Extending your Student Visas

Extending your student visa

If your student visa is due to expire before you finish your studies in the UK, you will need to renew it. You should submit your application to renew your visa before it expires.  Do not wait until the last minute, as you need to provide a number of documents to support your application. There are also busy periods, for both us and the Home Office, at the end of October and January because many students’ visas expire on the same date. You can avoid delays to your application by applying to renew as early as possible - we can advise you on when is the best time.

Urgent information 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.  

From 2nd July 2007, the Home Office will AUTOMATICALLY REFUSE anyone who overstayed for 28 calendar days or more before applying to extend their stay in the UK unless there are truly exceptional circumstances that mean that a special exception should be made for them.

If you have overstayed by 28 days or more you should not consider making any application to the Home Office without first seeking advice from us.

The Home Office already views overstays of 6 months or more as especially serious: if you have already overstayed for 6 months or more, you should contact us immediately and we will refer you on for urgent advice from an immigration specialist. Do not contact the Home Office without getting advice first.