Extend your Student Route Visa from within the UK

You must submit your application to extend your visa before your current visa expires.

Start preparing at least 6-8 weeks before your current visa expires.

If your course requires ATAS clearance, ensure that you apply for this as early as possible.

Request a CAS statement through SIMS online, and contact the Student Visa Compliance team for assistance.

Allow a minimum of five working days to receive the CAS email.

Here is a brief list of the documents you will need to prepare.

More information can be found in our guide to extending your student visa in the UK:

• current passport
• Cardiff University CAS statement
• any academic qualification and/or document that is listed on your CAS statement
• evidence of successful completion of your previous course if applicable
• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Certificate (if applicable)
• financial documents, where applicable; see Money requirements for full details
• if previously sponsored by an official financial sponsor within the last 12 months but no longer receiving financial support, a letter confirming their consent to your remaining in the UK.
• if you are under 18 at the time of application, you will need a letter of consent from your parent or a legal guardian.

Translating documents

If your documents are not in English, you must submit a certified translation by a professional translator. This applies to references, qualifications, transcripts, bank statements, and letters.

The translation should include:

• Confirmation of its accuracy
• Date of translation
• Full name and signature of the translator or a translation company official
• Contact details of the translator or translation company

For help finding qualified translators, you can check the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) directory, which lists UK-based companies offering professional translation services.

Complete the online application form up to the CAS number, add dependants if applicable, and STOP at the end of Section 117.

Do not proceed to the document checklist, sign the declaration, or pay until checked by an adviser, as errors cannot be corrected later.

Contact us via Student Connect. Allow 10 working days for a response.

We will check your form and documents against Home Office requirements and provide written feedback on amendments or missing documents.

Appointments are offered for complex cases.

Once feedback is received and any  amendments to your form and documents have been actioned, you can proceed with submitting your online Student Route visa application.

Your application is considered submitted once you have paid the IHS and application fees. You must then upload your supporting documents online and transfer or provide biometrics.

Your biometrics can be submitted via the UKVI IDV app or through a UKVCAS in-person appointment.

Instructions are provided after online submission.

All applicants can be invited to attend an interview with the UKVI caseworking team (although they are rarely needed for extending visas from within the UK). There is no reason to be concerned if you are invited, but you should ensure that you are prepared.

If invited, you will be sent an invitation by email to the address entered on your application form. Be sure to check your emails regularly (including junk/spam folders) to ensure you do not miss anything.

Currently, most interviews are held remotely. A link to join or instructions on how to obtain this should be included in your invitation email.

Common question topics to be prepared for are:

• your course and reasons for choosing it
• study location
• reasons for studying in the UK and Cardiff
• how you researched to decide the above, and the sources you used
• your future plans and how your study will support these.

You may use written notes as a prompt in your interview, but ensure you are not reading from pre-written answers.

The purpose is to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that you are a genuine student with the required English language ability. Failure to attend without a reasonable explanation may result in refusal.

Check your emails regularly for invitations from UKVI.

You will receive a decision on your application via email. Please ensure that you check your emails regularly, including the spam/junk folders, as messaging can be filtered out.

Your email will confirm whether your visa has been granted or otherwise.

If your application is granted

If your decision notification email states that your visa has been granted, you will be granted permission to study under the Student Route Visa.

Your email will contain a summary of your visa conditions and validity dates. Please read the email carefully and check the information is all complete. Read our guidance on the correct lengths of visas and correcting errors to help you here.

Student Route visas in the UK are issued as an eVisa only. It is vital that you access your eVisa and ensure it is correct as soon as possible. Please read your decision email for guidance on how to access your eVisa. We also provide guidance on this process. You must access your eVisa and check the online details as soon as possible.

You must provide a copy of your new Student Route Visa to the University.

What to do if your visa application is rejected

If the application is rejected, this means that the validity requirements were not met. In this case, there is no recourse to review or appeal. Your application fee will be refunded (minus an administration charge).

In this situation, you will no longer have legal permission to remain in the UK and will become an overstayer. Overstaying can have serious implications. We strongly recommend that you contact us as a matter of urgency for further guidance.

What to do if your visa application is refused

If your visa application is refused, the first step is to check why it was refused. This information will be attached to your decision email, normally in a PDF attachment.

In this situation, your legal permission to study and remain in the UK will end and you will become an overstayer. Overstaying can have serious implications. We strongly recommend that you contact us as a matter of urgency for further guidance on the resources available to you.

If you believe there was a mistake in how your application or documents were assessed, you can apply for a review of the application decision. This is called an Administrative Review.

Only the original application and submitted documents will be reviewed; you cannot send new documents.

You have 14 days from the date on the refusal notice to request an Administrative Review. You must submit your request in writing using the correct form. We can support you with this process.

If you find that there was no mistake in the decision, an Administrative Review will not be viable. A further application within the UK may not be possible. We ask that you contact us as a matter of urgency to review your situation and the next viable steps.

• Takes approximately 8 weeks
• Cost: £524 + IHS fee
• Biometrics are submitted via the UKVI IDV app or during an in-person appointment at a UKVCAS centre if unable to use the app.

• Decision in 5 working days of submitting the application, documents, and biometrics.
• Cost: £1,024 + IHS
• Biometrics are submitted via the UKVI IDV app or during an in-person appointment at a UKVCAS centre if unable to use the app.

• Decision in 1 working day after submitting the application, documents, and biometrics.
• Cost: £1,524 + IHS
• Biometrics are submitted via the UKVI IDV app or during an in-person appointment at a UKVCAS centre if unable to use the app.