International Immigration Advisory Service

Some students may be required to extend their visa part way through their studies if they need extra time to complete their course. Once you are aware taht you need extra time to complete your course, i.e. following an exam board, you MUST contact the Global Student Advisory Service immediately for advice and assistance. The support team will advise you whether or not you will be required to make a visa extension application urgently and will provide you with step-by-step guidance and support throughout the whole process.​

Students who have completed their course at Cardiff Met and wish to start another course with us will need to apply for a visa extension either before their current visa expires or within 6 weeks of the new course start date - whichever date is sooner. 

Students who are starting a new course and are currently in the UK with a Student Visa from another university will need to apply for their new visa before they are allowed to enrol.  

If you are required to extend your visa you will need to contact the Global Student Advisory Service who will arrange a visa extension appointment. You will also be advised which supporting documents you will be required to prepare and submit with your visa application. You will be asked to provide these documents so that they can be checked that they meet UKVI's regulations. 

We would highly recommend that you read through the Student Visa Policy guidance carefully before attending your visa extension appointment to ensure you understand what is required of you. 

Useful links:

gov.uk Student Visa Guidance

UKCISA 

• Passport(s) - You will need to submit your current passport plus any old passports that contain visas relating to your current stay in the UK

• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) 

• Police Registration Certificate - Only applicable if your visa states that you must register with the police in the UK.

• Marriage or Civil Partner Certificate - Only applicable if you are applying with dependants or if it is proof of a name change

• Birth certificates - Only applicable if you will be using your parents bank statements or as proof of a name change

• Driving licences - Only applicable if it is needed as proof of a name change

• Bank Statements - You will require original bank statements in your name or in the name of your parent(s) showing money held in an account for living costs and any outstanding tuition fees for a consecutive 28 day period. The statements must not be older than 31 days on the date you submit your visa application to the UKVI.
  

  From 5th October 2020 students who are applying within the UK and have been living in the UK for 12 months or longer at the time of their application are exempt from meeting the financial requirements.
  

• Sponsorship letter – Only applicable if you are officially sponsored by a government, an international organization or an international company and they are agreeing to cover some or all of your tuition fees and living costs during your time studying in the UK. If your sponsor is only covering part of your tuition fees or living costs you will also need to submit bank statements for the outstanding amount. These bank statements should be in your name or your parent's name. 
  

• Education certificates – The educational documents used to assess your offer will be stated on your CAS (if applicable). 
  

• ATAS Certificate – Only applicable if you have been advised by the university and if this is stated on your CAS as a requirement. If you require an ATAS certificate, it must be granted before you apply for your visa. Further information regarding ATAS can be found here. 
  

• CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Studies) - All applications must be supported by a CAS number.  This will be issued to you when all the documents have been checked.
  

• Letter from parents - Only required if you are using your parents' bank statements. The letter should confirm that they are financially supporting you during your studies at Cardiff Metropolitan University and you have access to the funds.  It should be addressed to the Immigration Case Officer, UKVI and should be signed.
  

• Translations - Any document that has not been written in English must be translated by an official translator and contain the translators qualifications, stamp, date and confirmation that the translation was based on the original document.

You will be offered a meeting via video call on Teams in which your online application and supporting documents will be checked to ensure that they meet the UKVI requirements, a Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) will issued during the appointment if your documentation is correct. Your application will be finalised with the payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge, the payment for the visa application and uploading your supporting documents.

Click here for more information regarding the immigration health surcharge. 

Due to COVID19 the UKVI are now using an app to check applicants biometrics. You will be emailed by UKVCAS with guidance on how to download the app and what to do.

As part of your Student Visa extension application in the UK you may be required to attend a credibility interview before the UKVI make a decision on your visa application. If you are asked to attend a credibility interview as part of your visa application, you must ensure you can answer questions relating to your immigration status, your course of study or any previous course(s) studied in the UK. You may be asked questions about the university or about any previous English language Test you may have taken inside or outside of the UK.

Credibility interviews is an important part of the visa application process therefore please ensure you are prepared to answer all of the questions fully and clearly.

