Right to study check, enrolment and BRP cards

Information about the right to study check which is required prior to enrolment to check immigration status

The University is required by UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration) to carry out a right to study check on every student who is not a British, Irish, Channel Islands or Isle of Man national. This is to demonstrate that they have the right to study in the UK and at the University of Plymouth (including University of Plymouth International College).

The University is required to retain a copy of these documents and to check regularly for any updates to student’s immigration status. The right to study check is done prior to enrolment and at the start of every new stage of a student’s programme.

What this means for you:

This year the check will be carried out using an online form. The documents that you will be required to provide will differ depending on the type of visa or immigration permission you hold. Please note that until the check has been completed satisfactorily, you will not be permitted to enrol or re-enrol.

Please check below for the documents we need from you. Please note that in every case it is mandatory to upload the information page from your current passport (or ID card / travel document if you do not have a passport).

If you are a non-EEA national

You hold a Student visa or Tier 4 visa.

Once you have arrived in the UK, please upload the following documents:

Your current passport

Your stamped visa vignette issued for studies at the University of Plymouth. We only need this if you are a new student OR you have a new visa

If your vignette was not stamped as you entered the UK through an e-gate, you must also provide a copy of your flight ticket OR boarding pass clearly showing the date you entered the UK

Your BRP card if you have it, front and back of the card.

If you are a new student and due to collect your BRP from the Post Office in Plymouth, please only do this after completing any period of quarantine required by the UK Government when entering the UK. You will not be penalised for collecting your BRP after you have completed the required quarantine period.

If your visa decision letter states you should collect your BRP from the University, please note your BRP won’t be available from the campus and will be sent to you in a different way. Please contact the UKVI Compliance team if your visa decision letter states this.

Please note that you cannot complete the right to study check until you have arrived in the UK, as your student permission will not have been activated. Please do not plan to enter the UK prior to the start date of your Student visa (whether issued as a visa vignette or digitally) as then you will not have activated your Student permission and you will need to leave the UK again in order to do this.

You hold another type of immigration permission

i.e. ILR, Settlement, PBS Dependant, Refugee, Asylum Seeker, Hong Kong BNO visa etc. Please upload the following documents:

Your current passport

If you do not have a passport, your travel document

Your current immigration permission, either a visa vignette in your current passport, immigration stamp, or BRP card (front and back of the card)

If your immigration permission was granted digitally, the visa decision email and share code will be required. Please provide your immigration status share code (not for work or rent).

If your immigration permission is in a previous passport and not your current one, you must make us aware of this in the notes section of the right to study check form.

You hold a British citizen passport (not British Overseas Territories citizen OR British National Overseas)

Please upload the following documents:

Your current British citizen passport OR

Your certificate of Naturalisation as a British citizen

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national

You hold pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

Please upload the following documents:

Your current passport or National Identity card (please see section below regarding when an ID card may be used to enter the UK after the 1st October 2021).

Your share code, so the University can verify your immigration status online. Please provide your immigration status share code (not for work or rent).

You hold Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

Please upload the following documents:

Your current passport or National Identity card (please see section below regarding when an ID card may be used to enter the UK after the 1st October 2021).

Your share code, so the University can verify your immigration status online. Please provide your immigration status share code (not for work or rent).

You hold a Student visa with a visa vignette pasted in your passport

Once you have arrived in the UK, please upload the following documents:

Your current passport or National Identity card (please see section below regarding when an ID card may be used to enter the UK after the 1st October 2021)

Your stamped visa vignette issued for studies at the University of Plymouth. We only need this if you are a new student OR you have a new visa

If your vignette was not stamped as you entered the UK through an e-gate, you must also provide a copy of your flight ticket OR boarding pass clearly showing the date you entered the UK

Your BRP card if you have it, front and back of the card.

Your Student visa was granted digitally

Once you have arrived in the UK, please upload the following documents:

Your current passport or National Identity card (please see section below regarding when an ID card may be used to enter the UK after the 1st October 2021)

Your visa decision email from UKVI (stating that your visa was granted – this may be called “decision notification”)

Your share code, so the University can verify your immigration status online. Please provide your immigration status share code (not for work or rent).

If you entered the UK through an e-gate, a copy of your flight ticket or boarding pass clearly showing the date you entered the UK

Please note that you cannot complete the right to study check until you have arrived in the UK, as your student permission will not have been activated. Please do not plan to enter the UK prior to the start date of your Student visa (whether issued as a visa vignette or digitally) as then you will not have activated your Student permission and you will need to leave the UK again in order to do this.

You hold a British citizen passport (not British Overseas Territories citizen OR British National Overseas)

Please upload the following documents:

Your current British citizen passport OR

Your certificate of Naturalisation as a British citizen

You hold another type of immigration permission

i.e. ILR, Dependant, Leave to Remain etc. Please upload the following documents:

Your current passport

If you do not have a passport, your travel document

Your current immigration permission, either a visa vignette in your current passport, immigration stamp, or BRP card (front and back of the card)

If your immigration permission is in a previous passport and not your current one, you must make us aware of this in the notes section of the right to study check form

Share Codes

Please ensure that the Share Code you provide to us is for study not right to work or right to rent checks. Please see this guide to using the “View and prove your immigration status” Government webpages.

