Here you will find next steps after you arrive in the UK, how to renew your Student route (formerly tier 4) visa and understand the rules around working and studying in the UK.
Our International Student Advice team is here to help you with any issues related to your immigration status during your time at MDX. We can also support you and offer guidance if your circumstances change or any difficulties arise relating to your Student route (formerly tier 4) visa.
Our advisers provide a non-judgemental and strictly confidential service. This means that we will not discuss any of the details of your visit, unless you give us permission to do so.
We offer both online and printed information as well as one-to-one support through appointments.
We run a free check and send service for current students and weekly visa workshops to assist you in filling out the online application form to either extend or renew your visa.
We also provide information about your responsibilities as a Student route (formerly tier 4) visa holder at Middlesex.
Tel: 020 8411 4507
Email: intadvice@mdx.ac.uk
Book an appointment
Speak to our International Student Advisor
Chrisy Savva
Email: C.savva@mdx.ac.uk
Tel: 0208 411 5422
Speak to our Chinese Student Liaison Officer
Email: e.ngui@mdx.ac.uk
WeChat: ellismdx (include your name and student number with your friend request)
Coming to the UK and beginning your studies at MDX is an exciting time and we want to make sure that you arrive fully prepared. This means not only are you ready for your course but you have considered your health and wellbeing too.
Getting access to healthcare services in the UK can be dependant on the length of your course and the country you're arriving from. It's important that you understand what your eligible for so that as soon as you touch down in the UK, you know what's available if you ever need help.
Before you arrive, you'll need to ensure that your vaccinations are up to date, that you've spoken to your doctor if you have an ongoing health condition or take regular medications, and be aware of how and when to contact UK healthcare services.
The EU Settlement Scheme offers you an opportunity to protect your residence and continue to study and work in the UK. It also allows you to apply for either Pre-Settled or Settled Status.
The Graduate route is a visa for international students in the UK who want to work or look for work following the successful completion of their degree at Undergraduate level or above. Please visit the Graduate Visa webpage on the UK Government website for further information and eligibility.
The International Student Advice Team will be holding graduate route presentations twice monthly from September. Please check on Unihub for dates and times.
The International Student Advice Team are holding several graduate route presentations to help international students who may be thinking of applying after they successfully complete their current programme of study. This is a new two-year working visa that students are granted by the UKVI to work in the UK after their studies.
Click the following link to view our presentation: Graduate Route Presentation
We can provide general advice and guidance but as with other non-Student routes, we do not offer one to one appointment to help you with submitting your application. We also deliver Graduate route workshops throughout the year and are promoted on Unihub.
Please go to https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa for further guidance.
Once you meet the eligibility requirements, i.e. have successfully completed your course and been awarded, the university will notify the UKVI and also email you to apply. Please note that you’re responsible for checking that you meet all the eligibility criteria before submitting your Graduate route application. Application fees are not always refundable if an application is submitted when you don’t meet the eligibility criteria
The Student Visa Compliance Team can only report to UKVI under (the Graduate route reporting) confirming that you have been awarded your degree once your grades have been ratified by the Exam Boards and duly recorded on our systems (MISIS). Therefore, the Student visa compliance team will be conducting regular reviews to ensure prompt processing and reporting of your award to facilitate the procedure as efficiently as feasible. The Student Visa Compliance Team will email you to confirm that they have notified the UKVI and also provide you with the CAS number Assigned to you in support of your previous student route visa application.
£715 application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of £624 per year.
The only restriction is a prohibition on working as a professional sportsperson or coach.
If you submit a valid application before your tudent visa has expired, you will beprotected by 3C leave. Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 protects applicants frombecoming overstayers if the Home Office has not decided their application by the time theircurrent immigration permission expires. It extends that permission and the conditions attached toit, beyond the date of expiry until a decision has been made on the applicant's visa application.
If you’ve made a valid application before your current visa has expired, you will be able to work but subject to the Student visa work restrictions. If you currently a student route visa to study a part-time course, you cannot work until you receive a successful decision on your Graduate visa application.
Your Graduate Route visa will be valid from the date it is granted by the UKVI. Service standard times are approximately up to 8 weeks depending on the time of year.
You should seek advice if you will not successfully complete your programme by the expected course end date listed on your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies). If you need to submit outstanding work, a deferred dissertation, or sit exams after your official course end date, your visa may expire before your results are published and you will not be eligible to apply for the graduate route visa.
It’s also important to understand that the Student sponsor rules do not allow Middlesex University to sponsor you for a Student visa extension unless your active engagement on your course is needed. If you’re not required to enrol and take part in classes such as repeating modules but only submit outstanding coursework, a deferred dissertation or sit exams, this would not meet the rules for visa sponsorship and so you could not extend your Student visa.
UKVI Guidance states that the caseworker should count all periods of Student permission which were granted to study the eligible qualification that you later successfully completed.
One of the requirements of the Graduate Route is that you have studied in the UK for at least 12 months whilst holding a valid Student visa.
Normally you must have completed your programme during your current period of Student permission, and it must be the same programme for which your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) was assigned. There are some exceptions:
No, the Graduate visa is granted only once and cannot be extended.
You can only study with a Graduate visa if your chosen course is not eligible for a Student visa or the place of study is not a Student visa sponsor.
No, you can only apply for the Graduate route once.
You can switch from Graduate Route to Skilled Worker route in the UK if you find a job where the company can sponsor you. You may be able to switch to Skilled Worker visa when your Graduate visa is ending but you can only be a ‘new entrant’ for a maximum of 4 years' worth of permission under Graduate Route, Tier 2 and Skilled Worker.
This is explained further on the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website. Your Skilled Worker visa sponsor would be your main point of contact for advice.
If you leave the Common Travel Area (UK, Republic of Ireland, Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man), your visa application will be considered automatically withdrawn so you should not leave the CTA until you receive your decision and BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) (if eligible to receive a BRP).
If in the past 12 months you’ve been awarded full financial sponsorship for both your tuition fees and maintenance by a government or an international scholarship agency, you will need to supply a letter of consent from your sponsor. The letter should confirm they consent to your Graduate Route application and is a validity requirement for the visa application.
Yes, if you return to the UK before your Student visa expires. At the border, you may be asked why you’re returning to the UK. You should explain to a Border Force Officer that you’re returning to apply for the Graduate Route visa.
Graduate Route is not a direct route to settlement after 5 years but may count toward the long residence provision where there has been 10 years of continuous leave held. You should seek advice from an external immigration adviser if you have questions about settlement or ILR as SOAS Student Advice Service cannot advise on this. You can find specialist immigration advice via the Immigration Law Practitioners website.
Only dependents that are currently in the UK as a Student dependent can apply as your dependent under the Graduate Route.
The length of the graduate route is 2 years for undergraduate and postgraduate students and 3 years for PHD.
After the excitement of the first few days or weeks has worn off, you may find yourself feeling homesick.
Being away from home for the first time can be difficult and as an international student you will have additional worries such as getting used to different customs and communicating in a foreign language. You may start to feel anxious, frustrated, disappointed and lonely.
If you have any problems or feel lonely, there are various people you can talk to:
More information can be found on our Counselling page.
The following organisations specialise in International student affairs:
We have created a number of information guides covering a wide range of subjects:
