UKCISA - international student advice and guidance - Coronavirus (Covid-19): info for international students

Questions we can answer

Last modified: 13 July 2020

In this section, we provide answers to some of the questions you are asking us. Please be aware that some education providers will have their own policies which might differ from our answers. We explain what the Home Office (UKVI) has published on its website, including contact details for its Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre.

We provide links to information on a range of education matters, including accommodation and travel, for students and education providers.

Communicating with your education provider (updated 1 May)

What are UK universities and colleges offering this autumn? (updated 7 July)

Study, including distance learning, ATAS and starting a new course (updated 24 June)

Covid-19: Guidance for Tier 4 sponsors and migrants and for short-term students states that distance learning in the UK and in other countries is currently acceptable for all students, even if you have Tier 4 student immigration permission. It also says that, if you are a Tier 4 student, sponsors should not withdraw sponsorship from you unless you have permanently withdrawn from your course or have deferred for a reason not related to Coronavirus.

You can be sponsored to start a course in the academic year 2020-21 that is delivered through distance learning or a mix of face-to-face-learning and distance learning ('blended' learning) as long as the intention is to move to face-to-face delivery only as soon as possible. This concession will remain in place until the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.

The guidance does not cover the situation of students who want to start a course before 1 August 2020, so Tier 4 sponsors will need to seek clarification of the Home Office's intentions before agreeing to sponsor you.

Tier 4 sponsors will monitor your engagement with online learning and should let you know how they will do that. If you are unable to access online learning, exams or assessment, please raise that directly with your education provider in case it can help you or make alternative arrangements.

Students outside the UK who do not have UK immigration permission are allowed to undertake distance learning. This has always been the case, because you require immigration permission only if you intend to be in the UK. If you are hoping to enter the UK to continue study, you have to take into account that you cannot apply for immigration permission until travel starts again and application centres re-open around the world. Delays in processing applications might mean that you are unable to come to the UK to continue your course and your course provider should ensure that you can, if necessary, complete your course by distance learning - check that this is the case, especially if your course is not very long.

If you have made a Tier 4 application in the UK but have not yet received a decision, you can start your new course if your Tier 4 sponsor has Tier 4 sponsor status, you start the course described on your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) and you made your Tier 4 application before your current or most recent immigration permission expired. This includes holders of short-term student leave, and not just those who already have Tier 4 student immigration permission. For details of this provision, see Covid-19: Guidance for Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students.

If you are required to obtain Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance, you must have an ATAS certificate. Between 6 April and 1 June, it was not possible to apply for clearance, and you were advised to contact the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre if you needed a certificate in order to start a new course. The Home Office advised some Tier 4 sponsors that you could apply without a certificate and your application would be processed when you could supply one. The ATAS team resumed work on 1 June 2020 so it is very important that you now submit your application for a certificate if this was previously impossible for you, and let your Tier 4 sponsor know.

Short-term students in the UK whose immigration permission expires after 31 July 2020 are allowed to study a course which is different from the one they came to the UK to study. This is possible if you unable to continue your original course online or if you have completed it. You are not required to leave the UK within 30 days of the end of study.

UCAS has issued guidance for people who want to apply to study at undergraduate level, including links to the main English language test providers' information about their arrangements during this time, and amended application deadlines.

Information about the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is updated on a regular basis. For information about the BMAT test sessions in September and November, see the Admissions Testing website.

What have we added? Updated information about distance and blended learning following changes to the Tier 4 guidance on 16 June

English language tests (updated 1 June)

Leaving your course early, and returning to the UK

When Tier 4 sponsors will withdraw sponsorship

How periods of overstay will be regarded (updated 28 May)

Free extension if your immigration permission expires between 24 January and 31 July (updated 1 June)

If your immigration permission expired, or will expire, between 24 January and 31 July 2020 the Home Office will extend it for you up to 31 July 2020 without your having to make an immigration application or pay a fee.

Alternatively, it is still possible to make a full immigration application in the UK. If you want to stay in the UK under Tier 4, check Applying in the UK when this is not usually possible (below) in case a special provision means that you can do this now instead of using the free extension scheme, which extends your immigration permission only to 31 July 2020.

