Right to Study
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Right to Study
The University of East London (UEL) has legal duties and responsibilities to follow as a compliant sponsor in line with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements. UEL must ensure its international students have the correct immigration permission, which allows them to study in the UK. UEL is required to keep copies of this evidence throughout a student's study.
All non-British or Irish students must complete a ‘Right to Study’ check, where you will be required to provide your immigration documents to prove you have the right to study in the UK. This is a requirement to complete your enrolment at the University of East London. You will also be required to agree to the visa conditions outlined in the Student Visa Declaration or Non-Student Visa Declaration, depending on what visa you will study on at UEL.
Having the right to study means you have the correct immigration permission to allow you to study in the UK. The type of permission you hold could be a visa or endorsement.
The Right to Study check allows the University of East London to collect and retain copies of your immigration documents to ensure you have the right to study in the UK in line with our duties as a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Student sponsor.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Student Sponsor Licence
The University of East London holds a UKVI Student Sponsor Licence. The licence places a legal responsibility on sponsors to ensure that their international students have the right to study in the UK, amongst other duties. The Right to Study check must be carried out for every non-British or Irish national to become a fully enrolled student at UEL.
Failure to comply with our duty to ensure our students have the right to study in the UK will lead to non-compliance. Non-compliance can have an adverse effect on our Student Sponsor Licence. This is the reason our students need to ensure that they provide all the necessary documents we request from them.
You will be able to engage with the Right to Study check once you have been invited to enrol. Follow the below steps on how to complete this task.
- Step 1 - Log in to your UEL direct portal with your username and password.
- Step 2 - Click on the 'My Task' section within UEL Direct.
- Step 3 - Complete the 'Right to Study task' and input all the required information in the respective fields, and 'Upload the documents' required.
The images must be in colour, in focus and readable. You can scan your documents for the best results. If you do take a photo with your phone, you must ensure that it covers the whole image and that the information is clearly legible. If the images are obscured, then it is likely to be rejected, and you will be asked to submit them again.
Passport
Front page and biodata (photo image, full name, passport number, nationality, date of issue and expiry date). The remaining documents you are required to submit to complete the Right to Study check will vary depending on your immigration status.
You hold a Student visa
- UKVI decision email - This is an email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) confirming your application has been successful and providing instructions on how to obtain your eVisa (immigration status online).
- Your share code to prove your immigration status for UEL to check your immigration status online.
When you generate a share code, please select the option 'to prove my immigration status for anything else'. Please note we do not accept Right to Work or Right to Rent share codes. These are for your employer or landlord to undertake their checks. Proof of Entry to the UK – You must enter the UK within the dates of your visa to validate it and ensure you have the right to study. There are several ways to provide evidence of the date you entered the UK:
- Date stamp by a Border Force Officer either on your 90-day temporary visa vignette in your passport, if you have one (this visa is being phased out, so you may not receive this visa) or another page in your passport
- Boarding pass or luggage tag that shows your name and date of travel
- If you have applied for your Student visa application inside the UK, please provide your in-country visa application form.
If UEL issued you with a letter to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, or advised that you apply for a Standard Visitor visa
- A copy of the Visitor visa vignette in your current passport (these are issued to those required to apply for the visa before travelling to the UK).
Proof of Entry to the UK - There are several ways to provide evidence of the date you entered the UK:
- Date stamp by a Border Force Officer either on your Visitor visa vignette in your passport, if you have one (these are issued to those required to apply for this visa before travelling to the UK), or another page in your passport
- Boarding pass or luggage tag that shows your name and date of travel
If you hold another type of Immigration permission
Your current immigration permission – your share code for UEL to check your immigration status, and that your immigration permission permits you to study in the UK.
When you generate a share code, please select the option 'to prove my immigration status for anything else'. Please note we do not accept Right to Work or Right to Rent share codes. These are for your employer or landlord to undertake their checks.
FAQs about right to study checks
What do I do if my passport was not stamped by a UK Border Force Officer?
Please upload a copy of your boarding pass or luggage tag.
What do I do if I have issues logging in my UEL account?
Please contact the Student Hub via MyPortal.
What documents do I need to upload?
- Valid passport (personal bio-information page)
- Proof of Entry to the UK (Date stamp by a UK Border Force Officer on a page in your passport. We do NOT accept an exit stamp from your home country. If your passport is not stamped by a UK Border Force Officer, please provide your boarding pass or luggage tag. If you made this visa application in the UK, please provide your in-country visa application form).
- Share code for immigration status check (When you generate a share code, please select the option 'to prove my immigration status for anything else'. We do NOT accept Right to Work or Right to Rent share code.)
How do I create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account?
If you don't have a UKVI account, please create one. This Home Office video shows you how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa. You should check that the details on your eVisa are correct. Should you need further assistance to access your eVisa, please do not hesitate to contact the International Student Advice Service.
How do I generate a share code to prove my immigration status?
Once you have access to your eVisa, please sign in to your UKVI account to view your eVisa and prove your immigration status. This video shows how to prove your immigration status with an eVisa. When generating a share code, please select the option 'to prove my immigration status for anything else'.
What do I do if I encounter technical issues when accessing my eVisa?
Please contact the UK Visas and Immigration Contact Centre.
What happens after I have submitted the required documents?
Once you have submitted the correct documents, your status will show as 'Right to Study Check Submitted'. The Immigration Compliance team will then check that the information and documents provided are in line with UK Visas and Immigration requirements within three working days. Until this check is done, your enrolment status will remain 'Right to Study Check Submitted'. Please rest assured you have completed the task, and should we require any further information, this task will reappear with an updated status of 'Pending Right to Study Check'.
You should ensure you attend all timetabled events in the meantime.
What do I do if I am having difficulties uploading documents or haven't received an update after three working days?
Please log a query via MyPortal. Kindly note that you do not need to come in person to the Hub to complete your Right to Study Check.