International Advice and Guidance (IAG) works with colleagues across the University to further enhance the international student experience. This page is designed to help colleagues with some of the more common questions we're asked. If you need further advice please feel free to email us at iagteam@liverpool.ac.uk.
- Giving a student immigration advice
- I am a member of staff who needs a visa, can you advise me?
- Issuing a CAS to a postgraduate research (PhD) international student
- I want to bring a researcher into the University for a limited amount of time
- If a student wants to suspend or withdraw
- Can you provide visa advice for other countries?
- What happens when I refer a student or situation to you?
Giving a student immigration advice
Only trained immigration advisers can legally advise students on immigration issues.
Immigration is a complicated area of law that changes rapidly. Students may approach you with questions about immigration; such as needing assistance with a visa application form or wondering if they are permitted to work. Whilst the questions that students have often seem simple, they rarely are. We, therefore, urge all staff to refer students with immigration queries to IAG. Please see our page for further details of how to contact us.
I am a member of staff who needs a visa, can you advise me?
IAG is a support service for students; as such we are unable to advise staff on visa requirements unless they would like advice regarding a student visa in order to study at the University of Liverpool.
If you require visa advice for employment at the University of Liverpool we recommend that you speak with our Human Resources Department.
Issuing a CAS to a postgraduate research (PhD) international student
A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is an electronic document given to an international student who needs to extend their visa to remain in the UK. It is confirmation that they have either accepted a place at the University or are currently enrolled with us. CAS statements are issued to continuing students by Student Administration.
If a student is studying for a PhD and wishes to extend their visa then before a new CAS can be issued it will be up to the PGR Administration Team to contact the student’s supervisor for confirmation that their presence in the UK is necessary in order to complete their work. We request this confirmation from the supervisor as they are familiar with the work the student is undertaking and, therefore, in the best position to approve the request. This request will then be considered by the Postgraduate Research administration team.
If the request is approved the student will be given a new CAS statement.
I want to bring a researcher into the University for a limited amount of time
Before making any plans or offering a position at the University to a researcher from overseas, it is important to check whether they require a visa and, if they do, what visa is most appropriate for them to obtain.
Please ask the researcher to contact IAG for advice and information about the type of visa which might be applicable to them. We recommend that researchers contact us with advance notice of their planned visit as, in the past, a number of researchers have failed to obtain advice until the last moment, which has resulted in delays or cancelled travel plans.
If a student wants to suspend or withdraw
If an international student approaches you to discuss the possibility of suspending their studies or withdrawing from their course, it is important to inform the student that they must consider the effect this will have on their visa before making any decision. Please make it clear to the student that you advise them from an academic point of view, but that further advice should be taken from IAG about their visa.
An international student’s visa will almost always be cancelled or cut short as a result of a suspension or withdrawal from their studies. Usually, the student will need to return home immediately upon the suspension or withdrawal being confirmed. It is, therefore, vital that they obtain advice from us before making any decisions.
If a student decides to suspend or withdraw from your course then the student should follow the appropriate suspension process and be referred to IAG to receive immigration advice in relation to their situation.
Can you provide visa advice for other countries?
IAG is only able to offer advice on UK visa requirements and application procedures. We are unable to offer advice and assistance on the visa application and procedures of other countries around the world.
We do recommend, however, that students read the immigration information provided by the embassy of the country they wish to visit. Please direct them to the following page of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website, which lists other countries' Embassies based in the UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk.
What happens when I refer a student or situation to you?
Once a student query has been referred to IAG, we will initiate a course of action to bring about a resolution. We will converse with the student, and gather information and details from any involved party before determining the best course of action.
It is important that both students and staff follow our advice so that a resolution can be found quickly. It also ensures that clear communication is established and repetition of actions is avoided.
With the student’s permission, we will keep you informed of any developments.