Will I be affected by the Marking and Assessment Boycott?
We understand that this may be an unsettling time for many of you and we hope to be able to reassure you as best as we can. We have listed below the most likely scenarios for LSE students.
If you have any questions, we recommmend it would be best to contact us after you have received your results, as we will be best able to assess the support and advice you may require depending on your individual circumstances.
Case One: I have received a full set of marks on results release and am able to be awarded with a final classification. Can I be verified for the Graduate Route?
If you have a full set of results and are able to informed of your final classification on the 14th July 2023, you will be verified to the UKVI as normal for the Graduate Route. Further details can be found on the following web page:
Working on a visa in the UK
Case Two: I have been awarded with a provisional classification. Can I be verified for the Graduate Route?
If you have been awarded but have received a provisional classification, we will be able to verify you to the UKVI. The UKVI require you to have been informed that you have been or will be awarded. Verifications in this circumstance will be completed on a rolling basis and we will do our best to complete this, where possible, by the expiry date of your visa.
If your visa is due to expire, your options will depend on when you are able to receive your results. The UKVI have put the following concessions in place:
Marking Boycott and Graduate Route
Please note that if your final classification means you have failed your degree, we will be required to withdraw your verification to the UKVI.
Case Three: I am planning to study at another institution. Can I extend my visa?
The concessions that have been put in place by the UKVI focus on the Graduate Route only. Extending your visa would not assist with you studying at another institution because your visa would restrict you to study at LSE. You should contact your prospective institution for further advice on your options.
Case Four: I need to extend my visa to continue my programme at LSE. When can I receive a CAS?
If you need to extend your visa to complete your current programme e.g. because you have received repeat teaching, please request your CAS number after results release.
Non-progression/not being awarded your degree e.g. final fails
If you have failed any of your assessments and are not able to progress/be awarded your degree, the Student Services Centre will be required to report you to the UKVI. The report will withdraw sponsorship of your visa and this starts the curtailment process.
You will receive an email from the Student Services Centre confirming a report has been submitted to the Home Office. This will start the curtailment (cancellation) of your visa. You can find out more about curtailment on the UKCISA web pages:
UKCISA: Protecting your Student Status
You will receive an email from the Student Services Centre confirming a report has been submitted to the Home Office. We advise that once the report has been submitted, because you will not know when your visa is curtailed:
- if you are working, you should inform you employer of your change in circumstances so they are able to assess your right to continue working;
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you no longer have the right to access the NHS once your visa is in the process of being curtailed;
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anyone who is dependant on your visa will also lose the conditions of their visa and will need to return home with you;
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your reason for being in the UK (studies) no longer exists - we advise that you should plan to leave the UK within 60 days of receiving the email from the Student Services Centre. This is because some students did not receive the notification from the UKVI and overstayed their new expiry date;
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you should not plan to travel out of the UK and attempt to return on your current visa. Once you leave the UK, the UKVI advise that you should consider your visa as cancelled.
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If the Student Services Centre have emailed you to say that they have informed the UKVI that we are no longer sponsoring your studies, you no longer have the right to study in the UK. Even if you are allowed to enter the UK by a Border Force Officer or you have not been informed of your curtailment date by the UKVI, you do not have the right to study so will be unable to attend teaching or take exams on your old visa. You must contact Student Advice and Engagement for advice in these circumstances and do not expect to be able to undertake studies once you are reported.
The Home Office will contact you either by letter or by email advising you of the new expiry date of your visa. This is usually 60 days from the date of the letter or email. This information can sometimes be delayed, so we advise it is best to plan to leave the UK as soon as possible, ideally within 60 days of the email confirming you have been reported to the UKVI.
Academic Appeals
If your visa has expired and you are submitting an academic appeal, you are not required to be in the UK for this process. LSE will not continue sponsorship on Tier 4/Student for an academic appeal. Also, depending on which point in your studies you submit your appeal, you may be reported to the Home Office and your visa may be in the process of being curtailed. If you no longer have any studies to complete, we advise against remaining in the UK.