International Student (Study Visa) Travel Letter
If you want to leave the UK for a short period of time, it is important that you inform the University to ensure that your attendance record is accurate. This process will allow you to notify the University of your intention to travel and request a letter to support you when you reach the UK border.
One of the conditions of your visa is that you are engaged in full-time study whilst you are in the UK, and the University’s expectations about how student attend and engage with their course are outlined in the Attendance and Engagement Procedure. Completion of this form and/or provision of an International Student (Study Visa) Travel Letter does not mean that the University approves your travel, nor does it mean that any resulting absences are authorised.
Any absence as a result of travel will be considered as missed attendance and/ engagement, and the Attendance and Engagement Procedure will be applied. This may mean that the University takes actions in relation to your attendance. Dependant on attendance levels, this may mean that the University would withdraw you from your studies, and your student visa could be withdrawn.
If your travel plans fall entirely in University holiday times, you do not need to complete this form and we do not need to know about your travel plans.
Please be aware that the University may not approve your request for a letter if
- You have made a request previously within the last 12 months (whether that request was approved or not)
- Your request is for more than 10 working days
- Your attendance and engagement is already low
- You have exams scheduled in the requested period (please confirm with your tutor)
- The request is not supported by evidence
Should you have further questions regarding this procedure, please contact us:
- on Solve
- on the phone: 01782 294 751
- face-to-face at Student Life helpdesks across campuses
What happens next
Once the form has been submitted, a member of the International Student Support team will contact either your Award Leader or your PhD Supervisor who will assess the request and make a decision whether to approve or reject your request.
If the request is rejected, the Student Support and Experience team will email you with a certificate confirming the approval of the leave. You should carry this with you when you travel. Only when you have received the certificate is your leave approved and authorised.
The Visa Compliance team and your tutors will not authorise any leave if they feel that you have not been attending or engaging with your studies to a satisfactory level or if they feel the leave period will significantly impact on your academic progress based on their academic judgement. A tutor’s academic judgement cannot be contested and is final.
Important information
- International Authorised Leave must be no longer than 10 working days – this is non-negotiable. If you wish to request leave for a longer period – please speak to the Student Support and Experience team.
- You MUST complete the following International Authorised Leave form before leaving the country for any reason. Failure to seek approval before leaving the UK would be deemed to be a breach of the University's Student visa regulations and could result in your withdrawal from your course. Any student withdrawn from their course would subsequently be reported to the UKVI and the University sponsorship of their Student visa would cease.
- Read more about how this applies to you and your course, please have a look at our Sharepoint
Should you have further questions regarding this procedure, please contact us by emailing student-support@staffs.ac.uk.