Withdrawal of Immigration Sponsorship

If the University has notified you that your sponsorship has been withdrawn, it means that:

• There has been a change to your academic status;
• The University will no longer be your immigration sponsor;
• The University will contact the Home Office to withdraw the sponsorship of your visa;
• Your visa will be curtailed and you will be expected to leave the UK or apply for a different type of visa in the UK.
• You have completed your course earlier than the expected course end date on your CAS.

The Home Office granted you a Student Visa and you are expected to meet the conditions of your stay under this visa category.

(1) As you are no longer able to meet the conditions of your stay, the University is legally responsible for withdrawing your immigration sponsorship and informing the Home Office; and

(2) The University is procedurally responsible for informing you that immigration sponsorship is being withdrawn.

When immigration sponsorship is withdrawn the Home Office will take the following actions:

(1) If you have more than 60 days remaining on your current visa, they will curtail (shorten) your visa;

(2) The Home Office will contact you by letter or email to confirm the curtailment of your current visa and they will give you a date by which you must leave the UK;

(3) If you have less than 60 days remaining on your current visa they will expect you to leave the UK before the end of the visa;

(4) You should seek alternative visa permissions to remain in the UK should you decide to stay in the UK (see next section).

The Home Office is now actively curtailing student visas following a withdrawal of immigration sponsorship report.  It is your responsibility to ensure you continually check your emails (including the junk folder) for emails from the Home Office.  Once you have left the UK you must not attempt to return to the UK on a visa where withdrawal of sponsorship has been reported.  Students who have done this are now being stopped at Border Control and refused entry to the UK.  This is a very serious matter as it has an ongoing impact on your immigration history.  If this happens a return flight home will be arranged and Border control will keep hold of your passport until you are ready to board your flight home.  The refusal will remain on your immigration history for the next 10 years and you will need to declare this every time you make a visa application for the UK or any other country. 

You are responsible for ensuring that you meet the visa conditions of stay granted to you as a student in the UK.  When the University withdraws immigration sponsorship:

(1) You are responsible for providing the University and the Home Office with your correct postal address.  You can check and update your current postal address in Online Registration at www.my.bham.ac.uk.  You can find more information online on how to notify the Home Office of your change of circumstances;

(2) If you decide to remain in the UK after the University has withdrawn your immigration sponsorship, you are responsible for making an appointment with an independent immigration specialist discuss your visa options;

(3) If you leave the UK then from that point your visa will automatically expire on the date you leave the UK, even if you leave prior to the 60 days curtailment period;

(4) You must not use the same visa to return to the UK;

(5) You are responsible for checking the status of your visa before you return to the UK and to the University.  

If you successfully complete your course, earlier than the expected course end date as detailed on your CAS, then the University must report the early completion to the Home Office.  This means that immigration sponsorship will be withdrawn and your student visa curtailed to the appropriate wrap up period.  For example, if you were studying a 4 year undergraduate degree programme, which includes an industrial year placement; and you later decide to drop the placement year and complete the final year of your study (resulting in you completing your course earlier), then you will be given the same 4 month wrap up period at the end of your course new course end date.