Your dependants can apply for immigration permission to join or remain with you in the UK only if:

• You are government-sponsored and your course is over six months long OR

• You are doing a postgraduate level course of 9 months or longer at a Higher Education Institution OR

• You had a Student Visa or Tier 4 Visa for your previous course where the course was over six months long AND:
  - Your visa is valid or expired no more than three months before this immigration application AND
  - Your new immigration application is for a course over six months long AND
  - Your dependants already have Student Dependant or Tier 4 De​pendant visas AND
  - You apply for immigration permission at the same time as your dependant
  

If your dependants are applying from within the UK and they have been living in the UK for 12 months or longer at the time of their application they are exempt from meeting the financial requirements.

If you require further details about making visa extension applications or dependant applications for your husband, wife or children, please contact the Global Student Advisory Service for advice.

Useful link

Please click here for more information about what happens when your visa has been issued​

You should always plan well in advance and check whether you require a visa to enter the country you wish to visit before you make plans to travel.

Another important aspect you must check if you are planning to travel is that countries quite often require you to have a minimum number of months remaining on your UK student visa in order for the relevant embassy to grant you a visa. Some countries may require a minimum of 6 months remaining on your UK Student visa- always check!

The Foreign Commonwealth Office website will help you locate the embassy web page of your choice which will then give you full information about application procedures. The Global Student Advisory Service will be happy to write a letter to support your visa application. To request a supporting letter please email globalletter@cardiffmet.ac.uk. 

This is the name of a visa that you may wish to apply for if you are planning to travel to Europe. This single visa would allows you to travel to multiple European countries meaning that you would not need to apply for individual visas for each country. There are currently 26 European countries that are part of the Schengen agreement​ including: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Lativa, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland,   

Decide which country you would like to travel to first, before visiting the embassy website of that country to download a Schengen visa application form. You should then apply to this embassy for your visa. Details of the requirements and how to apply will be found on the embassy's website. For a list of embassies, please visit the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's website​​

On 31 January 2020 the United Kingdom left the European Union. As a result of the UK’s departure from the EU, the EU Settlement Scheme was set up to offer individuals the opportunity to protect their UK residency post Brexit.

If you are an eligible EU, EEA (including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss citizen, you can apply for the EU Settlement Scheme along with your eligible family members in order to continue to live, work and study in the UK. In most cases you should have started living in the UK before the end of the transition period (11pm on 31 December 2020) to be eligible to make an application. The deadline to apply is 30 June 2021, however it is highly recommended that you make an application as soon as possible. ​

If your application under the EU Settlement Scheme is granted, you will be given either pre-settled or settled status and you will continue to be eligible for:

• Public services, such as healthcare and schools
• Public funds and pensions
• British Citizenship, if you meet the requirements and want to apply

If you are an Irish citizen then you do not need to apply, however your family members from outside the UK and Ireland will be required to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/family-member-eligible-person-from-northern-ireland

If you have already been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, you do not need to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme unless you wish to do so. One benefit of applying under the scheme is that you should be granted settled status and can then spend up to 5 years in a row outside of the UK without losing this status. Currently, if you have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, you are only permitted to spend up to 2 years in a row outside of the UK.

Note: Those with Swiss citizenship who decide to apply under the scheme can spend up to 4 years in a row outside the UK without losing their settled status.

Eligible family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens who are not in the UK by 31 December 2020 may still be eligible to apply under the scheme if the relationship with the EU/EEA citizen was formed by this date.

For more information on applying under the EU Settlement Scheme as a family member please visit: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/join-EU-EEA-Swiss-family-member

Depending on how long you have lived in the UK, your application under the EU Settlement Scheme will result in 2 possible outcomes:

Pre-Settled Status:

Pre-settled status will be granted to those who confirm that they have been continuously resident in the UK for less than 5 years. If your application under the EU Settlement Scheme is successful, you will be granted limited leave to remain in the UK for 5 years. Once you have accrued 5 years’ continuous residence, you can then apply for settled status. It is important that you do not spend more than 2 years outside of the UK or you will lose your pre-settled status.

