The start of the academic year can be a busy time, but it is very important that you follow the guidance below and ensure you have done everything needed to start your student journey at the University of Manchester.
The Right to Study Check is a two part process for international students. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct type of immigration permission (visa) with which to study all of your course. Failure to provide evidence of the correct type of immigration permission could result in you being withdrawn from your course.
Part 1: The first part of the Right to Study check is part of the admissions process so when you have accepted your unconditional offer you will be emailed to invite you to upload a scan of your passport and visa (if you already have one that is valid for study). If you have a student visa that is valid for a different institution you cannot use it study with us and you should not upload it as part of your Right to Study. You should upload a scan of the main page of your passport and a new CAS number will then be issued to you so you can apply for a new student before you start your course with us.
Please note you cannot study with a Graduate visa so you must obtain your new student visa before the start of your course.
If you have an existing visa that permits study such as BNO, dependant, Tier 5 Youth Mobility, spouse/partner or limited leave to remain you must upload a scan of your visa as part of the Right to Study check. If you have a digital visa status such as a BNO or skilled worker visa you will need to upload a share code from the UKVI website so we can verify your immigration status online. We will check the scans of your visa and passport and complete your Right to Study checklist which will activate your student record for registration. If you already have a visa that is valid for study you will not need to complete part 2 of the Right to Study check.
Part 2: The second part of the Right to Study process is part of registration. If you need to obtain a new student visa to study with us you should complete the second part of the Right to Study check before you start your course. If you will delay your arrival in Manchester, for example due to travel restrictions or medical advice, you should complete Right to Study once you arrive in Manchester.
The documents that you need to provide to complete the Right to Study check will differ, depending on your immigration status / the type of visa you have:
Your decision letter will tell you which Post Office you need to attend to collect your BRP card from. You will not need an appointment to collect your card. If your card has been sent to the Post Office at Piccadilly Plaza you can view the opening hours here. You must take your passport with you to collect your BRP card.
In order to collect your BRP card from the Post Office you must bring with you:
If you lose your decision letter or you did not receive one you should take your passport containing your vignette visa to the Post Office to collect your BRP card and explain to the staff that you do not have your decision letter from UKVI.
If you do not know where you are required to collect your BRP from, or if you lose your passport, after arrival in the UK, prior to BRP collection you should use the form on the Gov.UK website to report your situation to the Home Office. They will write to you in 5 working days with instructions telling you what you need to do next.
What to do if you are under 18
If you will be under 18 you need to be accompanied by a responsible adult (someone who is over 18 years) when you go to the Post Office. Your parent or guardian can be your Responsible Adult without prior approval from the Home Office only if:
• They are collecting their own BRP at the same time, and
• The vignette in their passport states that you are their dependant (this will be shown by a printed remark such as “Dependant of John Smith”).
In all other cases the adult who will accompany you must be approved in advance by the Home Office, even if they are your parent or legal guardian.
In order to register as the Responsible Adult go to www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/collect
It will take at least a week for the UKVI to process a request to approve a Responsible Adult, and the process cannot be speeded up if that person is about to leave the UK, so please ensure that they apply as soon as possible.
The Responsible Adult will have to provide evidence of their identity when accompanying you to collect your biometric residence permit.
To prove their identity the Responsible Adult must present one of the following identity documents:
• Passport
• European national identity card (European citizen only)
• UK issued biometric residence permit.
If approved, you and the Responsible Adult will receive an authorisation e-mail. You and the responsible adult will need to present these to the Post Office Customer Service Adviser at the time of collection and you will not be able to collect your permit without them.
If you have not travelled with someone who is able to collect on your behalf please contact visa@manchester.ac.uk as it may be possible for a member of the Student Immigration Team to collect your BRP on your behalf from the Post Office.
What happens next
When you have collected your BRP card, you must e-mail a scan/photo as a PDF or jpeg attachment of the following to studentrts@manchester.ac.uk with the subject line 'Right to Study check' along with your student ID number:
We will check your documents and reply to your e-mail to either confirm that you have completed Right to Study check or to advise you of additional information that is needed.
