Visa conditions & rights
Your Student visa comes with conditions you must follow throughout your studies. Breaching these can result in LSBU reporting you to UKVI and your visa being curtailed.
Your key obligations
| Condition | What it means |
|---|---|
| Study | You must study at LSBU — the institution named on your CAS. You cannot study at another institution unless specifically authorised. |
| Attendance | Attendance at all timetabled classes, lectures, and workshops is mandatory. LSBU monitors attendance and is legally required to report non-engagement to UKVI. |
| Public funds | You cannot claim public funds — this includes Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance, and similar benefits. |
| Contact details | Keep your UK address, mobile number, and email address up to date with both LSBU and your UKVI account at all times. |
| Document checks | The university may ask to see your immigration documents at any point during your studies. |
ℹ Police registration: The Police Registration Scheme has been abolished. You do not need to register with the police, regardless of your nationality.
How many hours can you work?
| Course level | During term time | During vacation |
|---|---|---|
| Degree level (BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD) | Up to 20 hours/week | Full time |
| Below degree (Foundation etc.) | Up to 10 hours/week | Full time |
A "week" for UKVI purposes runs Monday to Sunday. Both paid and unpaid work count towards the limit.
You can also work full time: before your course start date, during official vacation periods, and after your course ends.
What you must not do
- Be self-employed or run a business
- Freelance or do gig-economy work (Deliveroo, Uber, etc.)
- Work as a professional sportsperson, coach, or entertainer
- Fill a permanent full-time vacancy
- Work as a doctor or dentist in training
Work placements
If your course includes an assessed work placement that is an integral part of the programme, you can work full time on that placement and still do up to 20 hours per week of other work alongside it.
Proving your right to work
Employers will ask you to prove your right to work. You do this by generating a Share Code through your UKVI account. Physical BRP cards are being phased out — everything is now digital.
ℹ Info: There are no more physical BRP cards. Your visa is now a digital eVisa linked to your passport.
Setting up your UKVI account
To access your eVisa you need to create a UKVI account. Here is what you need:
- A compatible smartphone
- Your passport
- A mobile number and email address
Go to GOV.UK, register for a UKVI account, then verify your identity using the UKVI ID Check app — scan your passport chip and take a selfie. Once set up, access your eVisa through the "View and prove immigration status" service.
Share Codes
To prove your immigration status to LSBU, an employer, or a landlord, generate a Share Code from your UKVI account. Each code is:
- Time-limited
- Specific to a purpose: right to study, right to work, or right to rent
Keep your account updated
If you change your passport, name, phone number, email address, or UK address — update your UKVI account. Keeping this information current is a visa condition.
Problems with your eVisa
If something looks wrong with your eVisa, report it through the GOV.UK error reporting tool. UKVI aims to respond within 10 working days.
Transferring to a different course within LSBU
You can change course within LSBU if all three of the following apply:
- The new course is at the same level or higher
- You can complete it within your current visa time
- UKVI criteria are met
Transferring to another university
You cannot use your LSBU Student visa at another institution. You would need a new CAS from the other university and would typically need to return home and apply for a new visa.
Interrupting or suspending your studies
Deferring assessments
If deferred assessments fall outside your visa period, you generally cannot extend your visa for this reason. You would need to leave the UK before your visa expires and complete the assessments remotely.
Deferring modules
If deferring a module creates a gap of 60 or more days without any timetabled classes during term time, LSBU will be required to withdraw your visa sponsorship.
Repeating modules
| Scenario | What happens |
|---|---|
| Repeating with attendance | You may need a visa extension. A new CAS can be issued. Contact the Immigration team at least 3 months before your visa expires. |
| Repeating without attendance | You cannot extend your visa for this. You must leave the UK and complete assessments remotely, or return briefly on a Standard Visitor visa. |
5-year limit reminder: Repeating modules adds to your total study time. Undergraduate students have a maximum of 5 years at degree level.
When LSBU must report you to the Home Office
LSBU is legally required to report your case to UKVI and withdraw your visa sponsorship if any of the following happen:
- You formally withdraw from your course
- You are excluded for academic or disciplinary reasons
- You do not re-enrol at the start of the academic year
- You have £1,000 or more in unpaid tuition fees
- You consistently fail to attend and do not respond to warnings
- You accept an intermediate award (e.g. a PG Diploma) instead of completing your Masters
What happens next
LSBU reports the withdrawal to UKVI within 10 working days. Your visa will be curtailed and you will typically have 60 days to either leave the UK or apply for a different visa.
Knock-on effects
- You lose your right to work as soon as sponsorship is withdrawn
- Your landlord's right-to-rent check will flag that your visa is no longer valid
- You lose your student council tax exemption
- Your NHS access may be affected
- Any tuition fee liability depends on when in the academic year you withdraw