Visas and leave to remain

Visas and Leave to Remain 

Once you have received your Award Letter confirming your Chevening scholarship and your course of study or programme, your next task is to obtain entry clearance (more commonly known as a visa) into the UK. This section highlights some of the main concerns and questions, outlines what you need to do and also explains what you need to be aware of if you want to travel outside UK during your stay in UK.

Question

Do I need a visa?

Answer

This will depend on your country of origin. It is important that you check your visa requirements as early as possible with the British Council contact in your home country, who will advise you as appropriate.

Question

I want my spouse/family to join me during my stay in UK. Can you tell me how to get help with visas?  

Answer

This can be a complex issue. Your spouse should make an appointment with the visa section of the British Embassy or High Commission at home. Your Award Administrator can supply you with a letter confirming that you hold a Chevening scholarship, which you can send to your spouse. The visa section will need to be shown evidence that you have funds, over and above your stipend and without recourse to working, to support your family while they are here and that you have suitable family accommodation. You should also send your spouse a photocopy of your passport plus relevant pages showing your entry clearance and dates of your leave to remain.

Here are a couple of links which provide further information on what your spouse/family need to do and the documentation they need to complete

http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/your_family.php#immigration_requirements

and https://ukvisas-stage.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf5students    

Question

What is leave to remain?

Answer

"Leave to remain" is your permission to stay in UK. The date when your leave to remain expires is stamped in your passport when you arrive in the UK. By this date, you should either leave the UK or extend your leave to remain. If you are a national of an EEA country, this does not apply to you.

Question

I am not sure I can finish my dissertation before my leave to remain expires. Can I extend and how do I go about doing this?

Answer

You will first need to seek approval from the FCO via your Award Administrator to extend your Scholarship. If you wish to extend your stay in the UK for independent further study you will still need to obtain approval from the FCO. If an extension of further stay is approved you will need to apply to the Home Office (the UK ministry responsible for immigration) for an extension of your leave to remain.

You will need to do this well in advance but no more than eight weeks before the date stamped in your passport. You need to fill in a FLR(S) form – this stands for Further Leave to Remain (Student) – which can be downloaded from http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/extending/ Guidance notes to complete the form can also be found  here. Please note there are a number of documents which you need to submit with the application (photocopies are not accepted) including letters of endorsement from your university and your Award Administrator.

Question

I want to go to Europe during my holidays. How do I get a visa?

Answer

One Visa, the Schengen Visa, will get you into most countries in Europe. You apply for it at the embassy or consulate of the first country you intend to visit, and you should check with them to see if a visa is needed. For most students, this will mean a trip to London to apply. Basic information can be found at http://www.eurovisa.info/SchengenCountries.htm

It is very important that you remember that Chevening regulations allow you to take up to a two-week break for a vacation without it affecting your stipend. However, if you go away for any longer, your stipend will be stopped from the day of your departure. Please discuss any holiday plans with your Award Administrator as soon as you can. 

Question

Will there be any problems coming back into UK if I take a holiday in Europe?

Answer

If you decide to go outside of UK, you must check on immigration issues before you go. Apart from checking on whether or not you need a visa to enter the countries you want to visit, you must check on the visa that you got to enter UK.
If you needed a visa to enter UK and you are staying in the UK for less than six months, you will need to have a multiple-entry visa in your passport. This enables you to leave the UK and be let back in during your stay.

You cannot apply for a multiple-entry visa while you are in UK. So, if you have a single entry visa instead, you won’t be allowed to re-enter the UK on that visa. You may be able to obtain another visa from the British Embassy in the country you are visiting but this is very risky, especially if you have not finished your studies, and we would advise against this.

If you needed a visa to enter the UK and your course is longer than six months, you don’t need a multiple-entry visa – you will be allowed back into UK if your course is still under way, provided you have evidence to prove you are a full-time student - your Award Administrator can provide a letter confirming your status as a Chevening scholar or you can take your Chevening Award Letter with you.

Question

I want to stay on in the UK for a short holiday or to attend my Graduation Ceremony before returning home. Can I defer my return flight home?

Answer

If your Leave to Remain has not expired you can stay in the UK to attend your graduation or have a short holiday, but you will need to check with your Award Administrator if this is ok and they may need to clear this with the overseas office.

If your Leave to Remain will expire you will have to apply for an extension from the Home Office but again you will need to check with your Award Administrator that this is ok. If there are no problems your Award Administrator can provide you with a letter to help extend your student visa so you can attend your graduation or stay on in the UK for a holiday. Please note however, the letter will state that you will be self-supporting and no extra allowances will be paid to you during this period.