Problems with your visa application
If you have problems with your visa application or receive a visa refusal, an invalid application or want to withdraw a visa application, you should immediately contact an international student adviser at immigration@sussex.ac.uk for advice. Failure to do so could result in severe consequences for your immigration status and registration at Sussex.
Below we have outlined some of the main problems that arise, but you must always contact an adviser to discuss your particular situation.
- Problems with applications made outside the UK
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What should I do if I receive a visa refusal?
If your application is refused overseas the visa application centre that dealt with your application will send you a refusal notice, usually by email. This will give the reasons for refusal and explain whether or not you have the right to request an administrative review. You should immediately email this refusal notice to immigration@sussex.ac.uk and we will advise you on the following:
- whether we think the refusal is justified. Occasionally, the UKBA make errors and if this is the case it could be possible for you to request an administrative review. This is where your application would be re-checked and if the UKBA agreed that a mistake had been made, your visa would be granted. You would need to submit this request within 28 days of receiving your refusal notice. Please note that it can take the UKBA up to 28 days to process this request so you might not receive a decision for some time. Full details on this procedure can be found on the UKBA website
- if the refusal is correct, we will advise you on the reasons you were refused. You have the option to submit another application but you would require a new CAS to do this. Before we can issue a new CAS we would need to see evidence that you can meet the financial requirements of the visa application (if this was the reason for refusal), so it may be necessary for you to email us your financial documentation
I am due to start my programme soon, but have not yet received my visa. What should I do?
If you think you may not be able to arrive at Sussex before the start of term (maybe due to a visa refusal, or delays in the processing of your visa) you need to contact the admissions office that issued your CAS urgently:
- undergraduate students - ug.applicants@sussex.ac.uk
- postgraduate students - pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk
- Language students (Sussex Centre for Language Studies) - efl@sussex.ac.uk
- Visiting and Exchange students - international@sussex.ac.uk
The admissions office will advise whether it is possible to allow you to arrive later than the normal enrolment date. Please note that this is normally only granted in exceptional circumstances. If it is granted they may need to add a note to your CAS explaining this which will mean that the UKBA can still process your application. If you do not get this permission, you should not travel to the UK as you may not be allowed to enrol. Also, the university is obligated to report your non enrolment to the UKBA so if you attempt to travel you may be refused entry to the UK.
If you cannot make it by the latest enrolment date, the admissions office will advise you on your options. It may be possible to defer your studies to a later date.
- Problems with applications made inside the UK
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The UKBA have requested more information/documents from me. What should I do?
You should always ensure that you submit a valid application with all the required documentation. However, if the UKBA notice a minor ommission or problem they may contact you to request further documents. They will normally give you a short deadline (usually 7 days) in which to submit this original documentation, and failure to comply with this could mean your application is refused. As soon as you receive contact from the UKBA (either by email, letter or phone call) you should seek advice from an International Student Adviser. We will be able to help you submit the correct documents.
As noted in the 'protecting your immigration status' section, it is vital that you keep the UKBA informed of any address changes, and that you regularly check the email accounts that you wrote on your visa application.
I need to travel home but the UKBA have not made a decision on my application yet. What should I do?
Please note that if you apply by post your visa application can take a number of months to process. The current processing times are given as 4-14 weeks from when you enrol your biometrics. Normally, we will not be able to chase the UKBA for a decision on your application until these 14 weeks have passed. You should think carefully about how long it takes the UKBA to process your application if you make an application during September/October, and wish to travel home for Christmas. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will receive a decision before Christmas.
If you need to travel urgently (maybe due to family illness) then please contact us. We will be able to advise you on whether it is possible to request an urgent decision from the UKBA. Please note that the UKBA only consider applications urgently in exceptional circumstances, such as the death of a close relative overseas or severe illness.
What should I do if I receive an invalid application?
If you receive an invalid application the UKBA will return your documents to you with a letter detailing why your application is invalid. The most common reasons are:
- incorrect photos
- a missing mandatory document (such as passport, BRP, police registration certificate)
- failure to complete a mandatory part of the form
Due to the online application system the UKBA has now introduced, invalid applications should hopefully become less frequent. However, if you do receive an invalid notice you need to immediately contact an International Student Adviser for advice. If your visa has expired you will have become an overstayer (see the 'protecting your immigration status' for information on this) so must act quickly.
What should I do if I receive a visa refusal?
This is when the UKBA refuse your application as it does not meet the immigration rules. The most common reasons for refusal are:
- inadequate funds, or funds which have been held for less than 28 days
- incorrect financial documentation
- invalid CAS
- incorrect educational documents
- missing translations of documents not in English
The UKBA will send you a refusal notice by post which will explain the reasons for the refusal. In most cases, they will not return your documentation (passport, bank statements, certificates) and these will be retained. You must contact an International Student Adviser for advice immediately so we can advise on whether the refusal is correct, and go over your options. You may be able to:
- appeal against the decision. If you submitted your application before your current visa expired, you should have a right to appeal. Please note that we can only offer limited advice on the appeals process, and we may need to refer to an immigration solicitor for specialist advice
- make a new visa application from within the UK. It may be possible for you to apply again provided you can now meet the requirements. We will advise you on whether this is possible, and how this will affect your registration status at Sussex. Please note that before the university can issue a further CAS you will need to demonstrate that you can now make a valid application. This includes providing us with financial evidence
- return home and apply again, or defer your studies. We will be able to advise on how to do this and also how to request your passport and other documents back from the UKBA