. Please see the list of acceptable English language evidence for Student Route sponsorship.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
A limited number of undergraduate programmes lead to a qualification at masters level (RQF7) and may require ATAS clearance (some MEng programmes, for example).
If you're making a Student Route application for a programme which requires an ATAS certificate, please visit the ATAS webpage for further details.
Programmes with work placements
Most students who apply for a programme with a work placement will receive a CAS for the entire length of the programme, including the placement.
If you decide to take a placement year after you've arrived in the UK, or you transfer to a programme which includes a work placement, you may need additional time on your Student Route visa to complete your programme.
For more information on how a work placement might affect your Tier 4 or Student Route Visa, see Work placements for Tier 4 and Student Route students.
Overseas work placements
If you choose to do a work placement outside of the UK, your Tier 4 or Student Route visa may be curtailed. You would then need to return to your home country to make a Student Route application to return to your programme.
Switching to another undergraduate programme at Newcastle University
If you decide to transfer to another undergraduate programme before you’ve completed your original programme, this can have implications for your Tier 4 or Student Route visa.
Before you make any decisions about transferring to another programme, you must ask the Visa Support Team for advice on how this could affect your Tier 4 or Student Route visa.
Moving to a new programme at Newcastle University
If you have completed a programme at Newcastle University and are moving to a new programme here, you can register for your new programme on your existing visa.
You must, however, make a Student Route application within 6 weeks of registering on your new programme, or before your visa expires, whichever is sooner.
Working in the UK during your studies
Tier 4 or Student Route students studying at degree level should be granted a visa which states that they are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week during term-time. You should check that your visa gives you this permission. If it does not, please contact the Visa Support Team.
You can work more hours than stated on your Tier 4 or Student Route visa during Newcastle University vacations and for the time remaining on your visa at the end of your programme - see term dates.
You can work more than the hours stated on your visa without further permission if you are on a work placement as a requirement of your programme. Any additional work you do alongside your placement should not exceed 20 hours per week.
If you want to work more than the hours stated on your visa, you should obtain written confirmation that it is either a vacation period or that you have completed your programme. Your employer will need written confirmation of this before they can employ you for more than the hours stated on your visa.
If you are in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa, you can't undertake any employment in the UK.
Work placements for students on a Tier 4 or Student Route visa
Most students on a Tier 4 or Student Route visa will normally be granted a visa to cover the full length of their programme.
Students who applied for a programme which contains a work placement will normally be granted a visa which covers the full length of the programme including the work placement year.
However, if you've applied for a programme of study which did not contain a work placement year, but want to add a work placement year onto your existing programme, then your Tier 4 or Student Route visa may not cover the full length of your programme.
In this case, you may need to apply for a Student Route visa to cover the new length of the programme.
The type of work placement you can do
The work placement you undertake must be an assessed part of your programme of study. This means that during the work placement, you are also registered as a student at the university.
The work placement you undertake must be no more than 50 per cent of the total length of your programme. Your programme of study must be at or above degree level.
You are only eligible to renew your Student visa if the work placement will take place within the UK. If your work placement will take place outside the UK, please see further information about the visa implications.
When to apply for a new visa
You can apply for the Student Route visa at any point during your programme of study - this can be before you start the work placement or after its completion. We would encourage you to apply for the Student Route visa after you’ve successfully secured a work placement, to avoid spending time and money for the visa extension, in case you don’t secure a placement.
You must be granted your new Student Route visa either before or after the work placement. Where possible, we would encourage you to apply for the visa before starting the work placement to avoid any potential issues with your employer.
Where to apply for your Student Route visa
You can apply for the Student Route visa either from within the UK, or outside the UK.
If you apply for the visa from within the UK, you must apply before your current visa expires.
If applying from outside the UK, you will need to make sure your application allows enough time to return to the UK before starting your placement or returning to University.
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
You will have to pay for the IHS when you make your Student Route visa application. In most cases, if you apply for the Student Route visa before starting a work placement, it's likely that there will be an overlapping period from the 2 visas. You may therefore be eligible for a refund of the IHS for the overlapping period, if you make the Student Route visa application from within the UK.
However, if you make the Student Route visa application from outside the UK, you may not be eligible for the refund.
Conditions of your Tier 4 or Student Route visa
You can work on a full-time basis for the work placement. Any additional work you undertake outside the work placement will be restricted to 20 hours per week and must not interfere with the work placement itself.
If your work placement is terminated prematurely
You should discuss this with your School or placement officer as soon as possible. If there will be a gap between the work placement ending and the start of the new term, you may have to return home during this time, and apply for a new Student Route visa once you are ready to return to the UK to resume your studies.