Please obtain your share code from the “View and Prove” Government webpage and choose the purpose of the check as “other” not work or rent, as these codes will not work.

You are coming to the University of Plymouth to study for 6 months or less, for example on an Exchange programme

If we issued you with a letter to apply for a Visitor visa, or advised that you apply for a Visitor visa. Please upload the following documents:

Your current passport (Please note EU, EEA and Swiss nationals coming to the UK for 6 months or less on a visitor visa will not be able to enter the UK with an ID card from the 1st of October 2021)

A copy of the Visitor visa stamp in your current passport

If your passport was not stamped as you entered the UK through an e-gate, a copy of your flight ticket or boarding pass clearly showing the date you entered the UK

You currently have an outstanding immigration application with UKVI

Please upload the following documents:

Your current passport

If you do not have a passport, your travel document

A copy of the email acknowledgement of the application from UKVI, clearly showing the date the application was received by them

Any other evidence of the date you submitted the visa application to UKVI

Any other documents or letters regarding your immigration status that you have received from UKVI or the Home Office.

EU, EEA or Swiss nationals using an ID card to enter the UK

The gov.uk webpages state you will not be able to use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID card to enter the UK from 1 October 2021 unless you:

have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
applied to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 but have not received a decision yet
have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
have a frontier worker permit
are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
are a Swiss national and have a Service Provider from Switzerland visa

Please note the following important points

The documents you upload must be copies or photographs of your original documents and must be clear and readable

Where documents contain numbers i.e. visa number, passport number, these must be visible and clearly readable

Failure to supply all required documents will lead to a delay in your enrolment

If we ask you to supply additional documents and you fail do to this within 10 working days we will not be able to proceed with your enrolment or re-enrolment

If we are uncertain of your immigration status we may need to share your documents with UKVI to confirm if you are permitted to study at the University of Plymouth. Where required we will ask for your consent prior to doing this. If you have completed a pre-CAS checklist you may have already given us this consent.

If UKVI advise the University that you cannot study with the immigration permission you hold, or if you do not hold the correct immigration permission, or you fail to supply documents that allow us to determine this, the University will not proceed with your enrolment and may cease sponsorship of you as a Student visa holder, where applicable.

Dual nationals: Please note that the nationality you have entered on your UCAS form, or application form, is the official record of your nationality that you have provided to the University when submitting your application. We will ask you to complete the Right to Study check where relevant based on that nationality. Once you have enrolled, if you wish to change the nationality shown on your student record you are welcome to ask your faculty to do this for you, but we will not change it prior to enrolment and prior to the Right to Study check.

What you need to do next

We will send you a personalised link to the online right to study check form, at the appropriate time, prior to the enrolment period. Please check your email account for the link.

Please DO NOT forward the link to any other students, it is personalised to your Student account.

Please do not send documents to us by email, upload them via the form as this is secure.

If you hold a new Student visa, it is extremely important that you do not complete the right to study check and upload your documents until you have arrived in the UK. This is because we need to verify the date you entered the UK and activated your Student permission.

It is very important that you should not plan to enter the UK prior to the start date of your Student visa (whether issued as a visa vignette or digitally) as then you will not have activated your Student leave, and you will need to leave the UK again in order to do this.

If you upload documents without evidence of your UK entry date (where required), either a vignette stamp OR flight ticket OR boarding pass, we will not process these and this may delay your enrolment.

If you are not certain which visa category applies to you, or are confused about what you need to do, please contact us and we will assist you.

Temporary remote learners outside the UK

If you will be studying remotely outside the UK at the start of the semester, and your faculty has approved this, we will update your record to permit enrolment and let you know when you can complete enrolment.

You will not be required to complete the Right to Study check until you arrive in the UK, but it is essential you inform us as soon you travel to the UK, so this can be done. It may affect your enrolment if you fail to inform the University promptly when you travel to the UK, or that you are in the UK when enrolled as a remote learner.

Completing your enrolment

Once you have completed the Right to Study check satisfactorily we will contact you by email to confirm that you can complete your online enrolment, and will provide you with the link to this.

If there are any other required steps, we will let you know. It is important that you complete online enrolment promptly when we have instructed you to do so. Once you have enrolled, you can participate in your programme induction sessions as required. Please also remember to register with the police where this is required.

Tier 4/Student visa holders

Providing your contact details: please ensure you enter your term time address and other contact details when enrolling, as this is a requirement of your visa. Please see these instructions for how to update your details after enrolment, if necessary.

UKVI now expect that student visa holders will revert to being based within commuting distance of the University, as you will be required to attend some sessions on your programme face to face, and the University is required to monitor this. Fully online learning from within the UK is not permitted for this academic year.

Student visa holders please ensure you read this information regarding your visa responsibilities, attendance requirements and working restrictions.

It is essential that you engage fully with your studies right from the start of the semester. This applies whether you are in Plymouth engaging through blended / face to face learning, or you are studying remotely outside the UK in semester one. It may affect your Student visa, or our sponsorship of you for a Student visa, if you are not engaging with your studies.