If you are studying a course of less than 6 months' duration on a student visa (e.g. pre-sessional English Language student), you must e-mail a scan of the following to studentrts@manchester.ac.uk with the subject line 'Right to Study check' and your student ID number:
What happens next
We will check your documents and reply to your e-mail to either confirm that you have completed Right to Study check or to advise you of additional information that is needed.
If you are a Student visa holder who is eligible to apply for a visa extension in the UK, you must e-mail the following to studentrts@manchester.ac.uk before the start date of your course:
We will assess the evidence provided and confirm by email whether you are permitted to start studying.
You must pay for your new student visa application before you start your course. Please read the information on our website about how to extend your student visa before you apply.
Please note: If you currently hold a Graduate visa you cannot use it to start your course; you must obtain your new student visa before you start your course.
Important: If your course requires ATAS clearance, you will not be permitted to start your course without ATAS clearance even if you can evidence the submission of your visa extension application.
If you already have a BRP card for an immigration category that permits study (e.g. dependant, skilled worker), you must e-mail a scan of the following to studentrts@manchester.ac.uk with the subject line 'Right to Study check':
If you password protect any document scans that you send us you must e-mail from your University email adress and use your University of Manchester student ID as your password.
If you have already provided this information through part 1 of the Right to Study process and your visa is still valid you do not need to provide these documents to us again.
Please note if you are working full-time with a skilled worker visa we would only expect you to study part-time. In most cases it is not possible to work and study full-time.
Study with a graduate visa is not permitted, even on a part-time course. You must obtain a student visa before you start studying with us.
What happens next
We will check your documents and reply to your e-mail to either confirm that you have completed Right to Study check or to advise you of additional information that is needed.
Digital Immigration Status
If you have digital visa status such as BNO visa or skilled worker visa, you need to obtain a share code from the UKVI website and email it to visa@manchester.ac.uk along with your student ID number and your date of birth. Once we have obtained your share code we can verify your immigration status online and update your student record with your visa information.
This page will tell you what documents you will need to provide for 'Right to Study Check’ if you have been granted permission or have applied to stay in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme. If you have already provided this information to us through Part 1 of the Right to Study process you do not need to provide it again.
If you have received Settled or Pre-Settled status the evidence you provide will be your Passport or National ID, and proof of EU Settlement letter.
If you have a EUSS application pending but have not yet received Settled or Pre-Settled status then you will just need to e-mail studentrts@manchester.ac.uk with a scan of your Passport or National ID, and email confirmation of your submitted application. If you are an EEA national who has not received settled or pre-settled status, then you will need some other form of immigration permission to study in the UK.
Providing Proof of your status under the EU Settlement Scheme
What happens next
We will check your status with UKVI using your share code and reply to your e-mail to either confirm that you have completed Right to Study check or to advise you of additional information that is needed.
Providing your right to study when you have a student digital immigration status
You need to email us your share code so we can verify your student status along with your boarding pass or flight intinery so we can check the date that you entered the UK.
What happens next
We will check your status with UKVI using your share code and reply to your e-mail to either confirm that you have completed Right to Study check or to advise you of additional information that is needed.
You may or may not have a visa sticker or entry stamp in your passport depending on your nationality, whether you entered the UK via the E-Gates or if you applied in advance of travel.
You must e-mail a scan of the following to studentrts@manchester.ac.uk with the subject line 'Right to Study check':
If you were able to obtain your standard visitor permission by entering the UK via an E-gate, or if you travelled to the UK via the Republic of Ireland, you will not have a sticker or entry stamp in your passport. Instead, once you have arrived in the UK, you must e-mail a scan of the following to studentrts@manchester.ac.uk with the subject line 'Right to Study Check':
What happens next
We will check your documents and reply to your e-mail to either confirm that you have completed Right to Study check or to advise you of additional information that is needed.