Responsibilities

Enrolment

Once you have been granted a visa, the next stage will be to enrol.  In order to complete the required UKVI enrolment, registration and identification checks you will need to:

• complete online enrolment and registration which you will be emailed about
• upload a photo for your student Keele card
• provide your UK address to us, this should be local to the University, such as Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Silverdale or Crewe but with a maximum of 90 minutes door to door by public transport
• download the Keele App and log in for your timetable and other university activities
• attend an in-person enrolment session at Keele with the Immigration Compliance and Advice team.  You must bring your original passport, entry visa to the UK and your BRP card if you are not collecting it from the University

Your responsibilities to the University

• Arrive at the University at the start of your course and by no later than the last date of arrival on your CAS.
• Provide the University with your passport and visa (BRP / share code) when you register.  
• Ensure that your visa is valid for study at Keele University, updating Immigration Compliance and Advice if there are any changes to your visa and / or passport.
• Keep your contact details for the UK and your home country up to date via eVision (KLE portal).
• Study whilst you are in the UK and ensure that you attend all of your classes, tutorials and lectures.  You should seek prior permission from your School(s) of study / Research Institute / Faculty Research Office for any absences.  
• Follow the University's procedures if you need to take a Leave of Absence or withdraw from your course at Keele.
• Leave the UK if you do take a Leave of Absence, withdraw or are terminated from your course, or if your course is terminated.
• Comply with the conditions attached to your visa regarding working in the UK.
• Seek immigration advice from Immigration Compliance and Advice before you consider changing your course of study, adding a work placement / year abroad or repeating any part of your course.
• Check your Keele University email account regularly, undertaking any instruction given to you by the University.

Keele University students are required to keep their own copies of their visa, passport and correspondence from UKVI.  In addition, students are required to keep their own personal copy of any documentation they submit to UKVI, for example: when applying for a new visa or extending their current visa.  Original versions or copies of these documents can be requested by the University at any point during a student's time at Keele.

All students are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that they adhere to the conditions of their visa in the UK, and that Keele University is required to report on a student's status and activity to external agencies, including UKVI.  Please note that if you are sponsored for a visa by Keele University (for example under the student visa route), we reserve the right to cancel this sponsorship if you do not adhere to the conditions of your visa and / or the University's regulations.

Terminated students

Students who are terminated by the University (for example academic failure or non-payment of fees) will have the sponsorship of their visa by Keele cancelled.  The University is required to inform UKVI of this within ten working days from the date of termination; this is known as curtailment of your visa.  Students in this situation will be served a curtailment notice from UKVI.  The University recommends that you leave the UK or find a new immigration sponsor immediately / as soon as possible, otherwise you may be refused if you choose to make a new visa / immigration application in the future.

Note: there is no 28-day grace period of overstaying.  A student is an overstayer if they remain in the UK after the expiry date of their visa unless they submit a new, in-time visa application, which would meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Students and staff are reminded that anyone in breach of the UK Immigration Rules (for example, those that are an overstayer) will not be allowed to undertake / continue studying at Keele University.

Council tax exemption

You are only exempt from paying council tax for the period you are registered as a student at Keele.  Once your programme end date has passed, you are no longer exempt from paying council tax, even if your visa is still valid.  You should update your local council on your change of circumstances at the end of your course. 

If you are living with students but you yourself are now working after your programme end date, the property is no longer exempt and you must update your Borough Council of the change in circumstances.

Keele University's responsibilities

Keele University has a duty of care to all its students and must, by law, comply with the immigration rules and the requirements of UKVI.  Our responsibilities are to:

• check and keep copies of your original passport and visas when you register, reviewing these documents throughout the year and recording any changes (for example, passport renewal)
• keep your UK and home contact details up-to-date and keep a record of any changes of address
• ensure that we only register students with a visa / immigration status valid for study at Keele University
• report to UKVI those students who do not register on time
• monitor student attendance, reporting unauthorised absences to UKVI and terminate students who do not attend
• monitor and report to UKVI any change of status, such as Leave of Absence, change in course length, termination or exclusion / expulsion
• notify UKVI of any significant changes in your circumstances, such as a change of course or completion of your studies where this is earlier than expected
• notify UKVI if we are aware that you are in breach of your immigration conditions
• cancel your student status resulting in the termination of your student visa if you do not arrive and complete the required UKVI document checks by the last date of arrival on your CAS
• keep a copy of your ATAS certificate if your programme of study requires one
• perform any other duties required by UKVI, including supporting immigration control

Note that this is not an exhaustive list but provides examples of the nature of the University's responsibilities and the types of circumstance in which the University will need to capture information on students and report it accordingly.