Pre-sessional visa extension
Help for current Pre-sessional English language students to extend your Student Visa
The information on this webpage is about applying for a Student Visa inside the UK, including:
1. Who can apply inside the UK?
2. When can I apply?
3. What do I need to prepare before I apply?
4. How do I apply?
5. What happens after I apply?
Help for current Pre-sessional English language students to extend your Student Visa
Find out if you are eligible to extend your visa when you complete your PhD programme
If you have a University IT account you can find further details about preparing for your Student Visa application by self-enrolling on the 'Applying for a Student Visa' Blackboard module
Not all students are eligible to extend or switch to a Student Visa inside the UK.
If you are not eligible to extend your Student Visa inside the UK, you can find information on our webpage for applying outside the UK .
To extend your Student Visa inside the UK, you must meet or be exempt from academic progression requirements. There may also be a limit to the amount of time you can study in the UK using a Student Visa, depending on the level of your programme. You can find general information about who is eligible to extend their Student Visa inside the UK on the UKCISA website
If you are going to start a new programme at Southampton after you have successfully completed your current programme at Southampton, you may be eligible to extend your Student Visa in the UK. If you are not sure if you are eligible to extend your Student Visa in the UK, contact us at least 3 months before your current visa expires.
Contact us if you are:
If you are considering changing your programme, you must contact us before your programme is changed. The study conditions of your current Student Visa may not allow you to change your programme without applying for a new visa, even if the change will not require you to extend your time in the UK. A change of programme includes:
This information is for students who currently have a Student Visa which is not for study at University of Southampton.
If you are currently studying at another UK institution and you have been accepted on a programme at Southampton, you may be eligible to extend your Student Visa in the UK. You can find information about who is eligible to extend their visa in the UK on the UKCISA website
If you are not sure if you are eligible to extend your Student Visa in the UK, contact us .
You must have applied for your new Student Visa for the University of Southampton before you start your programme of study here.
If you have a current UK visa which is not a Student Visa, you can find out which visa types are eligible to switch to a Student Visa inside the UK on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) webpage
You must apply before your current visa expires. If you are not able to apply before your current visa expires, you must leave the UK before the expiry date of your current visa and apply for a visa from outside the UK .
The earliest date you can apply to extend your visa in the UK is 3 months before the start date stated on your CAS and when you have prepared all the required documents for your application. You can find more information about what you need to prepare in the next section.
If you are considering changing your programme of study, contact us before your programme is changed, even if the change will not require you to extend your time in the UK.
To apply for a Student Visa you will need:
Your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) statement is information about you and your programme of study which is shared between the University and UKVI. Your CAS number appears in your CAS statement and must be entered in your online visa application. You must have a CAS before you apply for your Student Visa.
If you are starting a new programme of study at Southampton or you are coming to the UK for the first time during your studies, you will be sent a CAS questionnaire when you have been unconditionally accepted for your programme. You will not receive a CAS until you complete and return the CAS questionnaire.
If you are a continuing student , you must complete a continuing student CAS request form and return this to your Faculty Office. You can find the continuing student CAS request form in the 'Useful Downloads' section at the end of this webpage.
You are a continuing student if you are:
If any of your documents are not in English, you must provide a certified translation which includes:
Read the UKCISA guide to evidence for further information about documents to prepare for your Student Visa application.
The visa application fee will depend on which application service you select. Each applicant must pay an application fee. You can find more information about Student Visa application fees on the UKVI webpage
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a payment to use National Health Services while you are in the UK. You can find out who needs to pay and how much you should expect to pay on the UKVI pay for healthcare website.
1. Prepare your CAS, documents and money for fees . You can find more information in the previous section of this webpage.
2. Prepare your online visa application form If you will apply with the help of the University VISAS team, do not sign the declaration or pay for your application before you book your visa advice appointment.
3. Book a visa advice appointment with the University VISAS team so that a visa advisor can check your documents and online application form and help you complete your application. If you do not apply at a visa advice appointment, you must send your proof of application to visa@soton.ac.uk
Proof of application includes the following documents:
4. Enter University of Southampton as your postal address
The University must have a record of your current visa or immigration permission for your student record. If you do not enter the University of Southampton as your postal address, you must inform us once you have received your BRP by contacting
visa@soton.ac.uk
. This is very important as we must have a record of your new visa to comply with UK Visas & Immigration.
The postal address for visa applications is:
M23 VISAS Team
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
If you have provided your fingerprints for a previous visa application within the last 5 years, you may be contacted by UKVI to inform you that they will re-use your fingerprints for your new visa application.
You will then be sent a link to download the IDV app. The IDV app is available to download on the following smart phones:
Please see the IDV app FAQs for further information.
There is also a video available to help you navigate the app.
You can either upload your documents onto the UKVCAS website, after you have submitted and paid for your application, or you can upload your documents onto the app. Once you have submitted on the app, UKVI will start to process your application. You will not need to book an appointment at a UKVCAS centre. Your application will be invalid if you do not complete the final submission on the app.
If UKVI cannot reuse your biometrics, then you will be invited to book an appointment at a UKVCAS centre.
Log in to your UKVCAS account to book your appointment.
Appointments at 'Core' centres, such as Croydon, are free during regular opening hours, but there will be a fee to pay for an appointment outside of these hours.
For appointments at 'Enhanced' centres such as Southampton, you will have to pay a fee during regular opening hours, and an increased fee for an appointment outside of these hours.
You must ensure that you upload all of the mandatory documents, which are required for your application (and for all of your dependents if applicable) to the UKVCAS website, before you attend your appointment. If you plan to apply with the University VISAS team at a visa advice appointment, we can help you with this step. If you do not plan to apply with the University VISAS team, you must book and attend a UKVCAS appointment yourself.
When you attend your appointment, you must take with you the following documents:
At your appointment, you will:
Your application will be invalid if you do not attend a UKVCAS appointment to enrol your biometrics.
You will usually receive an email from the Home Office GOV.UK to inform you of your application decision.
If you do not receive a decision email before you receive your BRP, contact us .
If your application is successful and the University is your postal address , VISAS will email you to collect your BRP when it has been delivered. This is usually 5 - 10 working days after you receive your application decision.
If your application is successful and the University is not your correspondence address , you must contact us to let us know you have received your BRP.
You must check that all of the following information is correct on your new Student Visa - your BRP card:
Please note: The University of Southampton cannot accept responsibility for the content of external websites.
We offer a drop-in service for quick questions regarding your visa or you can book an appointment to speak, in depth, with one of our Visa Advisors.
You can contact us through our online Enquiry Form. We strongly encourage people to contact us through the online Enquiry Form rather than to directly email us.