UPDATED March 2022- Update supersedes any information published here prior to the update note. Please note that the guidance on residing outside the UK is subject to change, in line with Government guidance.
Student visa holding students
As you will be aware, for the academic year 2021/2, a concession was applied by the Home Office which allowed students who are being sponsored for a student visa to reside outside the UK until 31 March 2022 without losing the sponsorship of their visa. The Home Office has extended that date to 30 June 2022. This means that research students can continue to reside outside the UK until then but will be expected to return to on campus study by 30 June 2022.
If you are currently outside the UK and wish to remain outside the UK until 30 June 2022, then you will need to complete the ROUK process outlined below for details on how to apply.
Please note that this scheme does not apply to new MPhil/PhD students starting in academic year 2021/2 who are expected to undertake on-campus studies.
Applying to the PhD Academy for a ROUK period (student visa holders)
• Please discuss your intention to reside outside the UK with your supervisor/s prior to applying.
• Make a request by emailing phdacademy@lse.ac.uk with the following information:
1.Full name:
2.Student number:
3.Are you funded by the School? If yes, what funding do you receive? (Examples, ESRC, LSE studentship):
4.Reason for residing outside the UK:
A: Please highlight all that apply from the list below: a. Health b. Family c. Unable to travel due to COVID 19 restrictions
B. Please briefly expand on you reason(s) for requiring a residing outside the UK status and your arrangements for supervision:
5. Your current year of study
6. Start date of residing outside the UK period:
7. End date of residing outside the UK period:
8.Where will you be based during that time?
Please copy in your PhD Manager and Doctoral Programme Director as we need departmental approval.
Should you wish to discuss a different arrangement, then please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk with a short description of your situation.
Non- Student visa holding students
The School strongly encourages students who are not sponsored for a student visa to return to on campus study from the start of the Summer term (3 May 2022), however, if you are currently outside the UK, but are unable to return by the relevant deadline, then you will need to discuss your situation with your department.
If your department is content for you to remain outside of the UK for the remainder of this academic year, then you will simply need to send an email to the PhD Academy and the PhD Manager in your department with start and end dates, and location.
Please note that, you will be expected to return to on-campus study by the start of the next academic year, 26 September 2022.
Please note that this scheme does not apply to new MPhil/PhD students starting in academic year 2021/2 who are expected to undertake on-campus studies
IMPORTANT NOTES
- If you are funded by LSE (this includes LSE, Departmental, Grantham and Leverhulme studentships) or ESRC/AHRC your stipend will remain in place during the ROUK.
- If you hold a current student visa, the sponsorship of your visa will continue while you reside outside the UK. However, if you are a final year student your visa will only be sponsored if you are returning to the UK to complete your studies at least 2 months prior to your thesis submission deadline to complete your programme. LSE continues to monitor UK government advice and will update our guidance as appropriate if there are any developments.
- If you plan to apply for the Graduate Route it is your responsibility to consult the International Student Visa Advice Team's webpages for the latest information on this. You can contact ISVAT directly should you have any follow up queries on this. Please note that the PhD Academy is not able to answer any visa related queries. In order for you to obtain the correct information please direct Graduate Route visa queries to ISVAT only.
- If you were travelling under the School's travel insurance prior to applying for permission to reside outside the UK you will need to contact health.and.safety@lse.ac.uk as you may no longer be eligible for cover.
- If you wish to carry out fieldwork and/or a period of study elsewhere, you must seek permission using the relevant application processes. Information can be found on the PhD Academy A-Z of guidance under the headings of Fieldwork and Study Elsewhere respectively.