Visas and immigration

You can check whether you need a visa to study by answering a few simple questions on this UK Government website.

If you are a national of a country outside of the EEA or Switzerland you may be required by the UK Government to apply for ATAS clearance. The ATAS Scheme does not apply to all subject areas.

To find out if you will need ATAS clearance, please refer to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme website. If you are made an offer for postgraduate study we will email you separately regarding ATAS, but it is your responsibility to check whether clearance is required and make the necessary application. You may need further information from us for some parts of your ATAS application, we are happy to help with this where we can and answer any questions that you might have. For this further information please contact your faculty admissions team according to your chosen programme.

Please note that the ATAS certificate validation is only for six months once you receive it therefore an application must be made within this timeframe. 

Tier 4 Visa

If your course is due to last more than six months, then you will need to apply for a Tier 4 visa. You can find more information about the Tier 4 visa on the gov.uk website. 

Short Term Study Visa

The circumstances that would apply if you need to have a Short Term Study Visa are:

• Your course must be less than six months (or less than 11 months if English language)
• You must leave the UK when the visa expires
• You cannot apply for another visa from inside the UK
• You cannot do any work while in the UK, paid or unpaid.

Further information about the Short Term Study Visa

If you are unsure about which visa you should apply for you can contact the Visa and Immigration team.

As part of your immigration/Tier 4 visa application you may be required to pay towards the cost of Health Services.  You can find out if you are required to pay this charge and how to make a payment at the government NHS charges page.

The immigration health charge (referred to as the health surcharge) is payable by non-EEA nationals who apply for a visa to enter or remain in the UK for more than six months. People with indefinite leave to remain in the UK and those not subject to immigration control (e.g. diplomats posted to the UK) are not liable to pay the surcharge, but may be ordinarily resident and entitled to free NHS healthcare on that basis (see Chapter 3 for information about ordinary residence).

Payment of the health surcharge entitles the payer to NHS-funded healthcare on the same basis as someone who is ordinarily resident. They are entitled to free NHS services, including NHS hospital care, except for services for which a UK ordinary resident must also pay, such as dentistry and prescriptions in England.

Payment of the health surcharge is mandatory when making an immigration application, subject to exemptions for certain categories of people and the discretion of the Home Secretary to reduce, waive or refund all or part of a surcharge payment. Most of these groups also receive NHS-funded healthcare on the same basis as an ordinarily resident person.

The exemptions to paying the health surcharge are as follows:

(i) persons who apply for entry clearance where the leave to enter is for six months or less

(ii) persons who apply for entry clearance under the Immigration Rules as visitors

(iii) those who apply for entry clearance or leave to remain under the Immigration Rules as a Tier 2 intra-company migrant transfer and their dependants

(iv) a child who applies for leave to remain and is looked after by a Local Authority (or a Local Authority or Authority in other devolved administrations)

(v) a person, and their dependants, who makes an application for leave to remain.

The Department of Health's guidance provides more detailed information about NHS surcharges.

You must apply for your Tier 4 visa using the online application form on the UK Government website. You can only apply when you have received your Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (CAS). We recommend that you read through the current UKVI Tier 4 Policy Guidance on the Home Office website before starting your application, to ensure that you have all the documents you need to be able to make your visa application. 

Applying for your Tier 4 visa from outside the UK

If you are applying for your Tier 4 visa from outside the UK, we have put together some detailed information to help you - Applying for your Tier 4 visa application from outside the UK‌

Applying for your Tier 4 visa from inside the UK

If you are applying for your Tier 4 visa from inside the UK, we have put together some detailed information to help you - Applying for your Tier 4 visa application from inside the UK

Help and advice

If you need any further information about applying for your Tier 4 visa, please contact us at visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk.

We advise that you to make your visa application three months before you intend to travel to the UK. This will allow enough time for the application process. This is particularly important if you are intending to study on a degree course that requires an ATAS certificate.

When you have met the conditions of your offer and accepted your unconditional offer (on PG portal or via UCAS), the University will automatically supply you with a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS). This will be sent to you via email no sooner than 5 months before the start of your course of studies.  

You may apply for your Tier 4 visa no earlier than 3 months before your intended travel to the UK. If you do submit an application more than 3 months before the start date of your course your visa will be refused.

The CAS statement will show the unique CAS number that you need to enter on to your visa application and other information about you that we have passed to UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) such as your passport number, details of your course, previous studies/progression, the documents that we checked when we offered you a place and the amount of fees you have paid.

