Most students who are currently in the UK on a valid visa can make the application for their new visa to study at The University of Law from inside the UK. However, you cannot make your application from inside the UK if you currently hold leave in any of the following categories:
- Visitor
- Short-Term Student
- Leave Outside the Immigration Rules
- Parent of a Child Student
- Seasonal Worker
- Domestic Worker in a Private Household
- Immigration Bail
If you are currently in the UK under any of these categories, you must return to your country of nationality to apply for your new visa, otherwise your application will be refused. You cannot enter the UK as a Short Term Student or Visitor and switch into the Student route.
Please note that you also cannot apply for a Student Route visa in the UK in the following circumstances:
- You failed to complete your previous course in the UK; or
- Your new course at The University of Law is at a lower level than your previous course. For example, your previous course was a Master's Degree and you want to study the Graduate Diploma in Law.
In these circumstances, you must apply for your new visa in your country of nationality. Further information on these Home Office regulations can be found in Appendix ST: Student of the Immigration Rules.
How to apply
Please read the sections Receiving a CAS, Financial Requirements and Supporting Documents and Student visa regulations, as they also apply to Student visa applications made inside the UK.
You must make your Student visa application before you can start studying at The University of Law. We cannot enrol you on a Student visa from another institution, even if it is still valid when you start your course.
Please click here to complete the online application.
Please note the following:
- You must make your new Student visa application before your current visa expires. The University cannot enrol you if your application was made out of time (after your visa expired).
- We cannot enrol you on a visa from another institution, even if it is still valid when you start your course. You must have applied for a Student Route visa with a CAS issued by the University of Law.
Please email International Student Advice if you have any questions about making your application.
Enrolling
It will take the Home Office 8 weeks to make a decision on your Student visa application. However, the University can provisionally enrol you while your application is being considered.
The Home Office requires education providers to check the right to study for all students before they can start their course. International students at The University of Law must attend pre-enrolment to provide evidence they can study in the UK before proceeding to formal enrolment.
You will receive an email from the Student Information Service at your campus with details of the date and time for pre-enrolment. Attendance is mandatory and you must attend your allocated session unless there are exceptional circumstances.
You must bring the following original documents to pre-enrolment:
- Your passport and current Biometric Residence Permit/visa;
- Access UK Check Sheet, which shows the date and time you submitted your application and your Unique Application Number. This check sheet appears at the end of your online visa application;
- Original evidence for all of the qualifications listed on your CAS. We can only accept a degree certificate or original transcript (N.B. BPTC and LPC students must provide an original transcript for their Qualifying Law Degree). We cannot accept copies or scans of your qualifications;
- Proof of your English language ability (if this was a condition of your offer).
Failure to bring all of these documents to pre-enrolment will mean that you cannot proceed to formal enrolment or attend any learning sessions on your course.
If you cannot attend your allocated session or have any questions about pre-enrolment, please contact the Student Information Service at your campus who will provide you with further guidance.
If your Student visa application is successful, you will receive a new Biometric Residence Permit. You must bring it to the Student Information Service at your campus to be checked and copied. Please note that if your application is unsuccessful, the University will have to withdraw you from your course in order to comply with Home Office regulations.
Visa refusals
If your visa application is refused, please email International Student Advice immediately. We can then advise you further on your options, including if you are eligible for an administrative review of the Home Office’s decision. Please include in your email a copy of all of the pages of the refusal notice you will receive from the Home Office. You must notify the University if your application is refused, even if you decide to seek advice from a third party such as an agent or solicitor. You must not apply for an administrative review until you have notified the University.
Late arrivals and withdrawals
International students are expected to arrive in time to attend pre-enrolment and the first day of their teaching for their course. Late arrivals after the course start date on your CAS are in most cases not permitted.
If you are delayed due to extenuating circumstances and will be arriving late for your course, it is very important that you email our Visa Compliance Team. We will then review your request and advise you whether a late arrival is permitted.
If a late arrival is permitted, we will notify the Home Office that you will be arriving late for your course, but still attending.
If you decide to not attend your course at The University of Law, it is very important that you notify us by emailing our Visa Compliance Team so that we can report this to the Home Office. Failure to do this may affect you applying for a visa in the future or traveling to the UK.