If your immigration permission has already been extended to 31 May under the previous version of the free extension scheme, the Home Office will automatically extend your permission to 31 July. If you have not yet applied under this scheme, you must submit a form to its Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. Until 6 April, you had to send an email including specified information.

For full details see the Home Office’s advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents.

This guidance states that you will be expected to return to your home country as soon as it is safe and possible to do so. However, this does not prevent you from making another immigration application in the UK if you meet all relevant requirements. The section of the same guidance, on applying to stay long-term in the UK, states that you can apply to stay longer if your immigration permission has already been extended to 31 July.

The form asks for different reference numbers. 'GWF' stands for Global Web Form and is the number you receive when you first make an immigration application outside the UK. It will be on emails or letters from the Home Office. The VAF reference number is on your entry clearance (visa) sticker, if you have one. You have a Home Office reference number if you applied for immigration permission in the UK and it will be on emails or letters you received. Alternatively, you could use the number on your stamp if you entered the UK as a short-term student without entry clearance (visa). If you cannot find any of these numbers, that should not be a problem because the form says "(if known)" - just make sure you provide answers to as many questions as possible so that you can submit the form.

A Home Office factsheet states that "Individuals do not need to do anything else once they have submitted the online e-form and their status in the UK is secure from the point they have submitted". Although the form states that you should receive an answer within five working days, we have heard that it usually takes a couple of weeks, so do not worry if you have not had a response within the stated time frame.

We understand that the Home Office will send you an email confirming that it has extended your immigration permission, using words similar to the following:

"Your leave has been extended under existing conditions until 31 July 2020. You will not be regarded as an overstayer or suffer any detriment in any future applications. However, you must make plans to leave as soon as you are able to do so. This will only apply where you hold an existing valid visa which has already expired or is due to do between 24 January and 31 July."

You will not be sent a letter or an updated biometric residence permit but you can request evidence of your extended immigration permission from the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. If you have additional questions, we suggest that you do that in a separate email sent to the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. Extra questions might delay a response to your request for an extension.

This provision is for people who are unable to leave the UK. It is not for people who have already left the UK - you will need to make a new application if you intend and are able to travel to the UK, even if your immigration permission is automatically extended after you have left.

What have we added? Moved information about making a full Tier 4 application instead of using the free extension scheme further up as 29 May changes to Tier 4 guidance make it easier to apply in the UK under Tier 4 as a result of academic progress and 28-day gap concessions

Making an immigration application in the UK (updated 3 July)

Applying in the UK when this is not usually possible (updated 10 July)

It is possible for you to make an immigration application in the UK when you would usually have to apply for entry clearance from outside the UK if your immigration permission expires or expired between 24 January and 31 July 2020.

Since 26 June, this provision has also included people whose immigration permission expires after 31 July 2020 (with no cut-off point at present) if they "urgently need to make a new application, for example to start a new job or course of study, and cannot leave the UK to make an application from overseas". 'Urgently' is not defined but probably includes the situation in which it would be impossible for you to start a course by its start date without making an application and either you cannot leave the UK or it looks unlikely that you would be able to return to the UK in time because of quarantine measures or visa application centre closures and delays abroad. Make sure you provide evidence of the urgency of your application, for example, information about problems in leaving the UK and applying for entry clearance. Remember that this provision is for people who do not meet all relevant immigration requirements; if you do, you can apply in the usual way, whenever your current immigration permission expires and without the need to prove urgency.

The guidance refers to switching into ‘long-term’ routes and confirms that this provision also applies to people whose immigration permission has been extended under the free extension described above - see the Home Office guidance for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents.

The deadline for applying under this provision is 31 July 2020, and that includes people whose immigration permission expires after 31 July.

The Covid-19): Guidance for Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students guidance states that this benefits you if you have visit, short-term student or some other type of immigration permission and want to apply under Tier 4 by 31 July. It also confirms that this applies to you if you have Tier 4 immigration permission and your current Tier 4 sponsor was not a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, an overseas higher education institution or an independent school, and your immigration permission expires between 24 January and 31 July 2020.

