Protecting your visa - enrolment and attendance

You need to register in each year of your studies within the set registration period.

You have a responsibility to:

• pay your fees at or before registration or set up a direct debit to pay the remainder
• complete the online registration in MYUWE
• have your passport and immigration status checked and documents scanned for UWE Bristol’s records.

• Make sure you know when your fees are due and you have funds to pay them.
• If a payment fails or a direct debit is stopped you will be asked to pay all outstanding fees immediately.
• You must not cancel a direct debit if one is set up, or ask for the payment dates to be moved.
• Ensure that funds are in place in time for the dates when the direct debit payments are due. If a direct debit payment fails twice in a month due to insufficient funds in your bank account, full payment of fees will be due within seven days. If the full fees are not paid within the seven days actions will be taken to remove access to UWE Bristol systems, terminate your studies and end visa sponsorship.

Payment problems

If you know in advance that a direct debit instalment will fail, it is essential that you contact the Income Operations team immediately. We are available during via telephone +44 (0)117 32 86500 or email income.ops@uwe.ac.uk during office hours:

• Monday to Thursday 08:30 to 17:00
• Friday 08:30 to 16:00

In exceptional circumstances, Financial Services and the Points Based System Team may approve an individual payment plan for you.

You are expected to:

• attend taught parts of your course including lectures, seminars and lab-based teaching
• submit coursework on time and attend exams and resits, if needed
• engage with your supervisors on at least a monthly basis if you are a research student
• go to an Information Point to check your details when requested in the time period given.

Your attendance and engagement is monitored and assessed. If your attendance is not considered appropriate, we may end your Tier 4 sponsorship.

• If you get a new passport or visa extension, this must be scanned by the Points-Based System (PBS) team.
• If your visa status in the UK changes, you need to tell the PBS team of the new visa category and date of change within five working days.

The Home Office require that they, and UWE Bristol, are able to contact you at any time. The following details need to be up to date at all times in MYUWE:

• Home address (address in your home country)
• Term address (address in Bristol)
• Personal email address
• Mobile phone number (one that works in the United Kingdom).

You need to inform the PBS team and the Placement teams before beginning any work placement during term time that lasts more than two weeks.

You can find out about placement requirements.

You must request approval for an authorised absence in advance if you need to be absent from UWE Bristol for more than two weeks during term time. You must wait for approval before beginning an absence.

If you need to extend your visa, seek advice at least three to four months before it expires. The Student Visa Support Service can advise you on how to make a successful visa application.

If your visa expires before you apply to extend your visa, or following a visa refusal, you become an overstayer and will be withdrawn from your studies at UWE Bristol. Your Tier 4 sponsorship will also end.

You are required to inform UWE Bristol that you are finishing your course early by completing a form available from an Information Point or direct from the PBS team (email pbshelpline@uwe.ac.uk). Please make sure you read the information on the form before completing it, and speak to an Immigration Adviser. You may be required to leave the UK earlier than the date on your visa but this will be confirmed by an Immigration Adviser.

If you wish to formally withdraw part way through your course, you need to follow our procedure for withdrawing from your course. After withdrawing, you will be required to leave the UK within 60 days of your withdrawal date, regardless of how much time you have left on your visa.

If you wish to transfer you will only be able to do so if you meet both UWE Bristol and Home Office requirements. There is no automatic right to transfer course. Please note that transferring courses may have implications for your visa. It's best to check with an Immigration Adviser before applying to change course.

We're here for you

Please seek immigration advice from the Student Visa Support Service:

• before you withdraw from your course
• before you take time out from your studies
• if you complete your course before the course end date shown on your CAS.