On 6th April 2016 there was a change to the Immigration Rules for Tier 4 students currently studying in the UK, of which full clarification was only recently obtained from the Home Office. These changes do not apply to students studying a PhD.
If you currently hold a Tier 4 visa and your course of study changes you may be required to return to your home country to make a new Tier 4 application. These changes include:
- If you undertake a work placement as part of the course and this extends your course end date
- If you undertake a study abroad placement as part of the course and this extends your course end date
- If you move from BEng to MEng / BSc to MSci and this extends your course end date
- You need additional time to complete your course of study for any other reason
If your current Tier 4 visa was issued BEFORE 6th April 2016, you can make the new Tier 4 application from your home country at any stage. If your current visa was issued AFTER 6 April 2016, you have to make your Tier 4 application from your home country BEFORE your course changes. If you have any questions, please email the International Student Support Office on international@imperial.ac.uk in the first instance.
Moving from MEng to BEng / MSci to BSc
If your current visa was issued for an Undergraduate Masters programme, and you are not able to continue on that route and you move to a Bachelor degree, you may need to leave the UK and apply for a new Tier 4 visa for your new course of study.
Whether you have to make a new Tier 4 application depends on when your current visa was issued.
- If your current visa was issued before 6 November 2014, you do not have to make a visa application to change your course from an Undergraduate Masters to a Bachelors.
- If your current visa was issued after 6 November 2014, you will have to make a new Tier 4 application from your home country in order to change your course from an undergraduate Masters to a Bachelors.
If you are changing your course of study and you are currently on a Tier 4 visa, it is essential that you seek advice about your situation from the International Student Support Office at the College. Please email them on international@imperial.ac.uk in the first instance.
