Your studies and Tier 4
Your responsibilities (students)
If you are in the UK with immigration permission as a Tier 4
(General) student you have responsibilities to report certain changes in
your circumstances to the UK Border Agency, see the
UKBA Tier 4 Policy Guidance (.pdf) for full details. You must also
make sure you are aware of all the conditions of your visa and your
immigration permission.
The conditions of your visa
The conditions will usually be stated on your Tier 4 visa and should
include:
- if you can work and if so, the amount of hours you are
allowed to work per week in term time;
- if you should
register with the Police;
- the SLN of your Tier 4 sponsor you have permission to study
at;
- no entitlement (recourse) to claim public funds.
If you do not comply with the conditions of your visa you may be
considered to be in breach and there could be serious consequences for
your UK immigration status and any future applications. Please read the
UKBA Tier 4 Policy Guidance (.pdf) for full details.
Additional information
Breaching the conditions of your visa
If you are concerned that you may have breached (broken) the
conditions of your visa please seek immediate advice from the
Students’ Union Advice Centre.
We recommend you read
UKCISA's guidance note 'Protecting your tier 4 student immigration
status'
Changes in circumstances
You must report certain changes in your circumstances to the UKBA. If
there are changes to your planned studies since you applied for your
Tier 4 visa please read our information on
changes to your studies.
If you were issued with a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for
Studies) to apply for your Tier 4 visa on or after 22 February
2010, the University is required to report certain changes in
your circumstances to the UK Border Agency. More information can be
found in the
UKBA Guide to Sponsoring Students under Tier 4 of the Points Based
System (.pdf).
Old immigration rules
If you have student immigration permission that was issued under the
old immigration rules
prior to 31 March 2009 you will not have a Tier 4 visa.
You must ensure that you are aware of the rules and conditions that
apply to you. Please seek immigration advice from
Student Support.
Immigration Advice
Please seek immigration advice from a specialist advice service. You
can contact
Student Support at the University
of Essex if you are still intending to commence studies with us,
otherwise you should contact the institution you intend to study at, or
an alternative immigration advice
service.