POLICE REGISTRATION

Police registration is required for nationals if a requirement to register with the local police is endorsed or stamped on the visa or entry clearance or on the passport. By law, you should register with the police within seven days of arrival. You will need to take two passport-sized photographs, your passport and £35 to the front desk of your local police headquarters and register with them. The process is simple and takes approximately half an hour to complete. In most cases your university or college arranges for the local police to drop into the campus during the beginning of term to enable you to register on campus. Check with your university or college upon arrival.

Nationals of the following countries are required to register with the police within seven days of arrival in the UK

Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Yemen. A stateless person or a person travelling on a non-national document rather than a passport is also required to register with the police within seven days of arrival in the UK.

EXTENDING YOUR STUDENT VISA WHILST IN THE UK

You can extend your student visa by applying in person to the Home Office or by posting it to them one month before your current visa expires. The Home Office has now started charging a fee for this service. It costs £500 to apply in person at the public enquiry office (see below) or £250 for postal applications. You can extend your student visa four weeks before your current visa expires.

Forms

The Home Office has introduced a standard form (FLR) to be completed when applying for an extension of stay. These are available from your International Office or the Student Advice Centre, who will also give advice on completing the form. Alternatively, you can obtain the form free of charge by calling the Home Office on 0870 241 0645 or by downloading it from the internet at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

FLR (S) This form is for students who want to extend their stay in the UK as a student.

FLR (O) This form is for students who want to extend their stay in the UK as a short-term tourist after completing their course or to stay on until their graduation.

Before filling in the form read the guidance notes, make sure that you answer all the questions and submit the required supporting documentation. All supporting documents must be original.

Payment methods

Postal applications payment can be paid through a personal or business cheque, banker’s draft, postal order, or a UK debit or credit card (Switch/Maestro, Delta, Solo, Electron, Visa, MasterCard or JCB only). Payments for an application lodged at the public enquiry office can be made through a personal cheque (accompanied by a cheque guarantee card up to the limit of the payment), banker’s draft, postal order, a debit or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or JCB only). Cheques, banker’s drafts and postal orders should be made payable to Home Office Leave to Remain.

Supporting documents

You will need to supply a letter from your university confirming acceptance to the course, details of your progress or attendance on your previous or current course, your last three months’ UK bank statements and proof of funding or sponsorship.

Applying in person

If you need a decision urgently, you can apply in person at the Public Enquiry Offices (PEO) in Croydon (near London), Birmingham, Liverpool or Glasgow. You will need to make an appointment by calling the Public Enquiry Office for a reference number. You will then need to fill in the required application form and take it along with the fees and other supporting documents (your International Office or Student Advice Centre can verify these documents for you).

Your application will usually be processed and your passport stamped on the same day unless the officer decides that she or he requires further information (in which case you will be given a reference number and details of the documents required). You will need to make a payment of £500 either by postal order, credit or debit card, banker’s draft or by cheque (with a cheque guarantee card for the total amount) before your application is processed. Do not take cash with you as it will not be accepted. The fee is non-refundable.

Croydon Public Enquiry Office
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon CR9 2BY
Tel: 0870 606 77 66
(Open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)

How to get there?

The train is the easiest and quickest way to get to the Croydon Public Enquiry Office. The nearest mainline station is East Croydon. Currently, the price of a standard day return ticket from London Victoria costs £6 or around £4 with a Young Persons Railcard. For up-to-date information on train times and fares contact National Rail Enquiries on 0845 7 48 49 50 or look online at www.nationalrail.co.uk

The PEO is situated on Wellesley Road. Upon arrival at East Croydon walk down George Street and turn right at the roundabout for Wellesley Road. Lunar House is the big multistorey building on the right at the end of Wellesley Road.

Birmingham PEO will only accept applications from students in the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Hereford and Worcestershire, East Midlands, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

There is no PEO in Northern Ireland. Students in Northern Ireland will either have to travel to Glasgow, Liverpool or to Croydon if they wish to make a personal application.

Glasgow Public Enquiry Office
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Festival Court
200 Brand Street
Govan
Glasgow G51 1AR
Scotland
Tel: 0141 555 1258
(Open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)

How to get there?

The quickest and cheapest way to get to the Glasgow Public Enquiry Office is to take the SPT subway to Cessnock. Turn left as you come out of the station and walk 700 yards. Turn left again at the first junction and walk a further 700 yards on Brand Street. Festival Court is the building on the right hand side. A standard off-peak return ticket on the Glasgow underground costs £1.70. Frequent bus services also operate from Glasgow city centre and Union Street. Take bus No. 9 or No. 54 heading towards Paisley Wood West and get off at Govan.

