Advice for international students
Staff at the Student Advice Centre are qualified to give immigration advice to students of the University of Kent and those studying franchised courses at other colleges.
We can advise you on the following areas:
• applying for entry clearance
• extending your student visa
• registering with the police
• working while studying
• information on applying for a Schengen (EU) visa (because of the high cost involved we cannot arrange appointments with embassies for you)
• working in the UK after your studies, including:
International Graduates Scheme (IGS)
Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
Work permits
Download Find your way to work leaflet
If your leave to remain as a student (student visa) will expire before you finish your studies in the UK, you will need to renew it. You should submit your application to renew your visa before it expires. Do not wait until the last minute to renew your visa, as you need to provide a number of documents to support your application. There are also periods when both we and the Home Office are very busy because many students' visas expire on the same date (at the end of October and January). You can avoid delays to your application by applying to renew as early as possible - we can advise you on when you are able to make an application.
If you need to extend your student visa you can make an appointment with a student adviser who will check your application form and supporting documents. We will send the form to the Home Office on your behalf. Your visa and other documents are returned to us, usually within four weeks. The Home Office currently charges a fee of £295 to process your application. There is no extra charge for our service.
Please note that the Advice Centre is only able to accept postal orders for payment of the application fee. You can get these from Post Offices - please note that the Post Office charges an issue fee.
For more information please see our leaflet Applying for extension of stay as a student
Postgraduate students studying sciences and technical/engineering subjects
If you are a Masters or PhD student you must get a clearance certificate before submitting your visa application if you are studying a subject which is on a list under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). It takes up to 10 working days to obtain the certificate.
You can find out if your course is on the list by visiting the ATAS pages at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. You will first need to find out the JACS code from your departmental office or your personal tutor.
You do not need the ATAS certificate if you are extending your visa to re-sit exams or write up your thesis and your last student visa was issued after 30 November 2007 or if your course JACS code is not on the ATAS list.
Please contact us if you need further advice on this.
Urgent information if your student visa (leave to remain) has expired
'Overstayers' are people who have come to the end of their immigration permission to be in the UK and who have remained here without applying to renew it.
If you make an application to renew your visa after it has expired you will not have the right to appeal if the Home Office refuses to extend it. The Home Office have recently refused a number of applications solely because they were made after the student's leave to remain had expired.
The Home Office views overstays of 6 months or more as especially serious: if you have already overstayed for 6 months or more, you should contact us immediately and we will refer you on for urgent advice from an immigration specialist. Do not contact the Home Office without getting advice first.
Registering with the police
We are also able to help students who have to register with the police on their arrival in the United Kingdom and those who have to notify the police of any changes in their circumstances, for example, change of address or extension of their visa.
For more information please see our guidance notes on Police Registration
Useful links
NUS Information for international students
UKCISA - advice for international students
University of Kent International Office
Government immigration web sites
Border and Immigration Agency/Home Office
Working in the UK
We can also give you advice on Budgeting, financial management and debt, Consumer - goods and services, Employment advice and Housing. Just take a look through the links on the left.
You can contact us by coming in to the Student Advice Centre in person or:
emailing us: advice@kent.ac.uk
Tel: 01227 824824
We are open Monday to Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
