Late arrivals FAQs
The University understands that offer holders and returning students from overseas may be encountering difficulties with booking travel and securing visas in order to commence their studies in St Andrews at the start of the academic year. We are monitoring the situation very carefully and liaising closely with UKVI on options available to students who are affected by this issue.
Please see the FAQs below for help and guidance. If you cannot find the information that you need on this page, please reach out to the University by emailing myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk. We will continue to update this page as the situation develops.
Travel
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The main matriculation event for students during orientation week (September 2022) will begin on Monday 5 September 2022 and will be held in the Gateway Building until Thursday 8 September 2022.
If you are not able to arrive in time for matriculation and orientation week, you must arrive in St Andrews by Monday 3 October 2022 and be ready to start your course on this date.
Please note that, if you are unable to arrive by Monday 3 October 2022, you will need to defer your entry to the following academic year. If you are unable to arrive by this date, please contact visas@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice.
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The University of St Andrews has returned to in-person delivery and we will not be offering remote study this session.
Currently, under UKVI rules, students who have a visa but cannot travel to the UK are not permitted to start their studies remotely. Once you have received your visa, you must make arrangements to travel to the UK immediately and you must not engage with online materials.
If this issue is likely to affect you, please contact the University as soon as possible via visas@st-andrews.ac.uk. We will be able to advise you further on the options available to you.
Visas
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Unfortunately, it is not possible for the University to expedite the visa process as we are unable to influence UKVI service times.
It may be possible for you to purchase a faster decision on your visa application via the UKVI Priority Service or Super Priority Service (please note that not all visa application centres offer faster decisions), or a faster biometric appointment through one of the VFS Premium Services. For more information about the UKVI Priority or Super Priority Services and availability in your country, please visit the UK Government visa and immigration website. For more information on VFS Premium Services available in your country, please visit the VFS Global website.
If you are unable to get a visa appointment and secure a visa to arrive by Monday 3 October 2022 to begin your studies, it will be necessary for you to defer your studies to the next academic year. Please contact visas@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice if this is your situation.
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If you have already applied for your Student visa, you must wait until you have received that visa before travelling to the UK.
If you require a Student visa for your course of study in the UK and you have not yet applied for it, you are advised not to travel to the UK as a visitor in order to start your studies. The University will not be able to complete your matriculation without a Student Route visa, which will mean you will not be allowed to access teaching and University systems, and you will be advised to leave the UK immediately.
You cannot switch from Visitor leave to the Student route within the UK, so it is important that you obtain your Student visa first.
We understand that delays in your Student visa processing can be distressing, however attempting to travel to the UK as a Visitor is unfortunately likely to further complicate the situation. If you think you may be delayed in arriving to the UK, or if you have any concerns about how your visa processing may affect your course start date, please contact the University as soon as possible via visas@st-andrews.ac.uk. We will be able to advise you further on the options available to you.
If you will be arriving after Matriculation and Orientation week but before Monday 3 October, please email visas@st-andrews.ac.uk with your name, ID number, programme and year of study, and expected arrival date. This will enable us to notify your Advisor of Study that you will be arriving late, and update the UKVI regarding the latest date you will be allowed to arrive if required.
Please note that if you are unable to arrive by Monday 3 October 2022 and be ready to start your course on this date, you will need to defer your entry to the following academic year. Please contact visas@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice if this is your situation.
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If you will be arriving after Matriculation and Orientation week but before Monday 3 October, please email visas@st-andrews.ac.uk with your name, ID number, programme and year of study, and expected arrival date. This will enable us to notify your Advisor of Study that you will be arriving late, and, if required, update the UKVI regarding the latest date you will be allowed to arrive.
Please be aware that once you have received your visa, you must make arrangements to travel to the UK immediately and you must not engage with any online materials.
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Contact the International Advisers on advint@st-andrews.ac.uk to discuss your options.
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Unfortunately we are unable to offer online study this year and students must arrive by Monday 3 October 2022 to start their course. If you are not able to arrive by this date please contact us at visas@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice.
Please note that if you are unable to arrive by Monday 3 October 2022 you will need to defer your entry to the following academic year. Please contact visas@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice if this is your situation.
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We hope that you will be able to obtain your visa and arrive in time for classes starting on 12 September 2022. You must arrive by Monday 3 October 2022 to start your course.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer remote study and so if you are unable to arrive by Monday 3 October 2022 you will need to defer your entry to the following academic year. Please contact visas@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice if this is your situation.