Although the guidance states that you will have to meet all other requirements of the immigration category you want to apply under - see Requirements (Tier 4: eligibility and requirements) - including maintenance and evidence in the required format, it also provides a number of exceptions until 31 July 2020. These include an exemption from:

the requirement for academic progress if you need more time to complete your study as a result of Covid-19, which includes social distancing measures implemented by your course provider as well as illness
academic progress if you want to study a new course at the same level as your previous course and you would usually have to leave the UK to make an application to do that but cannot do that at present; your Tier 4 sponsor must be able to confirm on your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) that the new course and previous course support your career aspirations (note that students studying at degree level and sponsored by an HEP with a track record can apply in the UK without this exemption)
the requirement to have a gap of no more than 28 days between the end of your immigration permission and the course start date on your CAS if your immigration permission expires by 31 July and your course start date is 1 October 2020 or earlier.

There are no other exemptions from the usual academic progress requirements so, for example, these provisions will not help you if you want to start a new course and you have not finished your previous course.

Study limits remain the same, but the Home Office will exercise discretion in future if this prevents you from completing your studies. If this affects you now, you need to talk to your Tier 4 sponsor as a matter of urgency.

The sets of guidance have not yet been updated in line with each other. This means that the student-specific concessions described in the list above still benefit only those whose immigration permission expires by 31 July. We do not yet know if this will be changed to include those who urgently need to make an application and whose immigration permission expires after 31 July. Education sector bodies have also told the Home Office that the 1 October course start date is creating difficulties as many courses will start later than 1 October this year.

If you are concerned that you do not meet all requirements and these concessions do not help you, contact your Tier 4 sponsor. Some Tier 4 sponsors have received advice from the Home Office that is more generous than provisions in the published guidance.

In response to our query, the Home Office confirmed to us on 20 April that the online application forms have been amended so that they no longer prevent you from applying in the UK because you do not meet all the usual requirements.

If these special provisions do not apply to you, and your immigration permission has expired or will expire before 1 August, you can instead request a free extension of your immigration permission.

If your immigration permission is not about to expire, or you really need to make a new immigration application if at all possible, contact the Home Office's Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre and set out your situation. We advise you to use the email contact so that the advice or information you are given is in writing and you can show it to a Home Office caseworker or immigration adviser if necessary. If you call the Help Centre, take a note of the name of the person who answers your call.

What have we added? Added confirmation that there is no Coronavirus-related academic progress examption for students who want to start a new course without having completed their previous course

Biometric residence permits (updated 7 May)

Police registration (updated 1 June)

Making an immigration application outside the UK (updated 10 July)

Since 1 June, many visa application centres outside the UK have re-opened, depending on local restrictions.

The following centres are due to re-open on 12 and 13 July: Algiers, Atlanta, Baghdad, Basra, Boston, Cape Town, Chicago, Dakar, Dallas, Dhaka, Durban, Edmonton, Erbil, Freetown, Havana (in house), Houston, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey - Elizabeth, Oakland, Oran, Orlando, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Port Elizabeth, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Sylhet, Toronto, Vancouver, Virginia -Alexandria, Washington, Yaoundé. You can make an appointment now.

Appointments for visa application centres in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore are now live, and the centres are set to re-open from 27 July 2020.

Check which centres have actually opened again using Find a visa application centre. Alternatively, for applications in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East visit uk.tlscontact.com. For all other countries, visit VFS Global.

It is still possible to apply online, and it makes sense for you to use this time to become very familiar with the immigration requirements you need to meet (check this with your education provider), and to gather all relevant evidence so you can obtain your entry clearance (visa) as quickly as possible when your local application centre does re-open.

You will need to provide biometrics as part of your application. Unlike applications in the UK, we understand that there are no plans to remove this requirement for entry clearance applications, even if you have previously been granted UK immigration permission. In many cases, you will also have to be tested for TB, so you need be realistic about how much time you will need in order to make your application, especially if you cannot yet travel to your nearest TB clinic or visa application centre, or if they are still closed. Priority and super priority services have not been restored yet.

