Coronavirus (Covid-19): info for international students

19 March 2020

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

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 more general support, students should check their institution’s website and contact their wellbeing support services, or phone UKCISA’s Student Advice Line on +442077889214 (1–4pm UK time, Monday–Friday).

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.'

5 February 2020

Below is a joint statement from Universities UK International, Universities UK and the UK Council for International Student Affairs on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Chinese staff and students at UK universities.

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.

For more general support, students should contact their institution’s wellbeing support services, or phone UKCISA’s Student Advice Line on +442077889214 (1–4pm UK time, Monday–Friday).

联合声明：英国大学联盟 (Universities UK) 和英国国际学生事务委员会 (UK Council for International Student Affairs) 针对新型冠状病毒疫情对中国学生影响的声明。 

在新型冠状病毒的疫情爆发后，保证学生和教职员工的健康、福利和安全是大学高层的当务之急。英国众高校已经并不断向所有关心担忧自己健康的学生，提供来自健康服务权威机构的最新建议。

英国大学一直秉承延续对中国留学生友好亲善的历史，中国学生是我们国际教育共同体的重要组成部分。英国大学不会接受容忍任何形式上的种族主义的歧视和偏见；我们支持并鼓励学生和教职员工，如遇到种族歧视和骚扰的相关事件，请及时向所在大学有关部门寻求帮助。

我们深知有些学生在此刻非常牵挂在中国的朋友和家人，我们会在精神上支持所有受到疫情影响的人。在这个困难的时刻，我们呼吁英国所有学生和教职员工共克时艰，声援和帮助受影响的朋友和同事。

如果学生需要更多支持和帮助，请联系所在大学的相关部门，或致电英国国际学生事务委员会的学生咨询热线+442077889214 (英国时间星期一至星期五下午1-4 点之间。请注意，我们的咨询热线只提供英文服务。)

The Home Office updated its immigration guidance for people affected by Coronavirus on 24 March 2020.

It now covers everyone regardless of nationality or country of residence. See the full guidance for details of all measures, some of which which we also include in Questions we can answer.

In particular, it provides the following special arrangements.

Free extension if your immigration permission expires between 24 January and 31 May 2020

If your immigration permission expired, or will expire, between 24 January and 31 May 2020 the Home Office will extend it for you up to 31 May 2020 without your having to make an immigration application or pay a fee. However, you must contact its Coronvirus Immigration Help Centre.

You can do this by email and we recommend that you email, rather than call, so that you have a record of the contact and save time waiting to speak to someone.

You must provide the information set out in the guidance:

• your full name including any middle names
• your date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy) 
• your nationality
• your previous visa reference number
• why you can’t go back to your home country, for example if the border has closed

The Home Office will let you know when your request is received and when your visa has been extended.

Applications in the UK when this would not normally be possible 

​You can apply in the UK under the same or a different immigration category if you would normally have to leave the UK to make the new application. For example, if you are here with a short-term student visa you will be able to apply in the UK under Tier 4. You make this application online and pay the fee for an application made in the UK. For information about attending biometrics appointments in the UK, see Sopra Steria information.

The deadline for applying under this provision is 31 May 2020.

Note that you will have to meet all other requirements of the immigration category you want to apply under, so this does not help you if, for example, you cannot meet the maintenance requirement. We will ask the Home Office for specific guidance on how far this applies to Tier 4 requirements and applications.

If your immigration permission expires or expired between 24 January and  31 May 2020, and you cannot make use of this special provision or leave the UK, make sure you notify the Home Office's Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre as early as possible that you want a free extension under the provision we explain above. 

Home Office Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre

The Home Office Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre number and email address are available for immigration enquiries related only to Coronavirus:

Telephone: 0800 678 1767, open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Calls are free of charge.

Email: CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk.

How we are trying to help and support you 

UKVI (the UK Visas and Immigration department of the Home Office) will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates. UKCISA is in regular communication with the UK Home Office to represent the interests of international students during this outbreak. We will continue to update our information on a regular basis.

For support or clarification on any of the information given here, you can call the UKCISA Student Advice Line on +4420 7788 9214 between 1.00pm and 4.00pm (UK time) between Monday and Friday, except for public holidays. Before calling us, please check Questions we can answer and Questions we can not answer yet.