News
Read about the latest immigration changes and news which may affect you.
Eligible non-European national visitors applications are now open
27 November 2024 marked a major step in the UK Government’s plan to digitise the UK border and immigration system.
All eligible non-European national visitors can now apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and will need one to travel to or transit through the UK from 8 January 2025.
In 2025 ETAs will be open to eligible Europeans, who will be able to apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel to or transit through the UK from 2 April 2025.
From April 2025, all travellers to the UK, except British and Irish citizens, will need permission to travel in advance through either ETA or an eVisa.
Eligible visitors should apply for their ETA through the UK ETA app, which is quick and simple to use and enables most applicants to receive a decision within hours.
People who require a visa to visit the UK will continue to do so and should not obtain an ETA. Those who are exempt from immigration control will not require an ETA.
For further information please visit the Government website.
ETA is extending in two phases:
Visitors can find out when they will need an ETA here: Check when you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) on the Government website.
Does my biometric residence permit (BRP) expire on 31 December 2024?
This message is for City students who hold a Student visa.
The UK Home Office has advised that the UK border and immigration system is becoming digital, and any physical documents such as BRPs and vignette visa stickers are being replaced by eVisas.
Learn more about eVisas in this video from the Home Office.
What does this mean for you?
If you hold an electronic visa of the correct duration, no action is required at this time.
If your student visa is valid after 2024 but your BRP expires 31 December 2024, you will need to take action before your BRP expires. You will be required to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa before the end of 2024.
If you do not have an eVisa yet, the UKVI should send you an email between now and summer with instructions on how to create an account to access your eVisa.
Please make sure you regularly check your inbox including junk folder to make sure you don’t miss important communications from UKVI. This process should open for everyone in the summer and the university’s Visa Compliance team will send further information when they hear more from the Home Office.
If you hold a BRP, please visit the Government's webpage for the latest information.
Once you receive the instruction from UKVI and create your UKVI account, please make sure that you check your eVisa has the correct end date.
Check the amount of leave you have been granted
The length of your Student visa depends on the length of your course.
You can use the table below to determine if you have been granted the correct amount of leave.
Type of course | Length of course | Length of Student visa |
Degree level or above | 12 months or longer | The full length of the course plus 4 months |
6-12 months | The full length of the course plus 2 months | |
Less than 6 months | The full length of the course plus 7 days | |
Foundation or a pre-sessional course | 6-12 months | The full length of the course plus 2 months |
Less than 6 months | The full length of the course plus 1 month |
UKVI Priority and Super Priority Student visa services resume
UKVI advised us that it resumed Priority Visa (PV) and Super Priority Visa (SPV) services for new Student route visa applications on Friday 12 August 2022.
UKVI has provided a series of questions and answers (Q&A), addressed to Student route applicants:
- How long will my Student visa take?
- I have already submitted my application at the VAC. Will I be able to get retrospective Priority or Super Priority visa for my student visa application?
- I booked my VAC appointment last week, and want to upgrade to the priority service - why can’t I do this?
- What if I want to withdraw my standard application and apply using Priority or Super Priority now that it’s available?
- What can I do to help speed up my Student visa application?
Student visa applications are currently taking on average 3 weeks to process. UKVI is currently experiencing very high global demand and summer is peak period for student visa applications so there may be delays receiving a decision.
On 12 August UKVI resumed Priority Visa (PV) and Super Priority Visa (SPV) services for new student visa applications (in existing locations).
No. Retrospective Priority and Super Priority visa services are not available once you have submitted your fingerprints at the VAC.
To help manage the significant global demand for visa applications UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) will only accept priority visa applications for new Study and Work visa applications made after 12 August. Priority services are only available via the online booking system. This will enable UKVI to continue to deliver standard applications and gradually reduce the overall processing time for all customers.
You can withdraw an existing or ongoing standard Work or Study visa application. To see if PV/SPV is offered in your location please check the commercial partner website for the location where you will submit your application.
There are a few steps you can take to make your application journey smoother and help avoid delays:
- Before you start your application check that you have all the documents you need. This will mean UKVI won’t need to contact you for further documentation.
- Make sure you have your documents ready and try not to rush your application. Check the information you have provided is correct.
- Make sure the funds (proof to show you have enough money to pay for your course and support yourself in the UK) are stored in your (or your parent’s/legal guardian’s) bank account for at least 28 consecutive days before you apply for your visa. We also advise you add a little extra money to the account to allow for currency fluctuations.
Appointments are continually being released so if you are not able to get an appointment time to suit you, please keep checking back on the VFS Global and TLScontact websites.
Some locations have more than one appointment centre so if you are not able to find a suitable appointment at your preferred location, you may wish to check availability at other locations near you.
You should consider applying as early as you can so that you have plenty of time to attend your appointment and receive your visa before your course is due to start. Applications can be made up to 6 months before the course start date.
Changes for international students
On 23 May, the UK Government announced some important changes for international students. These changes include:
- Removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes.
- Removing the ability for international students to switch out of the student route into work routes before their studies have been completed.
- Reviewing the maintenance requirements for students and dependants.
Please visit UKCISA - international student advice and guidance for full updates.
We have no other details about these changes yet, but we will issue further news items when we have updated information from the government.
End of Police Registration Scheme
The Government has decided to abolish the Police Registration Scheme. The scheme, which requires some migrants to register with the police, is suspended with immediate effect.
The Home Office is abolishing the requirement to register with the police as the police registration scheme in its current form is outdated and no longer provides any public protection benefit to either the Home Office or the police. The data a migrant provides to the police on registration is already captured by the Home Office at the visa application stage, and is available to the police on request via Immigration Enforcement, so there is no need for it to be provided twice.
For further information please see our Police Registration webpage
International students on visas being targeted by fraud
We are aware that a number of students across UK universities have been targeted by fraudsters and have lost large sums of money.
One very serious scam is targeting Chinese students directly– it can involve WeChat and mobile contacts.
Students are contacted on their mobile phone by people claiming to represent their bank, embassy, police or other reputable agency and are told they owe funds immediately or that their family owe money.
A recent scam targeted an Indian student.
They were called by someone introducing themselves as from HMRC (the UK tax collection agency) and the caller then pretended to connect the call directly to a caseworker at the Crown Court in Birmingham (and that number appeared to be the genuine number of the Crown Court).
The student was told that:
- They had failed to pay an immigration tax and that there were now four charges against them.
- There was an arrest warrant against them and if the student disconnected the call the police would arrest them immediately and all their bank accounts would be frozen.
- The student was told that if they made the payment immediately while they are on the call then all the allegations will be withdrawn. The student was scared and made the transfer. And after almost 1 hour the caller disconnected the call. When the student tried to call the Crown Court back and asked to speak to the alleged case officer they were informed that no such officer worked there.
Please remember that the Home Office or UKVI will never a call an international student to request personal details or payments.
Do not make payments or give personal information from people making calls like this.
If you think you may have been targeted or have any concerns please contact us or call 020 7040 7040, or University Security if outside 0900-1700, 020 7040 3172.
Further advice on frauds and scams is available on the UKCISA website and the Government website.
Phishing and scam advice is also available from City's IT department