Not all students can extend or switch into the Student Route visa from inside the UK. Read our Student visas guidance to see whether it is possible for you.
If your application to extend or switch into the Student Route visa is successful, you will need to follow these steps to enrol at UAL.
If you're a national of an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the USA, you will receive an eVisa/digital status. You will need to prove your immigration status using a share code.
If you’re a visa national and you use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check app’ to make your application, you will receive an eVisa/digital status and you will be issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card. If you receive both, please be sure to upload your BRP.
BRP cards expire on 31 December 2024
All BRP cards are currently valid until 31 December 2024. From 1 January 2025 you will not need a BRP. You will be able to prove your immigration status online.
You do not need to tell UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if your BRP expires on 31 December 2024 but your immigration status allows you to stay longer. However, if your UKVI visa decision letter states the wrong end date of your visa, please contact our Student Advice Service.
Please ensure that you also upload your UKVI visa decision letter or email to your UAL Portal. (See an example of a UKVI decision email.)
UKVI will update its BRP guidance in early 2024. Your immigration status will not be affected.
Check your visa for errors
You must check your BRP card for errors. If you have received your visa in the form of an online eVisa/digital status, you must check your decision letter or email for errors.
You must check that the following are correct:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Place of birth (back of BRP)
- Nationality
- Expiry date
- Visa type
- Working hours
- The correct sponsor license number: for UAL, this is ERJ0405C4
Expiry date
You must check that your expiry date is correct as soon as your visa is granted.
Your visa should cover the full duration of your studies, plus an additional 2-4 months leave at the end of your course. This is known as the ‘wrap-up period’.
Check whether your expiry date is correct:
- For a course of 12 months or less in length: course end date plus 2 months
- For a course of more than 12 months in length: course end date plus 4 months
Working hours
You must also check your visa for confirmation of the number of working hours you are permitted to carry out during your studies.
Your work conditions will depend on the type of course you are studying and the level of study.
Does it have the correct work conditions?
- 10 hours per week for further education
- 20 hours per week for Undergraduate and Postgraduate
- No work for part-time Postgraduate
Who to contact
If you think your visa has an error or if your visa is lost or stolen, read our Student visa guidance and contact our Student Advice Service.
Please note you will have only a few weeks to request the correction. Otherwise, you may need to apply for a new visa.
UAL Portal upload checklist
Upload the following documents to the 'my Online Registration' section of your UAL Portal. You should upload good quality photos or electronic copies of them.
In addition to uploading your passport ID page, you will need to upload either evidence of your visa decision, or evidence of submitting an in-time visa application. Please see below for details.
Either evidence of your visa decision:
- A PDF of your share code if you received an eVisa/digital visa status and UKVI visa decision letter. Read our guide on how to get a share code
- A copy of your visa decision notice which may be an email or letter (see an example of a UKVI decision email)
- A copy of the front and back of your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card if you received one.
Or evidence of submitting an in-time visa application. An in-time visa application is an application that you submitted before your current visa expired. You can evidence this with the following:
- A copy of your current or previous visa vignette (sticker in your passport)
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or PDF of your share code, which must have been valid at the time you submitted your visa extension application
- Your UKVI payment confirmation email or your UKVI Document Checklist which can be downloaded from your online visa application portal. View an example UKVI Document Checklist (PDF 127KB).
Help and support
If your visa application has been unsuccessful, contact us by replying to the email we sent confirming you’re eligible to begin enrolment. It’s called ‘Start your enrolment: Online registration open’.
You must send us your decision notice. You must also contact our Student Advice Service for urgent immigration advice.