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If you are an international student you must apply to the Home Office to renew your visa before it expires.
If you are not sure when your visa expires, please check your passport. You can apply for an extension up to 3 months before your current visa expires. You must reapply before your visa expires.
From 22 Feb 2010 the old system of issuing visa letters to students requiring a visa extension became obsolete.
All students applying for an extension are required to use a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number in their application. Applications that do not contain a CAS after the 22 February will be refused. . |
Getting a CAS number.
To obtain a CAS you will need to complete a CAS Application form, available from Student Records & Exams Reception in the Registry. Alternatively, you can download the application form by clicking here.
Once completed, you should bring this form along with your passport , current student visa (if on a separte document) and student id card to the Student Records & Exams Reception in the Registry between 9am and 5pm Mon-Fri. Student Records then have to enter your details onto the UK Border Agencies Sponsor Management System (SMS) system which will then allocate a CAS number.
Student Records will pass this number onto you along with a copy of some of the information entered on the UK Borders Agency system as the visa renewal application form may also ask you for some of this information.
Please Note : Due to the complexity of UK Border Agency requirements for issuing CAS numbers our timescale for advising you of your CAS number will be 3-5 WORKING days.
The Student Advice Centre operates the Home Office Batch Scheme. They can check the Tier 4 application form for you and send it to the Home Office on your behalf. If you would like to use the Batch Scheme, please make an appointment as soon as possible by calling 01227 824824 or coming to the Kent Union Reception desk in the Mandela Building .
Important - if your student visa (leave to remain) has expired.
'Overstayers' are people who have come to the end of their immigration permission to be in the UK and who have remained here without applying to renew it. It is a criminal offence to remain in the UK without valid immigration leave.
If you make an application to renew your visa after it has expired you will not have the right to appeal if the UK Border Agency refuses to extend it.
If you overstay for more than 28 days, any UK immigration application you make is likely to be refused automatically and you may be barred from coming back to the UK for at least 12 months (and in some cases five or ten years). Contact Kent Union Advice Centre before making an immigration application if you are an overstayer.
Overstays of 6 months or more are considered to be especially serious: if you have already overstayed for 6 months or more, you should contact Kent Union immediately and they will refer you on for urgent advice from an immigration specialist. Do not contact the UK Border Agency without getting advice first.
Further information regarding Immigration and other matters concerning overseas students can be found on the Kent Union Web Site
or UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
Information on all Immigration matters including application
forms can be downloaded from the Home
Office Website
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