Most international students who come to study in the UK are issued with a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa. Although the UK has very strict immigration rules, the majority of our international students do not experience any problems with their visas.

However, immigration problems can be stressful, expensive, and difficult to resolve, so we have produced this guide with all of the information you need to ensure that your stay in the UK remains trouble free.

Sponsorship of your visa

Middlesex University has agreed to sponsor your Tier 4 visa for the duration of your studies. This means that your visa is issued under the University’s ‘sponsor license’. It also means that the University is responsible for guaranteeing your student status with the Home Office. As your Tier 4 sponsor, Middlesex University must inform the Home Office if:

• You do not enrol (you have to do this every year)
• You stop attending your classes
• You interrupt from your studies
• You withdraw (or are withdrawn) from your studies
• You change your course
• You complete your course earlier than expected

Sponsorship of your visa is conditional upon continued enrolment at Middlesex University. Your visa will be cancelled if you are not enrolled as an active student. It is therefore very important that you consider the visa implications before making any decision to leave the course. If you are thinking of withdrawing from/interrupting your studies, you should discuss this with your Student Achievement Officer.