switching courses on student visa

is it possible to switch your course after entering the uk on a student visa? how do i go about it? are different student visas specific to a particular course?

shell wrote:is it possible to switch your course after entering the uk on a student visa? how do i go about it? are different student visas specific to a particular course?

No.

You can change courses if you want

Unlike say a Work Permit, which ties someone to work for one specified employer, a student visa does not tie you specifically to one course. So in principle no particular problem in switching courses.

However, are you simply wanting to switch to another course at the same school, college or university? Or are you thinking of switching to a different establishment? If you are, do ensure that the establishment is on the Home Office approved list, otherwise you may encounter problems in the future.

Is the new course a different length compared to the old one?

i'm looking to switch to a different establishment and the new course is longer

Hi, are you able to name the new establishment where you hope to do the new course?

Also, the new course, is its end date later than the expiry date of your current student visa?

university of birmingham,

yes the course end date is later than the visa end date. will i just need to re-new it when it expires?

shell wrote:. will i just need to re-new it when it expires?

correct. But you need to have all the required documentary evidence!

Shell, clearly University of Birmingham is not a problem. I just wanted to ensure that you were not thinking of transferring to an unapproved college or school.

Ensure that you apply for an an extension to your Student Visa before the old one expires. You can make your application within the 28 day period before the old one expires. Apply using form FLR(S). From that you will note the application fee is £500 in person at a PEO or £250 by post. Don't worry about applying by post and the fact that it will take a bit longer. Even if the application is still pending when the stated expiry date of the old visa is reached, as long as the application was submitted prior to that stated expiry date, the old visa is "treated as continuing" under legislation commonly known as Section 3C. It is treated as continuing until they deal with the application, and if it happens to be rejected, until the time expires for lodging an appeal.

In other words, you would not suddenly become an overstayer if you have not heard the result of your application by the stated expiry date.