Settled Status:

If you have been continuously resident in the UK for more than 5 years then you will be granted settled status which is indefinite leave to remain in the UK. This means that there is no time-limit on how long you can stay in the UK after obtaining settled status. If you secure settled status then you can spend up to 5 years in a row outside of the UK without losing this status. You may also be able to apply for British citizenship (if you wish to do so).

For more information on how you can prove your continuous residency in the UK, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-statement-of-intent/annex-a-documentary-evidence-of-continuous-residence-in-the-uk

In most cases, you can submit your application (free of charge) under the EU Settlement Scheme online using a computer, tablet or mobile phone by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families. If using a phone or tablet, will need the following:

• Android 6.0 or above – you can find this in your settings; or
• iPhone 7 or above
• at least 135MB of storage space to install an app;
• to be connected to 3G/4G or Wi-Fi;
• NFC – you can find this in your settings.

You will also need to download the EU Exit ID document check app in order for your identity to be checked and your documents to be uploaded: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-eu-exit-id-document-check-app#check-if-you-can-use-the-app-on-your-device. You do not have to use your own devise to make your application and in most cases, you will not be required to send any original documents to the Home Office – documents can be uploaded electronically.

What you will need to do to apply:

Step 1: You will need to prove your identity by uploading a recent photograph of your face and scanning one of the following documents using the EU Exit ID document check app:

• Valid passport
• National identity card
• Biometric residence card (if you are not an EU citizen)

If there is no biometric chip on your passport or national identity card then you may need to apply by post instead. Please contact the Global Student Advisory Service for more advice if this applies to you.

You can also arrange to scan your documents by booking an appointment at one of the service locations across the UK. For more information on where these are located please visit: https://www.gov.uk/id-scan-eu-settlement-scheme

Step 2: You will be required to complete a short online application form, confirming your personal details and your National Insurance Number (if you have one).

Step 3: You will need to declare any criminal convictions on your application. Any criminal convictions will be checked against UK crime databases.

Step 4: You must provide evidence of your residency in the UK.

• If you are applying for pre-settled status, you can upload a student status letter from Cardiff Met as proof you are currently living in the UK.
• If you are applying for settled status then you will need to show evidence that you have been living in the UK for a continuous 5 year period and have not left the UK for longer than 6 months in any 12 month period during your 5 years residency. If you have worked in the UK, you can confirm your National Insurance Number on your application. This will enable your application to link to HMRC UK tax records which will help the Home Office establish how long you have been resident in the UK. There are also other forms of evidence of residency that you can provide to support your application. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-evidence-of-uk-residence

You should ensure that your application form is completed correctly and that the evidence you provide to support your application is sufficient. However, if for any reason the Home Office require further evidence from you, they should contact you for this information before making a decision on your application.

If your application is successful, you will not be provided with a physical document proving your new status (unless you are a non-EU family member and you do not have a biometric residence document).

If your application is unsuccessful, you may be able to re-apply, as long as you do so before the deadline of 30th June 2021. It is important that you seek advice from the Global Student Advisory Service in the first instance who can advise you of your options should your application fall for refusal.

New students at Cardiff Met who arrive to the UK to study a course of longer than 6 months will be required to apply for a visa under the new ‘Student Route’. Any student coming to study a course for less than 6 months will be able to enter the UK as a ‘visitor’. If you are required to apply under the ‘Student Route’ you will need to complete an online application form, pay an application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge and meet certain UKVI requirements. You will also be required to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the Global Engagement Office to support your visa application. For more information on applying for a student visa please contact the Global Student Advisory Service at intstudentadvice@cardiffmet.ac.uk

There are several helpful resources you can refer to. These are listed below:

• UK government website - EU Settlement Scheme
• UK government website - UK Points-Based Immigration System
• UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website
• British Council
• Newfields Law Webinar on the EU Settlement Scheme hosted by Cardiff Met

If you would like to speak to a member of staff at the university about the EU Settlement Scheme then please email the Global Student Advisory Service at intstudentadvice@cardiffmet.ac.uk.