See the Home Office's advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents for information about how your documents will be returned to you. It also explains that if you made an appointment before an application centre closed, you will be contacted when it is possible to book a new appointment - your appointment will be postponed, not cancelled.

If you have submitted an application and now want to withdraw it - see Cancel your visa, immigration or citizenship application.

The Home Office confirmed to us on 17 April that Access UK (the digital application process) will hold applications for an increased period of 240 days. This is to ensure that entry clearance applications remain live and valid, so you will be able to enrol your biometric data once services have resumed.

If your Tier 4 sponsor has assigned a confirmation of acceptance of studies (CAS) or a Start-up endorsement to you but you have not been able to make an immigration application by the usual deadline or your course start date has changed, the Home Office may still grant your application. It has published guidance for sponsors about this which says that applications will not automatically be refused and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents explains the situation for applicants with expired endorsements. Contact your Tier 4 sponsor if this affects you and you need more information.

What have we added? Visa application centres set to re-open on 12 and 13 July and on 27 July

Immigration permission granted, but you cannot travel to the UK (updated 7 July)

Transition period and the EU settlement scheme (updated 13 July)

Transition period will not be extended

The UK Government announced on 12 June 2020 that it will not request an extension of the transition, or implementation, period - see the European Commission's press statement following the second meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee. During this period, European Union (EU) law continues to apply in the UK on a temporary basis following the UK's departure from the EU on 31 January 2020. This period will end at 11 pm on 31 December 2020, in spite of the Coronavirus and COVID-19.

This means that EEA and Swiss nationals, and their family members who have not arrived in the UK by 11 pm on 31 December 2020 will need to meet the requirements of the new immigration system, set out in this Further details statement. For information about the EU settlement scheme and who is eligible to apply under it, see Brexit - EU Settlement Scheme.

For information about the impact of this decision on tuition fee status and eligibility for student finance, see Brexit: Impact on fee status assessments and Brexit: Impact on student finance.

EU settlement scheme and absences from the UK

We asked the Home Office about absences if you hold, or want to apply for, pre-settled status (limited leave) under the EU Settlement Scheme. The Home Office told us that Coronavirus-related absences up to 12 months will be regarded as acceptable for an “important reason” like study or pregnancy. Note that in order to apply under this scheme you must be, or have been, in the UK before 11 pm on 31 December 2020 and there is no minimum period of time in the UK.

We continue to await Home Office guidance on whether absences exceeding 12 months for Coronavirus-related reasons will be disregarded. When we receive further information we will add it here, and see also Brexit - EU Settlement Scheme where you can find details of how to apply under the scheme in the UK or abroad.

What have we added? Link to the policy statement about the new UK immigration system published on 13 July

Travel and self-isolation on arrival in the UK (updated 10 July)

Government advice is that you should not travel unless it is essential, with some exempt destinations first listed on 3 July. 'Essential' is not defined, but it is clear that you should avoid travel as far as possible, unless you can walk or cycle to your destination. You must not travel if you have symptoms of the illness or have been in contact with people who may be infected.

From 15 June, you must wear a face covering, which includes masks, if you use public transport in England. This includes trains, buses, trams, coaches, ferries, underground, planes, cable cars. For full details, including a limited list of exemptions from this requirement, see Safer travel guidance for passengers. The same applies to Scotland from 22 June - see Staying safe and protecting others (physical distancing). In Wales and Northern Ireland, you should also wear a face covering when travelling.

If you arrive in the UK on or after 8 June, you will be subject to self-isolation rules ('quarantine'), unless you are exempt - students, as a group, are not exempt.

People who arrive in the UK on or after 10 July will not have to self-isolate if they are well and have come from one of the countries listed in Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel corridors (for England), in a news item entitled Quarantine rule ends for travellers arriving from lower risk countries and territories (Scotland), or in a Written statement: international travel regulations (Wales). Northern Ireland has issued a general Statement on executive decisions (no implementation date or list of countries yet). The rules are not always the same for each country so check the list that is relevant to where you want to enter the UK. It is your previous location, not your nationality or usual country of residence, that is important. You will have to provide details of your location in the UK.