It is your responsibility to check that the information on your CAS is correct and complete and you must inform us as soon as possible if there are any amendments required.  

Help and advice

For more information, please take a look at this CAS FAQ. You can also email us at cas-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk  with questions about your CAS.

Please check all the details on the CAS carefully as soon as you receive it. Incorrect information on the CAS could lead to a visa refusal; it is your responsibility to let the University know if there are any errors before you submit your application for your visa.

If there are any corrections required, you can email us at cas-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk

If you need to let us know about corrections that need to be made to the CAS information before you apply for your visa, you can email us at cas-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk.  We can advise the UKVI Home Office of changes to your CAS via a sponsor note on the Home Office’s database.

Following any amendments, you will not to be issued with a new CAS, however we will send you an updated version of the CAS with the added sponsor note in. 

As part of the visa application process, you may have to take a short 'credibility interview'. This is either done via video link (Skype) or in person. The Home Office staff will ask you some questions to determine that:

• You genuinely plan to attend the course of study for which you are applying for a visa
• Your proficiency in English language is acceptable.

The questions will not be difficult, so there is nothing to worry about. For example, you may be asked why you have chosen a particular course, or how you intend to pay your fees and support yourself. You will be required to answer the questions in English.

A dependant is classed as a spouse, civil partner, different or same sex partner, a child who is either under 18 years of age, or over 18 and already in the UK as a points based system (PBS) dependant. A dependant must be 'dependent' on the main PBS migrant. You can have dependants (family members) with you in the UK if:

• Your nationality is within the EU, EEA or Switzerland, and your dependants are also from one of these countries. Please also note that if you are from EU, EEA or Switzerland but your dependants are from a country that requires a visa, they can apply for a Family Permit 
• You are government-sponsored and your course is longer than six months OR
• You are doing a postgraduate level course (National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 7 (Masters) or higher) of 12 months or longer at a publicly-funded Higher Education Institution or a 'UK recognised body' (see 'Definitions') OR
• Your current or most recent immigration permission was as a Tier 4 (General) student or a pre-Tier 4 student on a course longer than six months AND all four bullet points below apply:
  • your permission is current or expired no more than three months before this immigration application AND
  • your new immigration application is for a course that is longer than six months AND
  • your dependant already has Tier 4 dependant or 'student' dependant immigration permission (or it is the most recent immigration permission that they had, and it expired no more than three months before this application) AND
  • you apply for immigration permission at the same time as your dependant

You must already have your Tier 4 (General) immigration permission, or you must be applying for it in the same country where your dependant is making their application, at the same time as them.

The length of the visa issued to a dependant will be the same length as that of the main Tier 4 visa holder.

You can find out more about bringing family members with tyou when you are studying in the UK on the UK Government website.

Depending on your nationality, you may need to get a certificate to show that you are free from infectious tuberculosis (TB). Find out if this applies to you and how to get a certificate

It is recommended that you ensure that all your usual routine vaccinations are up to date before you leave home, in particular Measles, Mumps and Rubella and Meningitis C. If possible, please bring your vaccination record with you to Lancaster.

Nationals of certain countries are required to obtain a certificate confirming that they are free from infectious Tuberculosis (TB) before applying for a visa. If you have been in the UK and are returning home to do a new visa application please note that you would not need to get another TB certificate unless you spend more than six months in a country on the list provided by the Home Office.

If your visa application is refused, you must send us a copy of the refusal notice by emailing visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk as soon as possible after receiving the notice. You will need a new CAS from the University in order to make another application; you cannot use the same CAS again.

Before we look at issuing you with a new CAS you may need to provide us with further evidence, for example:

Refused for financial reasons - You will need to provide a new bank statement to visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk showing that you have held the correct amount of money for a period of 28 consecutive days. This must be a new bank statement; it cannot be any that have been used in a previous application.

Refused for not providing documents - You will need to show the University that you have the required document by sending a scan to visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk

Please note that should you have been refused based upon credibility the University will not be able to issue you with a new CAS. 

Once we have all the required evidence we can then consider issuing you another CAS to make a new application. Should the information provided not meet the UKVI requirements we reserve the right to ask for further evidence before a CAS can be issued. We also reserve the right not to issue the CAS if you do not meet the requirements.

