Your UK immigration permission is recorded digitally as an eVisa. If you are granted a UK visa, you will access your immigration status online rather than receiving a physical visa document.
Some students may previously have held a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). BRPs for Student visa holders expired on 31 December 2024 and are no longer used. Your current immigration status is shown through your eVisa.
You must be able to access your eVisa and provide evidence of your immigration status when required by the University or UK authorities.
You access your eVisa through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account using the Government’s ‘View and prove your immigration status’ service. From this service you can view your immigration status and generate share codes to prove your status to others.
You should check your eVisa as soon as it becomes available and again a few weeks before travelling to the UK, or before returning if you are overseas.
✔ Name and date of birth (must match your passport)
✔ Visa type (Student)
✔ Sponsor listed as the University of Manchester
✔ Visa expiry date
✔ Work conditions
If any details are wrong, you must report them to UKVI before you travel. You should also make sure that the passenger information you give to your airline matches the details on your passport and immigration permission.
You must travel using the passport linked to your eVisa. Airlines and UK Border Force check your immigration status digitally using your passport details.
If an airline cannot confirm your status automatically, they may ask you to log in to your UKVI account or provide a share code as evidence of your immigration permission.
If you have recently updated your passport details, you must ensure these have been updated in your UKVI account before you travel.
The University is required to check your immigration status as part of a right to study check. This is normally done using a UKVI share code.
UKVI issues different types of share code depending on what your immigration status is being checked for. These share codes can be identified by the letter they start with.
Share codes starting with W are for work checks and are used by employers. Share codes starting with R are for rent checks and are used by landlords. Share codes starting with S are for ‘other’ checks and are used by universities for right to study checks.
When generating a share code for the University, you must select the option to prove your status for ‘other’ purposes so that an S share code is generated. Share codes for work or rent checks cannot be used for right to study checks and will not be accepted.
Share codes are time-limited. If your share code expires before it is used, you will need to generate a new one.
You must update your UKVI account if you get a new passport or if your personal details change. If you obtain a new passport or change your name, you must also email a copy of the new passport or evidence of the change to the Student Immigration Team You must keep your contact details up to date in MyManchester, including your UK address, personal email address and UK phone number.
If your eVisa contains incorrect information, you must report this directly to UKVI. The University cannot correct your eVisa for you. If you cannot access your UKVI account, you must use UKVI’s account recovery service or the UK Visas and Immigration contact centre:
If you need advice about how your eVisa affects your studies or your right to study, contact the Student Immigration Team
Independent guidance on eVisas is available from UKCISA.
UK Visas and Immigration has produced short videos explaining what an eVisa is and how to access it. These are optional viewing and may be useful if this is your first UK visa.
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