Full details about self-isolation are in government guidance on how to self-isolate on arrival in the UK. In summary, you will have to provide your journey and contact details on an online form 48 hours or less before you travel to the UK and you will not be allowed to leave the place where you are staying in the UK for your first 14 days, except in very limited situations. This means that if you intend to come to the UK for study, you must take into account these extra days of not being able to attend classes, see other people or leave your accommodation except for very limited reasons. There is no end date yet for these measures. It is very important that you contact your education provider before you decide to travel to the UK. This is so that you can check what support you will receive during these first 14 days, including accommodation, food, online facilities for induction, orientation, meeting tutors and other students and many other matters. Universities, colleges and schools are in the process of thinking about how best they can help you during this time and it's vital that they know what you plan to do and where you will be staying.

Many countries have different travel restrictions and rules about self-isolation and quarantine. Check with the country you want to travel to and if information is confusing or does not sound right, try to find out what the embassy says. Some countries might make exceptions to travel bans for nationals and residents - check if you can register for alerts about repatriation with your country's embassy or high commission in the UK. Universities, colleges and schools in the UK often have links with embassies and may be able to help you. Unfortunately, we do not have those contacts.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK also provides an overview of what's happening in other countries; go to Foreign travel advice, choose the country you want to travel to and then select 'Coronavirus'. Country-specific information appears under the box near the top of the page.

Some countries now require evidence that you have not tested positive for COVID-19 before you can board a plane to travel there. It is highly unlikely that the NHS will be able to provide you with such confirmation if you have no symptoms, and you should not travel if you have symptoms.

Money Saving Expert provides advice about the options available to you if your flight is cancelled or you need to cancel travel, also insurance and refunds.

See UK Government travel advice for students and education providers.

What have we added? Information about travel corridors for travel to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in addition to England

Free NHS treatment

Accommodation (updated 24 June)

Staying in the UK

If you are unable to leave the UK as planned, your contract for accommodation will probably come to an end too soon. The Government has issued guidance stating that students living in a hall of residence should be allowed to remain, if possible, or that your accommodation provider should work with its local authority and letting agents to help you find alternative accommodation. It states that no students should be made homeless and makes special reference to international students (see 'For those with no alternative residence').

Accommodation provided by education providers is exempt from immigration checks. From 30 March, other landlords can check your 'right to rent' using scanned, rather than original, documents - see Coronavirus (COVID-19): landlord right to rent checks. However, landlords are still required to carry out checks - see Coronavirus (COVID-19): Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students.

You might be staying in private accommodation. If they want you to leave a property, landlords are now required to give you at least three months' notice, six months in Scotland. You should continue to pay your rent if possible but, if you can no longer pay it, you must talk to your landlord. The Government has made arrangements to support landlords - see Government support available for landlords and renters reflecting the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and Aid for private rental landlords (Scotland).

The Welsh goverment has detailed guidance for private renters. Information in Scotland is aimed at private landlords and letting agents. Housing Advice Northern Ireland has helpful advice for students in all forms of accommodation (note that information about benefits is unlikely to apply to you).

Get in touch with your education provider or students' union as a matter of urgency if you are worried about becoming homeless. Although you may not be able to see or speak to someone, because many staff are working at home, universities, colleges, schools and students' unions all have email and webform contacts you should use to let them know about your situation. Remember that they are dealing with a lot of people, so get in touch as early as possible if you are in danger of losing your accommodation.

You may be able to find alternative accommodation in the private sector, and friends might be able to help, though social distancing makes this less likely. Your local authority might be able to provide information but if you are subject to the condition No recourse to public funds, you cannot usually take local authority accommodation. Although the UK Government has instructed authorities to relax this restriction (see detailed information provided by the No Recourse to Public Funds Network), many people will be trying to access local authority support, so you should start by asking your education provider for help.