If you believe the Home Office are incorrect in their decision to refuse your visa you may be able to submit an administrative review. For further information on this please use the following link - https://www.gov.uk/ask-for-a-visa-administrative-review/if-youre-outside-the-uk

This can be a useful alternative to a Tier 4 (General) student visa. The Short Term Study visa is designed for those:

• Studying on a short course/term for six months or less
• Studying up to 11 months on an English Language course
• Required to come and do short periods of research/summer schools as part of an distance learning programme or come back for resits 

If you are a visa national, you can check by looking at the list on the following website, you should apply for your Student Visitor Visa from your home country via the online application. If you are not a visa national, you can apply for a Student Visitor Visa from your home country or when you arrive at the UK Port of Entry.

Should you apply upon arrival please ensure you have all the documents required with you (in your hand luggage) at the time of arrival. One of the documents required is proof of the course you are studying, usually a letter of acceptance on letter headed paper stating the title of the course, duration and cost (including accommodation) will suffice. You can find more information about the documents needed at the gov.uk page about Short Term Study Visas.

For enquiries about the letter of acceptance you should contact the admissions team who have dealt with your application.

If you apply on arrival, we strongly advise that you DO NOT enter the UK through the Republic of Ireland as there is currently no immigration control between Ireland and the UK.  If you arrive via the Republic of Ireland you would only be able to get a Standard Visitor Visa, which is only valid for three months. As a result, you wouldn't be able to register for your course at Lancaster if the duration is longer than three months. The only way for you to apply for the Short Term Study Visa if you enter via this route is to leave the UK and re-enter through a main port.

For more information check the gov.uk website 

Please note this is not a route for academic visitors; if you fit this category you will require a Standard Visitor Visa.

As stated in the Home Office Tier 4 Policy Guidance, all students coming to study in the UK on a Tier 4 visa, who are under the age of 18 years must have parental consent in place. A letter must be provided with your visa application to show that you have the full consent of your parents to: 

• Apply for and hold a Tier 4 visa in order to study away from home in the UK
• Live in the UK with the arrangements that are in place with a guardian
• Travel independently to the UK
• Reception arrangements in the UK

The letter of consent from your parents must be included with your Tier 4 visa application. It will result in a refusal should you not provide this. 

You not only need to provide this with your application, but also send a copy of your letter to the Visa and Immigration team prior to your arrival in the UK. This can be done by email to visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk, the original document must be brought to your assigned registration session. If you fail to do either, you will not be allowed to register. 

Please also note, you should select your BRP card to be sent to Lancaster University for collection, not the Post Office. If you have selected the Post Office, you must contact us at the above email address to make arrangements for collection. 

Here is a template of the Parental Consent Letter - Under 18 form that Lancaster University Visa and Immigration team require.

For most students, the visa granted to you should cover the full period of your course. However, you may need to extend your visa if, for instance, you change your course of studies.

There have been some recent UKVI changes that mean that if you need to extend your visa then you must do so from your home country. The immigration rules state that you can only change course at the same institution without making a new Tier 4 Visa application if: 

• You have not completed the course for which your CAS was assigned
• The course is taught by a UK recognised body or HEI that has Tier 4 sponsor status
• The course is at degree level or above
• The new course isn't at a lower level than the previous course for which your were granted leave
• You will be able to complete the new course within your current period of leave.

If you have previously been granted Tier 4 (General) or Student leave your sponsor must confirm that:

1.    The new course is related to the previous course for which you were granted leave (that is, it is connected to your previous course, part of the same subject group or involves deeper specialisation) or
2.    Your previous course and new course in combination support your genuine career aspirations.

 There are various categories of changing course:

Changing course where the level remains the same and you can complete within the time frame of your current visa

Where this is the case your department should report this on the student records system and it will be picked up by the Visa and Immigration team. We will report this change of circumstances to the UKVI but you will not need to apply for a new visa.

Changing course where the you will complete within a shorter time frame but the level will be lower (i.e. going from integrated Masters course to an undergraduate degree)

This change will be made near the end of your third year which therefore means that the Visa and Immigration team will report this to the UKVI as an early completion. The UKVI will then curtail (cancel) your visa and you will have to leave the UK by the new end date of your visa. Should you, for any reason, need to change the course any sooner than the end of the third year you will be required to get a new visa for the course. This new visa must be applied for from outside the UK. Applying from your home country means that you will not be subject to the academic progression rules.

