It’s vital you have the right clearance to enter the UK. If, after reading this, you're still unsure about your immigration status, please contact us at MMU International.

Students coming for courses of 6 months or less

Short term students (such as those on a 3 – 6 month exchange programme) are able to come to the UK as student visitors which include the following conditions:

• six-month limit;
• must not intend to work;
• have adequate financial resources for maintenance and accommodation;
• must be unconditionally accepted for a study programme; and
• student visitors will not be able to extend/change to normal student status at the end of the 6 months and would have to return home to get further time in the UK.

Student visitors who are visa nationals must apply for entry clearance as a student visitor. Non-visa nationals do not need to apply for entry clearance as a student visitor prior to arrival. To find out if you are a visa national, visit the UK Visas website.

Students coming for more than 6 months

Long term students (including Pre-Sessional English students) can apply to come to or remain in the UK as an adult student for the purpose of study under Tier 4 (General) of the points-based system.

Here you can discover what the Tier 4 (General) category is. If you know the Tier 4 requirements and you want to make an application, you can go directly to the Applying pages which include the application form and guidance for Tier 4 students applying from inside the UK.

Use the Points-based calculator to calculate how many points you may get, and indicates whether you may be eligible to work or study in the United Kingdom under the points-based system.

From 22 February 2010, any visa applicant who applies to study in the UK under Tier 4 of the points-based system must have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the University. MMU will issue CAS’s for September 2010 intakes from May 2010 onwards. A CAS is valid for 6 months from the date it is assigned. You cannot make a Tier 4 application more than three months before the start of your course. If it is not used within this period it will automatically become invalid and you will need to get a new CAS. You can hold more than one CAS if you apply to different Universities. Once you use one CAS, any others in your possession will automatically become invalid.

The CAS from MMU will include your unique CAS (reference number), our sponsor licence number, information about the course of study, fees due for the period of study, a list of qualifications you submitted with your application and your personal details. You will need all the information in this letter to successfully complete your visa application and identify which documents to submit when you apply.

Please note: You will only be able to enrol at MMU if you use the CAS provided by us (and your visa includes MMU’s sponsor licence number). It is therefore mandatory for all International students to participate in MMU’s Welcome program where immigration checks are completed before students can enrol onto a course. The programme dates have been confirmed for 14-16 September 2011 and more information will be available here.

For immediate guidance and application forms please see:

• If you are making an application from outside the UK for entry clearance, please go to the International Group website
• If you are making an application from inside the UK, please go to the Home Office website
• For the immigration Rules and more information on how to apply, please go to the Home Office website
• UK Council for International Student Affairs