If you are worried about being ill or living with others who have Coronavirus symptoms, see General support for international students.

Ending a tenancy early

You might want to end your tenancy early or cancel it. Shelter England, Shelter Scotland and Housing Advice Northern Ireland provide information about how to deal with this situation. Housing or money advisers at your university, college or students' union may also be able to offer help free of charge with negotiations with landlords, including discussions about storing belongings that you might have had to leave in your accommodation. Some providers of student accommodation are offering to let you end your contract early without penalty, as long as you let them know by their deadline. For details of which education providers and accommodation providers are helping their students in this way, see regularly updated information provided for housing suppliers by the ANUK/Unipol National Codes.

Collecting belongings

The UK governments have issued guidance for students in England, Wales and Scotland about when and how you can collect belongings you had to leave in your accommodation. It also sets out the arrangements that education accommodation providers should put in place for you if you cannot return to collect your luggage: you may be charged storage costs but the provider should not make a profit.

Unfortunately, this guidance does not apply to private landlords. If they charge you full rent for a room occupied only by your belongings, you should seek help from the organisations and advisers listed above in negotiating a change to the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement.

Other sources of information

The National Union of Students has written to Universities UK, which represents higher education providers, to the British Property Federation and to the National Residential Landlords Association, asking them to take action to support students.

Universities UK has put together a series of frequently asked questions, with answers, about accommodation matters. The Office for Students has published a briefing note on student accommodation, including examples of good practice, advice and links to relevant information.

What have we added? Links to information about collecting belongings in Wales and Scotland, following updates to Scottish information on 23 June

Work (updated 17 June)

The Graduate Route (new two-year work route) is still due to launch in summer 2021 - see Coronavirus (COVID-19): Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students. We continue to wait for full details. However, the Government has confirmed that time spent studying outside the UK will not count against you as long as you enter the UK before 6 April 2021 and you spend your last semester in the UK with Tier 4 immigration permission, or its replacement under the new system.

Not all students may work in the UK - see Who can work and working hours. If you have work permission, make sure that you do not breach its requirements. Even if you are no longer able to attend classes or undertake research in person, if you are in term time, and you are studying online, you are still restricted to working 10 hours a week, or 20 hours a week, depending on the level of your course.

You may work full time during vacations. Vacation dates have not changed just because you are not attending classes and lectures in person. However, if your course of study has been suspended, you are treated for work purposes as if you are on vacation, so may work full time - see Covid-19: Guidance for Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students. Employers should not employ you full time unless your education provider confirms that you are on vacation (including suspension of study, which means you are not studying your course online), or have completed your course or are undertaking a work placement as an assessed part of your course.

If you lose your job because of workplace closures, you can apply for other jobs, though it might be difficult. Some employers are recruiting additional staff to deal with changes in their way of working.

From 30 March, employers can check your right to work using scanned, rather than original, documents - see Coronavirus (COVID-19): right to work checks. It is not currently possible to apply for a National Insurance number, but you may start work before you do this and apply for one when the service resumes. For confirmation for this, see Apply for a National Insurance number.

You may be eligible for financial help provided under special schemes set up the UK Government to prevent hardship for workers - they are not 'public funds'.

Check with your employer if you have to take time off work and might need statutory sick pay. Your employer should let you know if you are eligible for payment under the Coronavirus job retention scheme for furloughed workers. For details of both these schemes, see COVID-19: guidance for employees. If you are on furlough from one job, you may take up other work (see government guidance) and the working hours from your furloughed job should not be added to the hours of work from your new job, as long as you remain on furlough - check first that the terms of your contract for your furloughed job do not prevent this, and that you will be able to resume that job without exceeding your permitted hours if your employer requires it.

There is currently less provision for you if you are self-employed, perhaps under the doctorate extension scheme or the Start-up route. The UK Government has announced a Self-employment income support scheme, but this has not yet launched and you need to wait to be contacted by HMRC if you are eligible.

If your immigration permission expired, or will expire, between 24 January and 31 July and you cannot leave the UK or make another application, you should apply to extend your leave under the free extension scheme. The Home Office has not stated that it is acceptable to work without immigration permission.

