UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

REQUEST FOR AUTHORISED ABSENCE for international students

The guidance for using this form is on the following page

A.  Your personal details:

Family name: / Name(s):
Date of birth (dd/mm/yy): / ID No:
University email contact / Other email:
Mobile No: / Other No:
Address contact details during authorised absence / Telephone contact details during authorised absence

B.  Your study details:

BFA/EISU / Undergraduate / Postgraduate taught / Postgraduate research
Programme of study:
Start date: / Expected End date:
Programme Director/Supervisors name:

C.  Your current visa details:

Tier 4 / Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Dependant/Spouse / Other. Give details
Please attach a scan of your current passport photo page and visa. / Tick here to confirm attached
If you extended your visa in the UK, please attach a copy of both sides of your pink Biometric Resident Permit. / Tick here to confirm attached
Visa Start: / Visa end:

.

D.  Reason for requesting authorised absence. (Applications will not be considered without supporting evidence):

Reason. (This should include details of any travel outside the UK
Evidence: (E.g. Medical certificates, Conference details)
Start date: / End date:
If the reason for returning home is to write up your dissertation/thesis, do you intend to return to the University when you have submitted your work? YES/NO (Delete as appropriate)

Signature:______Date:______

E.  Programme Director/Supervisors response:

Approved / State reasons:
Not approved / State reasons
Conditions of approval ( to include details of monitoring process during absence)

Programme Director/Supervisor Signature:______Date:______

PRINT NAME: ______

For Office use only:

Sent to Head of ISAS / Date: / Comment
Checked by Head of ISAS / Date: / Comment
Letter produced by Registry / Date
Name / Comment
Added to AA log and note in BIRMS AM03 / Date: / Comment


GUIDANCE for requests for authorised absence for international students

The University has an obligation under its UKBA Sponsor Licence to monitor, and keep records of academic attendance of international students.
If you need to apply for authorised absence you must have a valid reason which is authorised in advance by your Programme Director/Research Supervisor, e.g.:
to travel home unexpectedly, for example having had a close personal bereavement;
to leave the UK to carry out fieldwork;
to attend a conference;
complete your dissertation/thesis in your home country
Holiday

If you are holding a student visa this means that it was granted for the primary purpose of study in the UK. For postgraduate researchers, supervision is expected to be carried out throughout the whole academic year including July and August. Postgraduate researchers may, with the prior agreement of their School, take up to eight weeks holiday in each academic year, including public holidays. The timing of holidays should be agreed in advance (not retrospectively) with your Research Supervisor and School. You should then submit a request for authorised absence.

If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student we do not expect you to ask for approval to be absent from teaching sessions during term-time for the purposes of tourist travel or social occasions (e.g. weddings) outside the UK. If you make this type of request when teaching is occurring, please do not be offended when the request is refused.

Travel outside the UK authorisation letters

If your authorised absence is approved and you are to travel outside the UK, the University can provide you with a letter which you should carry in your hand luggage when you leave and return to the UK. This can be shown to the Immigration Officer should they ask for proof that you are a student and have permission to travel outside the UK.

PROCEDURE:

1.  To request an authorised absence and letter confirming that the University has granted permission for you to be away from your studies, or to continue your studies outside the UK, you should complete a request form and submit the form to your Programme Director/Research Supervisor at least 10 working days before you plan to travel. Where you are unexpectedly travelling outside the UK at short notice, we will endeavour to produce the letter before your departure.

2. Unless you are a PGR requesting holiday, you must provide evidence to support your need to travel e.g. an original doctor’s certificate, death certificate, confirmation of conference attendance etc.
3. It is your responsibility to ensure that:

o  you hold a valid passport for travel both out of the UK and for return to the UK;

o  your UK visa has enough time left on it for you to return back to the UK.

If your visa will expire while you are out of the UK you must advise the ISAS of this BEFORE you submit this form. ISAS will advise you what you will need to do either before you leave the UK or while you are on authorised absence. Contact at www.studenthelp.bham.ac.uk,

4. You should complete sections A to D and forward the form to your Programme Director/Research Supervisor who will complete section E, sign the form indicating whether or not they support your request and e-mail the form to . .

5. Taught or Research Student Administration will process your request and will send an email to your UOB e-mail address to confirm the outcome and where applicable, will include a scanned copy of your travel letter (copied to your School administrator so that they can ensure that your absence is recorded appropriately).

6. You must keep in regular contact with your Programme Director/Research Supervisor throughout your authorised absence. Your registration status will remain as your existing status during the approved authorised absence period. Arrangements must be agreed between you and your Programme Director/Research supervisor so that you are monitored while you are outside the UK. This could be by Skype, email etc, but the monitoring process must be sufficiently robust for the University to be able to demonstrate your continuing academic engagement and satisfactory progress and meet our Sponsor obligations as detailed on your request form.
7. The University is required to keep an up to date record of your address, email and telephone number and you are responsible for keeping your contact details up-to-date via on-line Registration at www.my.bham.ac.uk. . If you are travelling outside the UK, you must state your contact details on your request form and advise your Programme Director/Research Supervisor of changes to your contact details and update these in Online Registration at www.my.bham.ac.uk.

8. You must tell your Programme Director/Research Supervisor immediately if you are not able to return at the end of agreed period of authorised absence and a decision will then be made as to whether your period of authorised absence can be extended or whether you need to apply for a leave of absence.

9. When travelling to and from the UK, you should keep your letter of authorisation with your passport and show it to the Immigration Officer.

10. If you have a Biometric Resident Permit (BRP) you MUST make sure that you take this with you when you leave the UK and carry it with your passport. The BRP is given to students who extend their leave in the UK and you will not receive a sticker (vignette) in your passport – your visa details are on your BRP. If you do not have your BRP you will have no evidence that you hold a visa permitting return into the UK