After you’ve completed your studies

Graduation

You will be able to stay in the UK on your Student or Tier 4 visa to attend your graduation ceremony if:

• your visa is still valid; and
• your visa will still be valid after the date of the graduation ceremony

If you have a Short-Term Student visa, and not a Student or Tier 4 visa, you'll need to leave the UK within 30 days of your course end date or before your visa expires, whichever date is earlier. If the graduation ceremony is after this date, you're advised to return to the UK as a visitor to attend. 

If you've had any change of status during your course that could affect the validity of your visa, you should refer to any immigration advice sent to you by International Student Support.

If you decide to leave the UK after you finish your course but wish to re-enter the UK on your Student or Tier 4 visa to attend your graduation ceremony, this should still be possible if your visa is still valid and covers the date of the ceremony.

You should request a certificate of student status (graduation attendance) from SSiD and carry this in your hand luggage when you travel back to the UK.

If the above does not apply to you, and you need to apply for a visitor visa to return for graduation, you should use the certificate of student status (graduation attendance) as a supporting document when applying for the visa.

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Police registration

South Yorkshire Police have now advised that it is no longer necessary for you to return your police registration certificate to them when you are leaving the UK.

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Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

When your BRP card has expired you should return it to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). You do not need to do this when your BRP card is still before its Valid Until date, unless you receive specific instructions from UKVI asking you to do this.

If you are returning your BRP, you should

• cut the BRP in half
• place it in a plain, windowless envelope
• post to the relevant address below

If you're outside the UK:

BRP Returns
Home Office
Conference House
Conference Avenue
Portishead Office Park
Portishead
Bristol
BS20 7LZ
United Kingdom

If you're inside the UK:

BRP Returns
P.O. Box 195
Bristol
BS20 1BT

If you're inside the UK and making a further visa application, you should receive instructions on returning your BRP to UKVI when they send you the decision letter or email for your new application.