There are special provisions for specified medical and allied health professionals, including students working or volunteering for the NHS or an independent healthcare provider in one of these professions who may work longer than their usual permitted term-time hours. For information about volunteering as an volunteer responder, see Covid-19: Guidance forTier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students.

You can start a Tier 2 or Tier 5 job in the UK before you receive a decision on your immigration application, as long as you made your Tier 2 or Tier 5 application before your current or most recent immigration perrmision expired and the job you want to start is the same job described on our certificate of sponsorship - see Home Office guidance for sponsors and applicants.

What have we changed? Details contained in guidance, updated on 16 June, about eligibility for the graduate route

No recourse to public funds, financial hardship (updated 7 May)

Financial hardship

If you have financial difficulties, let your education provider or Students' Union know and ask if they can help you in any way. International students are defined by the Office for Students as vulnerable, which means that you should have guaranteed appropriate accommodation, immediate access to hardship funds if necessary, and support with obtaining food, cleaning and medical supplies.

Your country's embassy or high commission might also be able to help. For example, the Indian High Commission has lists of organisations, businesses and individuals offering support, including Indian student organisations.

Education and accommodation providers have been instructed by the UK Government to exercise flexibility if you cannot afford to pay your tuition fees, rent or other expenses, so contact them as soon as you think you might have difficulties. Education providers may also have hardship funds. They do not always publicise their hardship funds, so ask them directly if you cannot find any information on their website or elsewhere.

Universities UK has written a statement about tuition fee refunds (dated 20 April) which you will find in its FAQs about tuition, assessment and fees. See also a Pie News article on this subject, UK: new guidance on refunds applies to students, says CMA.

Local authorities, councils and neighbourhood, cultural and religious groups can help you with shopping and other aspects of daily life - check Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK for sources of help local to you.

Money Saving Expert provides regularly updated information about how to manage your money, including sources of help, how to help others and how to avoid financial scams.

Public funds

All Tier 4 students and short-term students are subject to the immigration condition, no recourse to public funds. This means that you cannot apply for certain welfare benefits and social housing - see Public Funds.

The UK Government has recently set up schemes to prevent hardship for workers. Statutory sick pay, job retention scheme payments and the self-employment income support scheme are not defined as 'public funds'. For confirmation of this, see Home Office information, Coronavirus (COVID-19): get support if you're a migrant living in the UK.

Some people, even if they are subject to the condition, no recourse to public funds, can claim certain benefits. This depends on a range of matters, including nationality or the nationality of family members. For information about whether one of these exceptions might apply to you, see Home Office guidance for caseworkers on public funds. If you are not sure, it is important that you ask for advice before you claim public funds - see Further advice.

The House of Commons Library research briefing Coronavirus: Calls to ease No Recourse to Public Funds conditions provides details of what is and is not covered by the definition of 'public funds' in addition to setting out options open to the Government. If the Government decides to lift the no recourse to public funds condition, we will update this information.

What have we added? Link to a Pie News article dated 5 May on refunds for tuition fees

Student finance and scholarships (updated 3 June)

Questions we cannot answer yet

Last modified: 30 June 2020

We have asked the Home Office (UKVI) for policies and information to deal with the questions below. Until we receive answers or amended guidance, we cannot provide more information on these topics on our website or on our advice line. As soon as we have clear answers, we will update this information.

The Home Office has assured us that no one will be penalised because of something outside their control. But if you have questions about any of these matters and need to hear from them directly, we recommend that you contact the Home Office’s Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre and explain your concerns in detail to them.

Hear from other students and join in with positive campaign actions through the #W eAreTogether campaign.

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Issuing a CAS for an online course (updated 18 June)

Doctorate extension scheme and Tier 2 applications (updated 30 June)

How absences will be treated in future settlement applications (updated 9 June)

The long-term consequences for the future

General support for international students

Last modified: 10 July 2020

The wellbeing of international students is our top priority at UKCISA and we are doing everything we can to ensure that you have the support you need during this unprecedented global pandemic.