Changing course to include extra time at the same level, for example, a placement year/year in industry

If you have decided to change your course from a three-year programme to a four-year programme to include, for example a year in industry, the UKVI will see that you have changed your course. As you have not completed the programme for which your current Tier 4 leave was granted and you cannot complete within the time frame of this current visa, you will be required to extend your visa. You must apply for this new visa from outside of the UK in your home country.

If you have applied for your current visa before 6th April 2016 you will be able to apply for this visa from any time before your current visa expires. As a University we encourage you to do this sooner rather than later as the rules are constantly changing. 

If you have applied for your current visa after 6th April 2016 you will need to return home to get your visa before you are permitted to change your course. We would expect you to do this in the Summer Vacation time.

Extensions for Masters programmes

Should you require more time on your Masters programme but your current visa does not cover the extension, you will need to return home in order to get your visa extension. This must be done from outside the UK because you have not yet completed your current programme within the time frame of the current visa and are not progressing up to the next level. This circumstance will also apply to students who are moving on from postgraduate diplomas to the full Masters programmes.

Having completed the current programme for which your Tier 4 leave was granted and are now moving on to a higher level programme

If you have successfully completed the programme of study for which your current Tier 4 leave was granted and you are now moving on to a different programme at a higher level, the UKVI will allow you to apply for your new visa from inside the UK, as long as there are no more than 28 days between the end date of your current Tier 4 visa and the start date of your next programme. If you do have more than 28 days you will have to return back to your home country to make the application. 

How to get in touch

In all instances we would encourage you to email the Visa and Immigration team for further clarification on your situation. The team is here to help and advise you through your visa application process and can support you by email and telephone conversations during your time applying for your new visa. Please note that if you do apply from within the UK under any of these circumstances then you will be refused your application based on lack of academic progression. Please use the contact details below to get in touch:

Visa Application and Rule Explanations: visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk

CAS Requests: cas-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk

For any queries related to the above information: +44 (0) 1524 594214

Lancaster University Visa and Immigration Team are here to help and support you throughout the process of applying for your new visa, whether that is from the UK or from your home country.

Applying from inside the UK

For students applying from within the UK, you can book an appointment with us to help you submit your application. Appointments are booked via The Base either face-to-face or by phone on +44 (0) 1524 592525.

Applying from outside the UK

If you have returned home to apply for your new visa or to extend your current visa the Visa and Immigration Team are on hand via email and telephone to support you. Should you be struggling with the application, don't understand a question or don't know which documents to provide you can contact us on:

visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1524 594214

We advise you to start preparing your supporting documents at least three months before your visa expiry date.

XXXXX

UK Visa and Immigration Changes from 6th April 2015

Making Changes to your Programme of Study (including upgrading, year in industry, integrated masters programmes)

The rules have significantly changed with regards changing courses within the UK, for more information on how this affects you please see the heading section Extend Your Visa

The study condition for Tier 4 (General) students is being tightened so that if you apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa on or after 6 April 2016 you can only change course at the same institution if:

•  you haven’t completed the course for which your CAS was assigned
• the course is taught by a UK recognised body or HEI that has Tier 4 sponsor status
• the course is at degree level or above the new course isn’t at a lower level than the previous course for which you were granted leave
• you will be able to complete the new course within your current period of leave
• if you have previously been granted Tier 4 (General) or Student leave your sponsor must confirm that:

            1. the course is related to the previous course for which you were granted leave (that is, it is connected to your previous course, part of the same subject group or involves deeper specialisation) or

            2. your previous course and the new course in combination support the your genuine career aspirations

Switching Categories Within the UK

Who can switch into the Tier 4 category has been updated. You can apply from within the UK if your previous Tier 4 sponsor was an HEI, HEI Overseas, an embedded college, however if your leave was granted by a Further Education College (FE) you will have to make your new visa application from outside the UK

If you are unsure if you are able to make your application from within the UK please contact the Visa and Immigration team as soon as possible.

Time Caps (Length of Time Allowed in the UK for Study)

The Immigration Rules and study conditions have now been clarified that when calculating the time limits (or ‘caps’) on study, it is the period of leave that you have previously been granted that will count towards the time limits, even if you did not spend all of this time studying and/or you used this time to study a different level of course.

Currently it is suspected that if your leave has been curtailed at any point that the Home Office will include all leave up until the date of the curtailment not the time you left your previous course.

Working During your Studies

The Home Office have clarified certain aspects of the rules surrounding working whilst on a Tier 4 Visa, it is to be made clear that students are issued a Tier 4 visa for studying in the UK, this is to be the main focus whilst in the UK.

