Can I change courses if I am on a Student visa?
You can transfer courses if you are on a Student visa, but there are set of criteria that must be met.
In all cases, students wishing to change programme will need to complete a Programme Transfer Request form (found under Course Materials on your Programme Information Page on SurreyLearn) and submit it to the MySurrey Hive team via Surrey Support. Please select “My Course” as your enquiry topic.
In addition, student visa holders will also need to provide a supporting statement detailing why you wish to change programmes, and how it will be of benefit to your future career aspirations. This will be considered by Immigration Compliance as part of the process.
If students would like to speak to an advisor before submitting a formal request, appointments can be booked with the International Student Advice Team.
Adding or removing a placement (Professional Training Year)
If requesting to remove a placement component, this will not affect the validity of your current visa. After the request is approved, the Home Office will be informed of the new programme completion date and will shorten the time remaining after the degree has been awarded.
If requesting to add a placement component, after outline approval is received an extended visa will need to be obtained before your student record can be updated.
Moving between levels of an integrated Master’s programme (e.g. MEng and BEng)
If requesting to move to the lower level of an integrated Master’s, this will not affect the validity of your current visa. After the request is approved, the Home Office will be informed of the new programme completion date and will shorten the time remaining after the degree has been awarded.
If requesting to move to the higher level of an integrated Master’s, after outline approval is received an extended visa will need to be obtained before your student record can be updated. In certain circumstances an ATAS certificate may also need to be obtained.
Other programme changes
Other programme changes will only be approved if the following criteria are met:
- The new programme is academically related to the original programme.
- The new programme can be completed in the time remaining on the original visa (excluding resits).
Requests that do not meet these criteria will only be considered in cases of exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control.