eVisas - your online immigration status

You may be in the process of making or preparing your Student Route visa application now and wondering what form your visa will take.

At present, for applications made overseas (except for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals) for a visa over 6 months, applicants granted their visa can expect to receive a visa vignette (sticker) in their passport when the visa is granted. You will also receive instructions from the UKVI on how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa in your grant email, which will direct you to the 'Get access to your eVisa' page.

UKVI state that vignette for Students will be issued until 15 July 2025. After this date, visas for periods over 6 months will be issued as eVisas only. This is part of the transition to eVisas and the process is subject to change. Check regularly for updates.

If you applied for your Student Visa from overseas (except for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals) or you applied in the UK and attended an in-person biometric appointment, you will need to create a new UKVI account in order to access your visa. You can create this account at Gov.UK  eVisa account page

Watch the UKVI informational video for guidance on this process.

After you complete the process, you will receive an email from the UKVI informing you that your eVisa is ready to view. This stage can take a few days. After you receive this email, you can log in to your account and access your eVisa.

To prove your immigration status to the University you will need to generate a share code. Please see our guidance below on how to do so.

If you applied for your visa using the UK Immigration ID Check App then you will already have a UKVI account. This applies to all nationalities who use the App in the UK and to EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals accessing the App overseas. You can find further information and log in to your account on the UKVI pages.

We advise all students to download a PDF copy of the eVisa once  you have accessed this. Please save this  securely and ensure it remains accessible to you for future reference.

The Student Visa Support team will help students through this change and will update this page and the University's communication channels regularly.

Once  you have access to your eVisa, check the information on it is correct.

If you notice an error on your eVisa- you will need to complete the online eVisa error reporting form

On this form you can report the following errors:

• name
• sponsor reference
• photo
• National Insurance number
• visa restrictions - these say what you can and cannot do in the UK
• immigration status
• valid until date
• Email address to sign in to your account
• Phone number to sign in to your account

It is very important to report an error in your visa end date as soon as possible. Until the error is corrected, the incorrect expiry date will be the date by which you will need to exit the UK to avoid becoming an overstayer.  Our 'Correct lengths of visas' guidance will help you check if your visa has been issued correctly.

When reporting an error in your end date, you will be asked, 'What is the correct date your visa is valid to?' Here you should input the date your visa should be corrected to.

The UKVI will contact you within 10 working days to either:

• confirm that they’ve corrected the details
• ask you for more information.

Make sure you recheck your eVisa when they have confirmed it is corrected, to ensure it has been amended correctly.

Notify the University via Student Connect when you have the amended eVisa so your record can be updated accordingly.

All students should ensure that they have access to their eVisa before any travel. You will be required to provide evidence of your eVisa to travel.

It is very important that you check your details and visa dates are correct on your UKVI account and to ensure that you update your account with your current passport details.

Key documents to have with you when travelling (stored safely in your hand luggage):

• Passport
• eVisa -we recommend you generate a share code and take a screenshot of your eVisa in advance of travel in case of any system issues at the time of travel
• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)  - either electronic or printed - as proof  of study
• A residence agreement letter or an email confirming your Cardiff address will serve as proof of your UK residency.

The University will need a copy of your Student Visa for you to enrol and for ongoing study.

You will need to provide your eVisa share code at the point of enrolment to ensure that your student ID and enrolment period continue for the full length of your course.

If you are a continuing student and extend your visa or change to a different category, you must provide your new eVisa share code as soon as it is issued. You can do so through Student Connect.

Guidance on How to generate your eVisa Share Code.

The Gov.UK Visa pages are updated regularly as the student route visa changes over from BRPs to online eVisas.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)  eVisa page provides  valuable guidance regarding the eVisa