UK Home Office Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Tier 4 sponsors, student migrants and short-term students (1 June 2020)

Tier 4 migrants

Distance learning

Normally Tier 4 students are not permitted to undertake distance learning courses. However, due to the COVID-19, UK Home office will consider students to attend distance learning to existing Tier 4 students in the UK or international students who have wish to return to their home countries but wish to continue their current studies.

New international students who have been issued a Tier 4 visa but have been unable to travel to the UK are permitted to undertake distance learning and sponsorship wont be withdrawn.

New international students outside the UK who have not yet applied for a visa but wish to commence a course by distance learning do not need to travel to the UK to do so and therefore do not require sponsorship under Tier 4.

Extending a Tier 4 visa

Students whose leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 31 July 2020, who would otherwise be unable to extend in country, will be able to exceptionally apply for further leave within the UK. 

To be granted further leave to complete an existing course, or to begin a new course students must still meet all other requirements of Tier 4, including academic progression and maintenance requirements.

Students must normally allow no more than 28 days before their studies commence, but we will exercise discretion on this requirement if:

A) the student had to apply before 31 July because their current leave would expire on or before that date, and

B) the start date of the new course named on the CAS is no later than 1 October 2020.

Short-term study

Switching into Tier 4 in the UK

Switching into Tier 4 from other routes, including Visit and Short-term Study, will be allowed on an exceptional basis. Applicants must still meet all the other relevant requirements of the route such as having a valid CAS and maintenance, unless the requirement is covered by another concession in this guidance. This will be allowed until 31 July, at which point the concession will be reviewed.

Permitted study

Short-term students who have been given an exceptional extension of leave in this category as a result of Covid-19 will be permitted to study on a further course other than that which they originally entered the UK to undertake.

Short-term whose leave expires after 31 July will also be permitted to study a further course, but only if they are unable to continue the course that they entered the UK to study by distance learning or they have completed their original course. The normal requirement to leave within 30 days of the end of study will not be applied to those who are unable to leave the UK due to travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Extending short-term study leave in the UK

There is no provision in the Immigration Rules to make an in country application to extend leave in the short-term study category. A person who wishes to extend their leave as a short-term student will need to make an application for leave outside the Immigration Rules. Alternatively, if the person intends to study with an education provider which is a Tier 4 sponsor and willing to sponsor them, they can apply to switch into the Tier 4 category. Short-term students whose leave is due to expire before 31 July can request a short extension of leave until 31 July.

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