Change Course on a UK Student Visa: When You Need a New Visa
TL;DR: You can change course on a UK Student visa without a new visa application only when every condition in the Home Office sponsor guidance is met: your university is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, the new course is at degree level or above, it is not at a lower level than your current course, you can finish it within your current permission, and, if you held Student permission before, the university confirms the courses are related or together support your career aims. If any condition fails, you need a new CAS and a new Student visa application. Changing university always means a new application.
A transfer that looks simple on campus can affect your permission to stay, because the rules sit with the Home Office, not your department. This guide sets out the conditions from the Student sponsor guidance and GOV.UK, a decision table by type of change, and the questions to ask before you sign a transfer form. If you are applying from Sri Lanka, the local points are near the end.
Not sure your next course fits your qualifications and visa plans? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
Can you change course on a UK Student visa without a new application?
Yes, but only in some cases. The Home Office Student sponsor guidance says a student can change course without new permission only if all of these apply:
- Your sponsor is a higher education provider (HEP) with a track record of compliance.
- The new course is at degree level or above.
- The new course is not at a lower level than your current course.
- You can complete the new course within your current period of permission.
- If you were previously granted Student or Tier 4 permission, your sponsor confirms that the new course is related to your previous one, or that the two together support your genuine career aspirations.
Your university then reports the change to the Home Office. Two further rules are easy to miss: if the new course needs an ATAS certificate, you must have it before you start, and if the new course is shorter, your sponsor must tell the Home Office immediately.
Change type to what you need
Always confirm your own case with your university's international student advice team.
| Type of change | Usually possible on your current visa? | What you will need |
|---|---|---|
| Same university, same level, related course, finishes within your visa | Possibly, if all five conditions are met | University approval and a report to the Home Office |
| Same university, higher level course | Only if it also finishes within your visa | University check; otherwise a new CAS and visa application |
| Same university, lower level course | No | A new CAS and a new visa application |
| Same university, course runs past your visa end date | No | A new CAS and a new visa application |
| Different university | No | A new CAS from the new university and a new Student visa application |
| Adding a placement year | Depends on your permission | Ask your university; QMUL treats it as exempt from academic progression |
Want a second opinion on whether a new course fits your visa?
When do you need a new CAS and visa?
If you do not meet every condition above, you need a new Student visa application with a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. GOV.UK says that to extend from inside the UK, the new course must usually be at a higher academic level than your current one. It can be at the same level only if it relates to your previous course or career aspirations, and it is at degree level or above at a higher education provider.
The timing rules:
- You must apply before your current visa expires.
- Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
- You must apply within 6 months of getting your CAS.
- The fee to extend is £558, plus the healthcare surcharge, and a decision is usually made within 8 weeks.
The sponsor guidance adds that a lower level course does not count as academic progression, and students who have not completed their current course, outside the exceptions, will have to apply from overseas. Our guide to the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) explains what to check when a new CAS arrives.
What happens if you change university?
Changing sponsor is not a course change under your existing visa. UKCISA, the UK Council for International Student Affairs, advises that you must apply for permission from the Home Office first, and a new Student application needs a CAS from the new university. Check that the new university holds a student sponsor licence before you accept. Our guide on how to check a UK university's sponsor licence shows how.
What to ask your university before you switch
- Does this change need a new visa application, or can you report it on my current permission?
- Is the new course at the same or a higher level, and is it related to my current course?
- Will the new course finish before my current visa ends?
- Does the new course need an ATAS certificate?
- Will any scholarship or sponsor still fund the new course?
Applying from Sri Lanka
- If the change means you must apply from overseas, you apply for a new Student visa from Sri Lanka with a new CAS, and you prove your identity as GOV.UK instructs during the application.
- GOV.UK lists the fee from outside the UK as £558, with a decision usually within 3 weeks.
- You will need fresh documents for the new application, including your passport, the new CAS and, depending on your circumstances, proof of funds and tuberculosis test results. GOV.UK lists IOM Sri Lanka in Colombo as the approved TB test clinic. Our guide to applying for a UK Student visa covers the steps in order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move to a lower level course on my Student visa?
Not on your current permission. A lower level course does not count as academic progression.
Do I need a new visa to change university?
Yes. You need a CAS from the new university and a new Student visa application.
Will my university tell the Home Office?
Yes. Your sponsor must report course changes, and must report immediately if the new course is shorter.
PS: The safest course change is the one checked before you move. An email to your international student advice team with the five questions above can save a refused application later. Check your eligibility with Prosper and we will help you think through your options.
Team Prosper
References
- Student sponsor guidance, Document 2: Sponsorship duties (accessible version), Home Office, GOV.UK, version 04/2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-sponsor-guidance/sponsorship-duties-accessible (accessed 17 October 2026)
- Student visa: Extend your visa, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/extend-your-visa (accessed 17 October 2026)
- Student visa: Documents you'll need to apply, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/documents-you-must-provide (accessed 17 October 2026)
- Protecting your Student status, UKCISA. https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student-advice/visas-and-immigration/protecting-your-student-status/ (accessed 17 October 2026)
- Visa implications to changes of your programme, Queen Mary University of London. https://www.qmul.ac.uk/welfare/visas-international-advice/visas-for-study/visa-fee-implications-of-changes-to-programme/ (accessed 17 October 2026)
- Tuberculosis testing in Sri Lanka, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-test-for-a-uk-visa-clinic-in-sri-lanka/tuberculosis-testing-in-sri-lanka (accessed 17 October 2026)
