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Extending your visa to continue your studies 

If you already have, or have recently had, a Student visa, you may be able to extend it in the following circumstances: 

Starting a new course 

If you have finished, or are about to finish, a course in the UK (at Goldsmiths or another university) and want to start a new course in the UK, you may be able to apply for further permission to stay under the Student visa route. This depends on meeting the academic progression rules and the five-year limit on degree-level study in the UK. 

If you already hold a valid Student visa, you can extend it from within the UK, but only if your new course begins within 28 days of your current visa expiring. 

If your new course does not start within 28 days, you will need to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK. Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will be issued once your eligibility has been fully assessed, after you submit a CAS request form. 

Repeating your course ‘in attendance’ 

If you are required to repeat your course ‘in attendance’ with Goldsmiths, for example, if you did not pass some or all of your studies, and have been told by the assessments team that you need to repeat in person, we may support you to extend your Student visa to continue your studies. 

This will depend on factors such as how many credits you have left to complete, whether your attendance is required across all three academic terms, and how much of the course you have remaining. 

The Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) will need to carry out a full assessment of your case before issuing a CAS and supporting a visa extension. This will involve contacting your course department and the fees team. 

You will need to request a new CAS using our online form. A member of the IAS team will then contact you to discuss your request and assess your case. Please email us directly to request a link to our online form. 

PhD students requesting additional time 

If you are unable to complete your PhD within the time limit of your current visa, you should email us to request a new CAS  around 3–4 months before your current visa expires. 

The Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) will liaise with your supervisor and relevant departments, such as the Graduate School, to carry out a series of checks, including your academic progress to date and your attendance/engagement on the course. 

If we are unable to support a Student visa extension for your new submission date or your Viva, you would be advised to leave the UK and return on a Standard Visitor visa (SVV) or, if eligible, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for a period of up to six months to complete any remaining assessments or examinations. 

Reasons you cannot extend your Student visa 

You cannot extend your visa in the following circumstances: 

• To attend your graduation. Please see our guidance on returning to the UK to attend your graduation
• If you are repeating part or all of your course in â€˜Exam Attendance only’, meaning you only need to sit exams or submit assignments; you can return on a Visitor visa to complete these
• If you intend to apply for the Graduate Route visa; we cannot support a Student visa extension solely to facilitate this
• If you have already been awarded your qualification
• If you have, or will, exceed the five-year cap on degree-level study
• If you do not meet the requirements for academic progression
• If you have outstanding University debts

Switching visa category 

If you are switching to the Student Route from another visa category, you should first check whether you are eligible to switch within the UK. 

If you are not eligible, you will need to leave the UK and apply for your visa from your home country or from a country where you have valid residency (not as a Visitor). 

You should also check . 

How to apply to extend your visa 

Within the UK 

You must meet the Student visa requirements and apply before your current visa expires. The Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) will support you with your application, so you don’t need to worry. 

Steps for applying within the UK 

1. Request a new CAS from us around three months before your visa expires, or as soon as possible if your visa is about to expire.  
2. If you are a current Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ student, we may contact your academic department to confirm your continued enrolment on your programme, your new course end date, and whether there are any outstanding requirements (for example, a fitness to return appointment). 
3. If you are eligible to extend your visa, we might request financial documents from you to ensure you meet the Student visa requirements.  
4. We may invite you to attend an appointment with us to assist you in submitting your visa extension application, if necessary. 

Meeting the financial requirements for the Student visa 

You’ll need to show you have enough money to support yourself while studying in the UK. If you have been living in the UK for at least 12 months on a valid visa, you do not normally need to provide financial evidence with your Student visa application. However, this exemption may not apply if you have been outside the UK for three months or longer during the past 12 months. 

In this situation, or if you have been in the UK for less than 12 months, we may ask you to provide financial documents to confirm that you can cover your tuition fees and living costs. UKVI currently calculates living costs as £1,529 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London. 

Please note, UKVI may request financial documents at any stage during the visa application process. 

Attending an appointment at a visa application centre 

As part of the process of applying for your visa from inside the UK, some applicants may be required to attend a visa application centre (VAC) to enrol their biometrics and present original documents. These centres are operated by TLScontact on behalf of UKVI. 

In other cases, you might be able to complete this step via the UKVI ID Check app. UKVI will confirm which option applies to you. 

You will retain your passport throughout the visa application process, whether you attend a VAC or use the ID Check app. However, you cannot travel outside the UK while your visa application is pending, as this could invalidate your visa application. 

You do not need to worry if you cannot attend an appointment before your visa expires or shortly after. As long as your application is submitted before your current visa expires, you are covered by â€˜3C leave’, which allows you to stay in the UK until a decision is made. 

The processing time for an in-country Student visa application is usually around eight weeks. You must remain in the UK until a decision is issued and your new visa is obtained. 

Outside of the UK

If you are applying for a visa extension from outside the UK, you must do so in your home country or the country where you are usually resident (not as a visitor). 

Steps for applying outside the UK 

1. Request a new CAS from us around three months before your visa expires, or as soon as possible if your visa is about to expire.We can only issue the CAS once we have confirmed that you are outside the UK, for example with a copy of your boarding pass, flight tickets, or a passport stamp showing your entry to your home country (or other country of residence).
2. If you are a current Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ student, we may contact your academic department to confirm your continued enrolment on yourprogramme, yournew course end date, and whether there are any outstanding requirements (for example, a fitness to return appointment). 

1. If you are eligible to extend your visa, wemayrequest financial documents from you to ensure you meet the Student visa requirements and have enough money to cover your tuition fees and living expenses whilst in the UK.   
2. Once all checks are complete, we will issue your CAS, and you cansubmityour Student visa application in your home country or country of residence.   

Returning from an interruption 

If you are returning to Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ after a period of interruption, we recommend requesting a CAS at least three months before your return date. 

This should allow us enough time to request and review your supporting documents and ensure you have enough time to apply for your visa and travel to the UK before your course start date. 

You should also check the  in your country. If you are concerned that processing may take longer, it is a good idea to request your CAS a little earlier.