If your Tier 4 visa states that you are allowed to work, you cannot do any of the following:

• be employed as a doctor in training (except on a recognised foundation programme);

• be employed as a professional sportsperson (including a sports coach);

• be employed as an entertainer;

• be self-employed or engage in business activity; or

• fill a full-time, permanent vacancy (except on a recognised foundation programme or as a students’ union sabbatical officer).

You cannot be self-employed or engage in business activity. Everyone in the UK undertaking self-employed work must be registered with HMRC; you must check HMRC guidance to see if you need to be registered as self-employed. 

You will be considered to be engaging in business activity where you are working for a business in a capacity other than an employee in which you have a financial or other significant beneficial interest.

This would include the following:

• setting up a business as a sole trader or under a partnership arrangement and that business is either trading or establishing a trading presence;
• being employed by a company in which you hold shares of 10% or more (including where the shares are held in a trust for you); or · working for a company where you also hold a statutory role, such as a director.

Short-term study route 

Applicants under the Short-term study route must genuinely be seeking entry to the UK as short-term students. 

12/10/2018

We have been warned that a number of international students studying in the UK have fallen victim to an email and phone scam.

DO NOT give your details if someone from either an unknown number or emailt:

·  you are suspected of being involved in some act of terrorism

·  your passport details are needed in order to stop your Visa being cancelled

The information provided may be very convincing and you may be asked to delete any messages and told not to tell anyone including your parents.

Any student concerned that they have been targeted should contact the Visa and Immigration Team. 

• There have also been reports that numbers from secure locations can be cloned. Please do not give out personal details over the phone or email. Under no circumstances provide money to any one that asks for it. Always contact the Visa and Immigration team who can check to see if the request is valid.

The University has the following services in place which you can use at any time:

Make an appointment

If you need advice regarding immigration please visit The Base (the main student enquiry desk), which is located in University House, and request to make an appointment with an international adviser. You can also call +44 (0) 1524 594214.

Email us

Email the Lancaster University Visa and Immigration Team at:

 visa-advice@lancaster.ac.uk for advice about your Tier 4 visa  or

cas-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk  to request your CAS 

Check your University email account

It is important to check your University student email account on a regular basis (at least once a day including during the vacations) as we will use this email account to send important messages regarding your visa.

Applying for a replacement passport outside of the UK

If you either lose, or have your passport stolen, you will need to report this to the police in the country where you are now and make an application for a replacement passport. You should contact your country's embassy, consulate, or high commission or passport office in the country where you are now for information on how to obtain a replacement passport. It is possible that there may be a considerable wait to obtain a replacement passport or travel document. This is not something which the UKV&I or the University can influence.

Applying for a replacement vignette visa outside the UK

If your visa for the UK is issued on a vignette for the duration of the period of your leave and you lose your passport/EC visa or have your passport stolen you must apply for a replacement visa by reporting the loss or theft of your passport to the police and by obtaining a police report.

You should then apply for a replacement passport/temporary passport at the nearest embassy for your country.

Apply for a Tier 4 visa online and pay the full fee. You do not need to request a new CAS from your educational institution. When asked to select a visa type, you should choose:

• Reason For Visit: Other
• Visa Type: Others
• Visa Sub Type: Vignette Transfer

Further information can be found in the Entry Clearance Guidance on the gov.uk pages at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transferring-a-visa-to-a-new-passport-ecb17/transferring-a-visa-ecb17

or

https: //www.gov.uk/transfer-visa

Applying for a replacement BRP outside the UK

If your visa for the UK was initially issued on a 30 day vignette and then a BRP card was issued for the remainder of the duration of the period of your leave, then the process for applying for a replacement BRP is that you should report the loss or theft of their BRP to the police and obtain a police report and report it to the Home Office via the following online report:

https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged

You should be contacted by the Home Office within 1 working day to tell you what to do next. Please note that UK Bank holidays, such as Christmas day and New Years day, and weekends are not counted as working days.

You should then apply for a replacement BRP visa single entry costing £189 to re-enter the UK by applying online at https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

When asked to select a visa type, you should choose

• Reason for Visit: Other
• Visa Type: Others
• Visa Sub Type: Replacement Biometric Residence Permit 

Once you have returned to the U.K you should apply for a replacement BRP card within 1 month. You can do so here https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/replace

UKV&I Visa Application Centres

UKV&I Visa Application Centres offer a variety of chargeable value added services in addition to ordinary application services. You should check the availability of any such services at the Visa Application Centre you intend to apply at as this may enable quicker processing of their application.