Universities and colleges are working online but staff will continue to work to support you in your own institutions. We advise all students to check information and advice on your institution’s websites and to keep in touch with academic and support staff. Be sure to let your institution know if you are planning to leave the country.

All the latest advice from the UK government.

Latest health advice and information from National Health Service.

Latest health advice from Public Health Wales.

Latest health advice from Northern Ireland.

Latest health advice from Health Protection Scotland.

Looking after our mental health is more important now than ever and social distancing can be extremely difficult to cope with. There is lots of useful information about looking after your mental health during this pandemic on the Student Minds website. One of our #WeAreInternational Student Ambassadors, Khoa Nguyễn, has offered tips for looking after your mental health in a lockdown situation via a blog found here.

We understand that many students live in shared accommodation and this can be worrying if you or your housemates start to feel unwell. If you are living in student halls of residence and are worried about your own health or the health of students that you live with, contact staff at your accommodation to inform them that you are unwell, and use this link to guide you on to next steps.

The Department for Education (DfE) has produced guidance on self-isolation and social distancing for students living in university or college halls of residence.

The DfE has an email address to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education.

Staff, parents and students can contact: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk

For support or clarification on any of the information given here, you can phone our student advice line on +4420 7788 9214 which is open Monday to Friday (except for public holidays) from 1.00pm to 4.00pm (UK time)

Before calling us, please check Questions we can answer and Questions we cannot answer yet

Statement from UKCISA

Last modified: 27 March 2020

Joint statement from UKCISA and Universities UK International: Covid-19 impact on international students

19 March 2020

Everyone at UKCISA and Universities UK International understands that it is a difficult time for many international students. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and advice from institutions, and from the governments in the UK and other countries is understandably being updated on a very frequent basis. Student and staff wellbeing is the top priority for ourselves and our university members and we will be doing everything we can to ensure that everyone has the support they need.

Please be reassured that we are working constantly with UK government departments, our members, and other sector organisations, taking every possible measure to ensure the university community is well-informed, supported and safe. The health of all students and staff is of the utmost importance to university leaders and operational and contingency planning to manage the outbreak is underway across our institutions. This is a constantly-evolving situation and universities are planning for all possible scenarios.

UK universities understand that a university ‘closure’, which can mean a variety of things, may cause anxiety for students who cannot return home. Universities understand that a student’s halls are usually their main home for much of the year and universities will support those students who cannot or do not want to go home.

We are seeking specific advice from the government on self-isolation in shared accommodation. The focus for universities who have students in this situation would be to ensure every possible measure is being taken to support them during self-isolation, to ensure this is effective but also that their needs are met.

For support or clarification on any of the information given here, you can phone our student advice line on +4420 7788 9214 which is open at the following times:

Monday to Friday (except for public holidays) from 1.00pm to 4.00pm (UK time)
Additional extended hours until the end of May 2020:
Tuesday morning and Thursday morning from 10:00am to 12:00pm (UK time)

Before calling us, please check Questions we can answer and Questions we can not answer yet.

Update: 23 March

The UK government has now issued guidance on isolation for residential educational settings.

It notes that 'It is important that institutions operate a ‘non-eviction’ policy if students have no alternative residence' and that this 'is particularly important for international students who may not be able to return home due to travel restrictions.'

Joint statement from Universities UK International, Universities UK and the UKCISA on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Chinese staff and students at UK universities

5 February 2020

The health, welfare and safety of students and staff is the top priority for university leaders following the Coronavirus outbreak. UK universities have been supporting all students and staff who might be concerned about their health with up-to-date advice from health services. Our universities have a strong history of welcoming Chinese students and staff to the UK and they are very much part of our international community. UK universities will not tolerate racism in any form, and we encourage students and staff to report any incident of racial harassment and seek support from their university.

We understand that students and staff may be worried about friends and family members in China and our thoughts go to all those affected by this situation. At this difficult time, we ask that students and staff support their fellow friends and colleagues in solidarity with the whole of the international higher education community.