Student Visa attendance and engagement

You must attend and engage on your course to keep your Student or Tier 4 visa and stay registered on your programme.

On

Overview

Our Attendance monitoring page has general information about the University’s approach to attendance monitoring (student login is required to view the page).

You should also read your handbook to find out your school’s specific attendance monitoring processes and how to inform them if you are absent from studies.

It is your responsibility to read and adhere to the regulations that you agreed to when registering at the University, which include the requirement to attend and engage with your studies. The University has a number of processes to identify and take action where a student fails to sufficiently attend their programme or loses contact with the University.

Student visa attendance rules

As a visa-sponsored student there are additional attendance requirements you must be aware of. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) require the University to check you are regularly attending your studies throughout your visa, and take action if you stop engaging.

Continued or serious cases of non-attendance can result in withdrawal of your Student Visa sponsorship and withdrawal from the University.

Student visa rules mean that you cannot study your programme via online or remote learning only. You must attend most of your programme via in-person teaching and supervisory sessions.

Your responsibilities

You must ensure you are aware of your responsibilities in relation to attendance and your Student or Tier 4 visa. They are:

  • To attend your timetabled or expected studies regularly in person. 
  • To complete all written assignments, practical or other coursework, and attend all examinations.
  • To keep appointments to meet with your school. This may be your supervisor, personal tutor, or other school staff
  • To inform your school of any absences. You should read your handbook to check how they wish for you to inform them. You may need to submit a self-certification or an extenuating circumstances form. Long-term absences require a leave of absence form to be completed.
  • To inform your school of any ongoing issues or problems that are affecting your ability to attend your studies.
  • To check your emails regularly and respond to any concerns about your attendance. It is your responsibility to reply within any relevant period.

If you are concerned about your attendance record you must contact your department as soon as possible. Not recording your attendance, or forgetting to do so, is not an adequate explanation for absences on your attendance record.

Student Visa attendance policy

Attendance data

Your attendance will be recorded throughout your studies. The type and frequency of these attendance contact points are determined by your department, and may differ depending on the type of course you are studying. In most cases:

  • A standard taught student will have their timetabled sessions recorded
  • A standard research student will have their supervisor meetings recorded
  • If you are studying away from the University, eg placement or study abroad, you may have attendance recorded via alternative methods such as email, checklists, reports etc.

Identifying non-attendance

The University will review your attendance data throughout your studies and use this to assess if you are consistently engaging with your programme. Your case will be escalated if your record shows you have been absent or have not had any attendance or engagement recorded for a sustained period of time.

If you attend on a regular basis but occasionally miss a few events, then in most cases this will not impact your studies and you will not be contacted. However, if you consistently miss your expected sessions, or are absent for prolonged periods of time (for instance more than two weeks), then you may be contacted about your attendance and will be expected to improve this. Some courses, like those with professional accreditation, require a higher level of attendance.

Some schools may record an absence as ‘authorised’ if you have informed them of these in advance or have extenuating circumstances. However, an authorised absence period may still result in you being contacted about attendance. This is to ensure you still receive information about re-engaging with your studies, or request a Leave of Absence if you are unable to do so.

Action taken

If you do not attend studies for a prolonged period you will be emailed by International Student Support Advice and Compliance (ISSAC). This will include instructions to re-engage with your studies within a specified timeframe.

If you follow the instructions provided by ISSAC, and successfully re-engage by attending studies again then no further action will be taken.

If you do not re-engage with your studies within the timeframe provided you will be emailed again with a withdrawal notification and given the option to submit an Appeal to prevent this.

It is very important that you check your emails regularly throughout your programme to ensure you can complete any actions in time and contact the team for further advice if needed.

Withdrawals and appeals

If you continue to be absent for a prolonged period and do not re-engage with studies after being contacted by ISSAC, you will be emailed with a notification explaining your potential withdrawal from the University.

This is because the University cannot continue to sponsor a student’s visa to study in the UK if they are not attending regularly and do not re-engage with studies within a specified timeframe.

This can occur during exam and vacation periods if necessary, so it is important that you continue to check your emails regularly.

If this occurs:

  • You will have an opportunity to submit a formal appeal within five working days of the withdrawal notification.
  • You must complete an appeal form to provide a written statement and attach any supporting evidence by the deadline provided.
  • Your school will be asked if they wish to provide any additional information about your attendance for consideration.
  • The Appeal Panel will meet to decide on the appropriate action based on the available information. The decision can include a full withdrawal from studies, or alternatives such as a leave of absence or continuation of studies in conjunction with a set of individual actions. 
  • The final decision and a formal letter is emailed to you.

After the appeal stage, your options would be to either follow the University Complaints Procedure or make a formal readmission request. The decision will remain in place until and unless the complaint or readmission process is successful.

A compliant should only be submitted where the University made a mistake, did not follow its own processes or the decision was manifestly unreasonable. Refer to the University Complaints Procedure.

If you accept the decision but are seeking readmission to your programme, a readmission request should be submitted. If you are withdrawn under the Visa Attendance Route, your readmission request will not normally be accepted or processed within a one-year period from the date of withdrawal. After this period, you should contact either your department or ISSAC to request a Readmission, and be prepared to provide a written justification and evidence to support your case. There is no automatic right of readmission, and this must be approved by both your department and ISSAC.

English Language Teaching Centre

The English Language Teaching Centre have their own attendance monitoring processes. ELTC has their own thresholds for non-attendance and a separate procedure in cases where attendance is a concern. 

If you are studying in ELTC then the Student Visa Attendance Policy detailed above does not apply to you. ELTC will contact you if your attendance becomes a concern and provide further instruction.

FAQs

What if I miss my timetabled in-person classes but I am still studying online and submitting assessments?

Your Student visa does not permit you to study remotely via online learning only whilst you are in the UK. You are required to attend your timetabled sessions face-to-face. Online resources should only be used to support your learning and not as a replacement for attending your sessions in-person. You will be considered as absent from studies if you only study using online resources.

How do I find out more about how my attendance is recorded?

Check your programme handbook in the first instance. If you still have questions, contact your school directly and they will be able to provide more information.

Attendance can be monitored in a variety of ways and for a range of 'events'. These could include lectures, seminars, supervisor meetings and labs.  

What should I do if I think my attendance data is incorrect?

If you are having issues using iSheffield to record attendance, refer to this troubleshooting web page to ensure your device is set up correctly and your check-ins can be validated. If you are unable to resolve the issue using the troubleshooting page, you can report it through the iSheffield app in Settings > Feedback > Report a problem or contact the IT Service Desk (student login required).

If you are referring to other methods or systems of recording attendance, contact your school administrative office in the first instance for further advice.

Who should I contact if I have an issue that is affecting my attendance?

You can speak to your personal tutor or a student support staff member within your school . You can also contact International Student Support, Advice and Compliance who will be able to signpost you to relevant support services

The University provides many services to support students who may be struggling for a variety of reasons such as health, academic or financial. Use the Student Online Support Hub for more information :

It is important that you take action to resolve any issues as quickly as possible so that your attendance and engagement is not affected. If you are continually absent from studies because of an ongoing issue, eg a medical condition, then UKVI would still expect the University to withdraw sponsorship. This may mean going on a leave of absence and returning home until you are fit to resume.

What if I am a masters student in my dissertation period?

Your attendance should still be recorded by your school if you are working on your dissertation, as you still have a Student visa for this period and must be engaged with studies.

This usually means that your dissertation supervisor should make a record of your meetings, but they may also use email or other forms of contact during this period. If you do not think that your meetings are being recorded, speak to your supervisor first and refer them to this web page.