An alphabetical list of the Visa Application Centres outside the U.K and their contact details can be found using the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre 

Applying for a replacement passport in the UK

If you either lose or have your passport stolen, you will need to report this to the police and make an application for a replacement passport. 

You should contact your country's embassy, consulate, or high commission in the UK for information on how to obtain a replacement passport.

It is possible that there may be a considerable wait to obtain a replacement passport or travel document. This is not something which the UKV&I or the University can influence. 

Applying for a replacement vignette visa in the UK

If you lose your passport/EC visa or have your passport stolen you must apply for a replacement visa by reporting the loss or theft of your passport to the police and by obtaining a police report.

You should then apply for a replacement passport/temporary passport at your country's embassy, consulate, or high commission.

Apply for a Transfer Of Conditions (TOC) using the link https://www.gov.uk/transfer-visa. The TOC postal route costs £183 and is ordinarily concluded 8 weeks after the application raise date. 

Students who lose their BRP Cards in the UK

You should report the loss or theft of their BRP to the police and obtain a police report/lost property report and then email the Home Office and report your lost or stolen BRP to:

https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged

The Home Office should contact you within 1 working day to tell you what to do next. Please note that UK Bank holidays, such as Christmas day and New Years day, and weekends are not counted as working days.

You should then apply for a replacement BRP card which costs £45

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-a-replacement-biometric-residence-permit-brprc

This can be via the postal route or via a Premium Service Centre appointment. The BRP RC form postal route is ordinarily concluded 8 weeks after the application raise date provided the application is not unnecessarily delayed by late biometrics enrolment.

As a Tier 4 student, you may have now returned home after completing your studies but wish to return to the UK for your Graduation. We advise that you apply for a Standard Visit Visa to re-enter the UK, rather than attempting to re-enter on your Tier 4 visa.  This is because you must be entering the UK for the purpose of your visa (i.e. student) and as you are no longer studying you may be refused entry at the UK Border. 

You can find information about how to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa here: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa

• As part of your visa application, you will need to provide confirmation from Lancaster University that you have successfully completed your degree course of studies and that you are attending your graduation ceremony in the UK. 
  You can order the Degree Ceremony Student Letter via your Student Portal online or in iLancaster.
• Log in to the Student Portal with your username and password, then click on the drop down menu under ‘Online Student Services’ (on the right hand side of the page) and select document ordering. You will then need to select the relevant document and submit your order.
• Or open iLancaster, click the ‘Online Services’ tile, then click on the ‘Document Ordering’ tile, chose the ‘Available Documents’ option and select and submit the relevant document.

A Standard Visitor Visa can be issued for up to six months and will more than cover the length of time you need to be in the UK for your Graduation. 

You may also wish to invite your friends and family to the UK to attend your Graduation ceremony. 

They will need to apply for their own Standard Visitor Visa and you can find details here: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa

• If you wish to invite your family and friends to your Graduation Ceremony, you can download an invitation template for you to complete and send to them.
• You will need to provide confirmation from Lancaster University that you have successfully completed your degree course of studies and that you are attending your graduation ceremony in the UK. 
• Log in to the Student Portal with your username and password, then click on the drop down menu under ‘Online Student Services’ (on the right hand side of the page) and select document ordering. You will then need to select the relevant document and submit your order.
• Or open iLancaster, click the ‘Online Services’ tile, then click on the ‘Document Ordering’ tile, chose the ‘Available Documents’ option and select and submit the relevant document.

A Standard Visitor Visa can be issued for up to six months and will more than cover the length of time they need to be in the UK for your Graduation. 

You may wish to invite your friends and family to the UK to visit you during your studies

They will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa and you can find details here: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa

• If you would like to invite your family and friend for a general visit you will need to provide them with an invitation letter and you can download and complete an invitation template
• You will also need to provide them with a Student Registration Certificate which can be requested via the Student Portal Document Ordering System, to do this
  • Log in to the Student Portal with your username and password, then click on the drop down menu under ‘Online Student Services’ (on the right hand side of the page) and select document ordering. You will then need to select the relevant document and submit your order.
  • Or open iLancaster, click the ‘Online Services’ tile, then click on the ‘Document Ordering’ tile, chose the ‘Available Documents’ option and select and submit the relevant document.

Once you have both of these documents you will need to send them to your friend or family member in order for them to apply for the visa.