If you are a student who requires immigration permissions to be in the UK, the University is required by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to check your Right to Study. We are here to support you through this process.
You are required to upload your immigration documents as you progress through your visa application. The International Student Team (IST) will then check your documents and the University retains a copy of these documents. You will be able to complete the final check once you have arrived on campus.
The Right to Study check is essential to start your studies at the University of Birmingham. If you do not complete the process within three weeks of your course start date, the University will be required to withdraw immigration sponsorship meaning that you will not be able to continue your studies and will be required to leave the UK.
Changes for September 2025
From September 2025, as part of the Right to Study check, you will attend an in-person appointment at the Welcome Registration Hub for us to review your remaining documents and provide you with your student ID card. This will be the final step of your Right to Study check, so you can be confident that you have completed the necessary tasks as you begin your studies.
Students starting a programme of study in July or August 2025 (such as a presessional English programme or a PhD) should continue to use the existing process.
How does it work?
The process will consist of two parts.
- You will upload documents and evidence as you receive them, for checking by the International Student Team before you arrive.
- You will attend an in-person appointment at the Welcome Registration Hub between Friday 19 September - Friday 3 October, where the final review will be undertaken and your Right to Study check will be completed.
Part 1: Uploading documents online
You will upload your current passport once you have completed Online Registration, and then will upload the other required documents when you receive them, such as Vigenette, eVisa or BRP. The documents that you need to upload depends on your visa type. We will provide further information to help you choose the right documents.
Our new online submission process will be available from mid-August. We will communicate with you by email when it is available.
Each time you upload a document, it will be checked by the International Student Team who will contact you to confirm if the document has been approved or rejected. If it is rejected you will be told why, and asked to re-submit the appropriate document.
Part 2: Completing your Right to Study check in-person
You will need to book and attend an appointment at the Welcome Registration Hub between Friday 19 September - Friday 3 October 2025. At the appointment, a staff member will check your remaining documents and confirm that your Right to Study check is complete. You will then be able to receive your student ID card, safe in the knowledge that you have completed your necessary tasks.
We will communicate with you by email to book your appointment from mid-August. Please make sure to check your emails regularly.