Definitions

Repeating - attending the taught elements of a module again 

Resitting - only resubmitting or retaking the assessment of a specific module without attending the taught elements

As a general rule, Royal Holloway can only maintain sponsorship of your current Student visa and/or offer you further sponsorship on a Student visa where you will remain engaged with in-person studies from within the UK. 

Therefore, in order to be sponsored under the Student visa, you must be repeating at least 1 module per term. 

Please note that repeating modules comes with a fee liability (pro rata). 

If you choose to resit only or you don't have the option to repeat or resit modules during a specific term then the University will remove sponsorship of your Student visa and you will not be eligible for further sponsorship on the Student visa unless you later return to study in attendance. Please note the information below about students who resit in the The Summer Vacation Assessment Period

If you choose to resit assessments in The Summer Vacation Assessment Period, the University will maintain sponsorship of any current Student visa you hold. 

If your results from The Summer Vacation Assessment Period allow you to progress to the next academic year then sponsorship of your Student visa will continue or if necessary can be extended. 

If you do not progress after The Summer Vacation Assessment Period then sponsorship of your visa cannot continue unless you are repeating failed modules in the next academic year or returning at a later stage to study in attendance. 

The below diagrams will help you to understand how your progression outcomes and the decisions you make will impact your visa. 

These diagrams are provided as a guide. We advise all students to discuss their progression decisions and the impact on their visa with the International Advice Team

Tip - If you can't see the images below clearly then right click and select 'open in a new tab' 

Undergraduate Students 

 

Postgraduate (Masters) Students - September start

Postgraduate (Masters) Students - January start

Postgraduate Research Students (PhD)

Please note that extensions to your registration period must be approved by the Doctoral School in the first instance. 

Please contact  International Advice to discuss the impact on your visa of any extension to your registration period. 

 

Having read the guidance above and confirmed your progression decision to your school that you wish to repeat at least 1 module per term with attendance then it is very likely that the University will need to issue you a new CAS in support of you making a new Student visa application. 

All CAS are issued in line with the policy here. 

To begin the process of issuing a new CAS, please contact the International Advice Team via any of the following methods 

In-person: You can drop-in anytime from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday at our offices in Founders East, Room 132 (FE132)

Online: You can book an online appointment via MS Teams here 

Email: internationaladvice@royalholloway.ac.uk 

 

The International Advice Team can advise you on 

- Your eligibility for further sponsorship on a Student visa 

- How and when to request a new CAS 

- How and when to make your new visa application 

- Check your application form and supporting documents before you submit your new visa application 

If the University has withdrawn sponsorship of your Student visa in line with the guidance above but you are required to return to the UK in order to resit an exam or assessment then you will need to apply for a Visitor visa. 

The Visitor visa allows you to come to the UK for up to 6 months to sit an entrance exam, retake an exam or course module, or do a PhD oral exam (a viva). 

 

Applying for the Visitor visa 

Whether you need to apply for the Visitor visa before you travel or whether you can be granted it when you arrive in the UK depends on your nationality. 

To check whether you need to apply before you travel or whether you will be granted immigration permission when you arrive at the border follow these step on the government website.

• Select your nationality
• Select 'study'
• Select '6 months or less'

 

I’ve been told I do not need a visa to come to the UK

You will be granted a Visitor visa for 6 months when you reach the UK. 

We recommend that your passport has at least 6 months validity remaining before you travel. 

We also recommend that you contact International Advice for a letter confirming your reasons for travelling to the UK (you may be asked for this letter when you arrive in the UK).

 

I’ve been told I’ll need a visa to study in the UK

You’ll need to apply for the visa and wait for a decision before you travel to the UK

It costs £100 to apply for a Visitor visa.

To apply you'll need to

• Submit your online application form
• Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre
• Attend your appointment
• Submit your documents (see below) 
• Give your fingerprints and photograph

Application times can vary according to where you live and the time of year, so make sure that you apply as early as possible to avoid any delays. You can apply for a Visitor visa up to three months before you need to come to the UK, but no earlier.

If you need to apply for a Visitor visa then we recommend that you prepare the following documents and submit them with your application. 

 

• A valid passport with at least 6 months remaining and at least one blank page
• A letter from the University confirming your reasons for coming to the UK including the dates that you are required to be on campus
• Evidence of where you will be staying while in the UK
• Evidence that you can support yourself financially while in the UK – please note that there is no explicit amount for how much money an applicant needs to show but we advise that you show you have income or savings of £1,334 per month for every month you need to stay in the UK
• If your course previously required you to obtain ATAS clearance then you will need to apply for new clearance
• If you are under the age of 18 you will require a letter from your parents or guardians giving you consent to travel for the purposes of study
• Evidence of your home address in the country you are normally resident in
• Evidence of any family members who still live in the country you are normally resident in
• Evidence of any assets (houses, property, etc.) that you or your family members own in the country you are normally resident in

 

Conditions of the Visitor visa 

Please note that the Visitor visa has the following conditions:

• You will not be eligible to work while in the UK, this includes paid or unpaid positions 
• You will not be eligible for free medical treatment under the NHS and therefore you should consider taking out travel or health insurance
• The Visitor visa cannot be extended nor can you switch to another visa type from within the UK while here on a Visitor visa.