Visa Drop In
Visa Advice Appointments
Right to Study Check Appointments
Send a email from your University email account or include your student ID number in your message: visa@soton.ac.uk
The VISAS Team drop-in service is an online live chat held every week at the following times (London GMT):
Tuesday 10:00 - 11:30
Wednesday 13:00 - 14:30
Thursday 10:00 - 11:30
How does the live chat work?
Click to ask a question during our drop-in times.
Use your University login details to enter.
What to expect
The drop-in service is aimed at students who have a quick question about their visa or immigration status for studying in the UK. For more complicated questions, we may ask you to book a visa advice appointment.
Have a visa question?
Talk to a visa advisor online using live chat during our drop-in session times
Talk to us on Live ChatBefore you book
Visit the drop-in service because we may be able to answer your question quickly or give you important information about what to bring to your appointment.
How to book
To book an appointment, please contact us through live chat; the visa advisor will send you a link for you to book an appointment that is convenient for you.
After you have booked your appointment, you will receive an email to confirm the date and time of the appointment.
Appointments are online using Microsoft Teams.
Before you attend your appointment
If you are applying for a visa:
- Prepare the documents needed for your application. To find out what to prepare, visit the drop-in service or our webpages about applying for a Student visa inside the UK or outside the UK.
- Save electronic copies of your documents where you will be able to access them during the appointment.
- Start your visa application online. Do not sign the declaration or pay for your application before you book your visa advice appointment. You should receive a link to your application by email.
- Prepare a payment card to pay the visa application fee and immigration health surcharge online.
At your appointment
Please dial into your appointment promptly. If you need to cancel or rebook your appointment for another time/date, please let us at least 24 hours before your appointment so that the appointment slot can be offered to another student.
A Visa Advisor will help you to check your documents, check the answers to your online visa application.
If everything is ready, we will help you to submit your visa application during the appointment
To fully enrol for your course you will need to complete a Right to Study check and provide the University with details of your nationality and immigration status. If you have a Student visa you must also attend an in person Right to Study check.
Upload your Documents
You will need to upload your proof of nationality and immigration status by following the steps below:
- Follow this link to Banner and log in
- Click: View Action Items
- Follow the instructions for Right to Study Check
- Upload the relevant documents.
You will need to upload clear colour photos/scans (either in pdf or jpg) of the following documents:
- Your passport photo page
- Your visa vignette with entry stamp
- If you entered using an eGate and did not receive a stamp in your passport, you must provide evidence of the date that you entered the UK e.g. a boarding card, ticket or booking confirmation for travel to the UK.
- Both sides of your BRP card if you have collected your BRP card from the Post Office, or applied for a new Student visa in the UK
- Your share code to prove your Immigration Status
Attend an in-person Right to Study Check
If you have a Student visa you are required to attend a right to study check in person. Please book your appointment for the earliest appointment available after any period of self-isolation has ended using the following link