Points Based Immigration System (PBS) Tier 4
AbsenceRequests - Authorised Absences, Fieldwork
Authorised absences
This procedure should only be used in exceptional circumstances, such as bereavement, serious illness or pregnancy. Routine trips to visit family and take a holiday should be taken during the normal vacation periods of Easter, Christmas and summer for UGT students; Easter and Christmas for PGT students; and as part of their 8 weeks annual leave entitlement for PGR students.
An absence request is required for a student wishing to take more than one week off from their course. If an absence is not requested then this will be classed as an ‘unauthorised absence’. Any unauthorised absence could result in action being taken against the student, such as a report being sent to UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).
When is a request for absence authorisation required?
Authorisation is required for any absences requested during term time and examination periods. For Tier 4 compliance purposes they do not need to be requested during Institutional Vacation Periods, except in the following circumstances:
- Postgraduate Taught students – requesting an absence during the summer vacation period whilst writing up their dissertations.
- Postgraduate Research students – requesting an absence at any time, other than when the University is closed (i.e. Christmas/Easter) and in addition to their 8 weeks annual leave entitlement.
An absence includes time away from the University for medical reasons, personal reasons, illness etc. Please note that overseas Fieldwork requests fall under a separate process.
When can an authorised absence be requested?
An authorised absence can be requested for an International student for a short period of time, up to a maximum of 60 days. The student must be able to resume studies when they return and be able to complete their studies within their current cohort/visa duration. This decision should be made by the course tutor or equivalent and authorised by the Associate Dean.
If an absence requires a student to defer their studies, or require an extension to the expected end date of their course, then this should be classified as a suspension. The Visa Support Team will then send a report to UKVI to cease sponsorship under Tier 4 and advise the student of this.
What action should the Faculty/student undertake to request an authorised absence?
The Faculty and student should complete an Absence Request Form (Appendix 1) which should be kept on a student’s file. This should be available in the event of a UKVI audit.
Faculty staff should inform the Visa Support Team BEFORE the start of a student’s absence or as soon as possible by emailing. Put the following in the subject heading “AUTHORISED ABSENCE NOTIFICATION (INSERT DATES)”.
Create a SAB record on SITS to confirm the dates agreed for the authorised absence
Students should not make any travel arrangements and wait for the outcome of their absence request application.
What action will the Visa Support Team undertake?
If the absence is classified as an ‘authorised absence’ no report is required to be made UKVI.
If the absence does not meet the requirements outlined above, and is not authorised, the absence may be classified as a suspension. This would require a report to be sent to UKVI.
Fieldwork
A student may need to undertake a period of fieldwork as part of their course. This is in line with UKVIguidelines.
A student may be permitted to spend a part of their studies and research outside the University (including fieldwork) if:
It is direct interest to the student’s project and training.
The proposed location of student or institution is suitable.
An agreed work-plan is agreed with the supervisor
Adequate supervision and attendance monitoring are in place.
This type of leave includes all fieldwork trips (whether overseas or based in the UK). It is expected that such trips for full time students are normally restricted to 6 months duration (up to a maximum period of one year) during any research project.
Faculty staff should inform the Visa Support Team BEFORE the start of a student’s period of fieldwork or as soon as possible by emailing. Put the following in the subject heading “FIELDWORK NOTIFICATION (INSERT DATES)”.
The Faculty must complete the Request for Overseas FieldworkForm (Appendix 2)along with theFieldwork Agreement Sheet(Appendix 4) outlining a plan of how the Faculty will meet their Tier 4 sponsor duties during the period of the students study outside the UK. This includes keeping a record of the student’s expected contacts. These should be kept on a student’s file and available in the event of a UKVI audit.
The Faculty should also create a SAB record on SITS to confirm the dates agreed for the period of Fieldwork.
The above procedure can also be used for attendance at conferences.
The Visa Support Team will report a change of study location for the student to the UKVI.
If a student wishes to take a period of absence during their overseas fieldwork, they should request the absence in line with the authorised absence procedure outlined above. The period of absence should not impact on their ability to complete their studies within their current visa duration. This decision should be made by the course tutor or equivalent and authorised by the Associate Dean.
TheFaculty will be required to contact the student 2 weeks prior to their expected date of return to confirm this is still applicable. If a student fails to return when expected, theVisa Support Team MUST be notified within 5 working days of the intended return date.This will result in a report being sent to UK VI and the student’s Tier 4 visa being cancelled.
PGT students leaving the UK to complete their dissertation
If the student chooses to leave the UK to complete their dissertation and does not plan to return to the University to submit, the Faculty should notify the Visa Support Team. The Visa Support Team will then send a report to UKVIto cease sponsorship under Tier 4 and advise the student of this.
Please note that Sponsored Students may need to get their Official Financial Sponsor’s consent for the above and should obtain this before they submit their requests.
Absence Request Procedure – Version 1
Updated 19 August 2016Page 1 of 3