A student is asking me for a letter because they are travelling home during semester time
If a student needs to travel home during semester time then it would be very useful for the student to have a letter from their Academic Adviser or Course Administrator to say that you are aware they are travelling home and giving the latest date that they should return by to be allowed to continue their course. If the student is taking Approved Temporary Withdrawal then Brookes will report this to the Home Office who will curtail their visa to just 60 days.
Changing course
CASs are now tied to the course not just to the institution and so a student after completing a course cannot usually start a new course without first applying for a new visa with a new CAS.
How long can an international student study in the UK?
The limit for degree level study is normally five years; for below degree level study it is normally two years. Check with ISAT for details.
What are the academic progression requirements for a CAS?
Students who wish to study a further course in the UK must have a CAS that states how the new course shows academic progression from their previous course. If the new course is at the same academic level then the CAS will need to explain how and why the:
- new course is connected to, part of the same subject group as, or involves deeper specialization of the previous course for which Tier 4 leave was granted; or
- previous course and the new course together support a students genuine career aspirations.
If a student cannot meet these requirements they will have to leave the UK and apply for their visa from their home country.
Can students study with us if they have a visa that is not a Tier 4 visa?
ISAT can have a look at the student's current visa to see if there are any restrictions on studying.
If a student is going to be studying full-time then it is very likely that Home Office will see studying as being their main reason for being in the UK and therefore it would be advisable for the student to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. The student can be referred to ISAT to check if they can make this application in the UK or not.
When can a student study part-time?
Part-time study is allowed with a short-term student visa (for courses of up to 6 months or up to 11 months for English Language courses and for occasional visits for a distance learner).
Part-time study is allowed on a Tier 4 (General) student visa when a student is retaking a module or writing up a postgraduate dissertation in order to complete a full-time course.
New rules in January 2018 say that part-time study is possible for Masters courses but there are more restrictions with this visa than a usual Tier 4 visa. Check with ISAT for details.
If a student wants to apply for any other part-time course they cannot do this with a Tier 4 (General) visa but may be able to do it if they have another visa that does not prohibit study. In this case please contact ISAT.
A student is asking me for a letter to say they can work
You do not need to provide such a letter. It is the employer's responsibility to check with Home Office if they are not sure if they can employ a student. The employer should refer to the Home Office guidance document. The student does require confirmation of their semester dates; they can get this from Student Central.
A student wants me to extend their dissertation deadline so they can extend their visa
Oxford Brookes should only extend a dissertation with reference to mitigating circumstances and not to enable a student to extend their visa.
What are the English Language requirements for Tier 4 students?
Student's studying below degree level need an Home Office approved test taken at an approved centre with a Home Office reference on their certificate to show they are at B1 (IELTS 4.0). For degree level, Brookes needs to make an assessment that the student is at B2 (IELTS 5.5).
SELT providers and B1 and B2 equivalents