Student Visa cancelled? HELP!

Hi all

I'm going to try and explain this as best as I can.

I am/was holding a pre tier-4 student visa which is/was valid until March 2012. I did an internship abroad in 2011 and I came back to London 2 or 3 times during that time period. It appears as I was stamped as visitor each of these visits.

I came back last week to see for an appartment and to my big surprise, customs told me that my visa is not valid anymore as I was stamped as a visitor during my year abroad. They also told me that I now need to reapply for a visa for my last year in the UK.

I won't lie, I'm quite pissed at the moment as I have very little time to sort things out. What should I do? Apply for a Tier-4 extension (even though I have a pre Tier 4 visa?) or apply for a brand new visa?

Your help will be appreciated!

If you have leave as a visitor (but not as a prospective student visitor) you can't apply for Tier 4 from inside the UK. It will have to be an entry clearance application.

That is correct. You may only hold one valid entry clearance at a time and the latest one will override any you have obtained before.

As you entered as a visitor and not to study, the IO was correct to stamp you in as a visitor and not on your student visa.

You would therefore need to apply for a new Tier 4 visa from outside the UK, you cannot apply from inside the UK on a visitor entry clearance.

How is it that you were stamped as a visitor? Did you have a new visitor visa on which you entered the UK those two or three times? Or are you a non-visa national who was stamped as a visitor upon arrival?

If so, the above answers are correct.