Liverpool Public Enquiry Office
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Reliance House
20 Water Street,
Liverpool
Tel: 0151 237 0405
(Open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)

How to get there?

The quickest and cheapest way to get there is by underground or by Merseyrail. The nearest underground station is James Street. Turn right as soon as you come out of the station and turn right again at the junction for the Strand. Go two blocks ahead for Water Street. Reliance House is right in the middle of Water Street opposite the Law Courts.

Public Enquiry Office
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Dominion Court
41 Station Road
Solihull
Birmingham B91 3RT
Tel: 0121 704 5450
(Open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)

How to get there?

The nearest mainline station is Solihull. Birmingham PEO is located on the station road which is five minutes’ walk from Solihull Station. To get there turn right as soon as you come out of the station, go to the end of the station approach and turn left for Station Road. An off-peak day return costs £2.50. Frequent buses also operate from Birmingham city centre to Solihull town centre. From Birmingham city centre take bus No. 37 or No. 57 heading towards Solihull town centre. The PEO is a short walk from Solihull town centre bus stop.

Applying by post

Fill in the required application form and send it along with your payment, passport and other supporting documents (your international office or student advice centre will verify them for you) by recorded delivery to the address given on the form. You need to send the application form four weeks before your visa expires. If you are unable to send all the supporting documents, write a covering letter explaining why and details of when you will be sending them. The Home Office usually allows one month for you to send supporting documents. Keep a photocopy of your application form and other supporting documents before you post them.

Application timescale

It usually takes less than two to three weeks for your application to be processed. Some applications may take longer if an immigration officer needs more information before finalising the application. When an application comes under this category an acknowledgement will be sent and you should hear about the decision (or a request for supporting documents) within six weeks.

Applying through your university or college student batch scheme

The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has started accepting bulk student visa extension applications directly from universities and colleges. You can save the hassle of posting the application or queuing at the PEO by using this service. Check whether your university’s International Office or your Student Advice Centre will do it for you. You’ll need to fill in a standard application form, submit it along with payment, your passport and supporting documents (verified by the International Office or Student Advice Centre. Your Student Advice Centre or International Office will then send the application and supporting documents to the Home Office. You should have your passport back with your visa extension stamped within two to three weeks.

Refusal or late applications

Very rarely does a student’s visa extension get rejected – unless the student has been found in breach of the immigration regulations. Contact your International Office or Student Advice Centre if your extension for stay has been refused. They will put you in touch with specialist bureaus who will then advise you on a further course of action.

Late applications get referred to a different department within the Home Office and might complicate your immigration status. If you are late in applying for your extension of stay contact your International Office or Student Advice Centre before you apply.

Immigration problems or queries

If you have any queries or problems on immigration matters contact your International Office or the Student Advice Centre. They have specialist advisers who will be able to assist you in the matter. It is a good idea to keep photocopies of all your important documents (passport, visa, and letters from the university or college) in a separate place in case of theft. You might want to leave a set of copies with your parents or friends in your country.

Immigration advice

Avoid taking private immigration advice from solicitors or agencies – you can get good immigration advice from your International Office or the Student Advice Centre free of charge. If they cannot advise you, they will refer you to a specialist immigration advisory service in your local area. You can also obtain independent advice and help from specialist immigration advisory services or your local Citizens Advice Bureau free of charge. If seeking private immigration advice, then do verify whether the agency is qualified and registered with the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC).

Immigration Advisory Service (IAS)

The IAS is a voluntary organisation, independent of the government, which provides free and confidential immigration advice free of charge.

Immigration Advisory Service
3rd Floor
County House
190 Great Dover Street
London SE1 4YB
Tel: 020 7967 1200. Duty office: 020 8814 1559
Fax: 020 7403 5875
email: advice@iasuk.org
http://www.ias.org.uk

The IAS also has local offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick Airport, Glasgow, Harmondsworth, Heathrow Airport, Leeds and Manchester.

UKC0SA

The United Kingdom Council for Overseas Student Affairs offers a free confidential telephone advice line to overseas students on immigration matters. The advice line is open from 1.00pm to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

UKCOSA
9–17 St Albans Place
London Nl ONX
Tel: 020 7288 4330
Fax: 020 7288 4360
http://www.ukcosa.org.uk

JCWI

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants is another voluntary organisation that provides free immigration advice. They offer a confidential telephone advice line.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
115 Old Street
London EC1V 9RT
Tel: 020 7251 8708