Visa Check-in

What if I want to go on holiday for two weeks or less?

You can do this if you check in on campus in the weeks before and/or after your holiday - in two different weeks in a month. As an example, for July 2024: Check in on any day w/c 1 July, go on holiday w/c 8 July and 15 July, check in on any day w/c 22 July.

What if I want to go on holiday for more than two weeks?

If you chose to take leave of longer than 14 days, then this could impact your eligibility for a graduate route visa and impact your current student visa meaning that you may only be able to return to the UK (e.g. for graduation) on a standard visitor visa. You should seek advice from the Student Immigration and Advice team (visa@manchester.ac.uk) before making plans to leave the UK. You should also discuss this with your school. They will consider whether to grant an authorised absence.

What are the criteria for authorised leave of more than 14 days?

Leave will be considered against the following criteria which sets out mitigating circumstances with details of the supporting documentation that would be required: 

• Seek urgent medical treatment for themselves (medical letter required – if this is in their native language then we would require a translation)
• Bereavement or funeral (order of service, letter from parent confirming death. We can also accept a death certificate but the first two might be easier to obtain) 
• Parent/carer/sibling/grandparent/family member illness (letter from parent or equivalent family member or medical letter) 
• Need to renew passport (copy of passport to show expiry date) 
• Having to renew other official documents that can’t wait until later (evidence of this)
• Approved for data collection outside of the UK as part of their dissertation or project research (approval from Ethics Review Manager system will be required)

What if I have approval for part of my course to be undertaken away from the University?

If a placement or period of fieldwork or data collection is approved, then you will not have to check-in during the approved dates. After the approved period then you will have to resume checking-in.

How will leave requests be assessed and authorised?

Your school Attendance Team will consider requests and email you directly with the outcome.  If the leave is approved, you will be informed of the specific dates approved and you will be expected to return to the UK by the date given and be required to check-in on your return. 

If the request does not meet any of the above criteria, or does not include supporting documentation, you will be informed that you are not permitted to leave the UK and that if you do so you will be at risk of not only forfeiting your eligibility for a graduate route visa but your current student route visa could be at risk and you may only be able to return to the UK (e.g. for graduation) on a standard visitor visa. You would also need to tell the visa team by emailing visa@manchester.ac.uk that you are leaving the UK without authorisation.  If you do not inform the visa team you may jeopardise your eligibility for future visas. 

What if I miss the final assessment deadline?

If you do not submit your final piece of assessment on time, you should discuss this with your school to make alternative arrangements. If you do not contact the school by 30 September 2024, sponsorship of the visa will be withdrawn and it will be unlikely that you would be eligible for the graduate route visa.

If you are granted an extension to the deadline to submit the final piece of assessment, the summer period attendance requirements will continue until the new submission deadline.

What if I submit my final assessment early?

A student may submit their final piece of assessment in advance of the submission deadline, however the attendance monitoring requirements will continue until the deadline, unless agreement has been given by the school.

What if I want to submit my final assessment from outside the UK and I am comfortable with becoming ineligible for a graduate route visa?

Please discuss this with your school. You can notify the University in advance to avoid these check-in requirements. You would then need a standard visitor visa should you wish to return to the UK, for example to attend graduation. You would also no longer be eligible to apply for a graduate route visa upon obtaining your degree.