Angelica Ching

Hi, I am currently holding a tier 4 student visa which is going to expire on the 12th of Oct. I am hoping to stay in the UK until early November. Can I travel to other European countries and re-enter as visitor (I don't need a visitor visa)? If so, do I need to do that before the visa expires? I heard there is a overstay length of 28 days? Or I must leave before the visa expires and cannot re-enter as visitor?

If I re-enter UK with a flight ticket proving to leave in Nov. do you think I will encounter any problems? or potentially affect my future visa application (not planning to come back atm but just in case)?

Thanks so much for the help.

UKtravelbear

I suggest you contact the students union or academic affairs office at your college where this issue will be quite common.

Or speak to a properly regulated immigration practitioner who is authorised to provide advice. It is illegal for anyone not regulated to give advice.

I suggest you DO NOT overstay as it can affect whether or not you will be able to get future visas / be allowed into the UK.

There is no grace period of 28 days. Or ANY days.

Aviatrix

Unlike the Schengen countries the UK does not have a rule limiting visitors to "n" days in "n" months - this is not giving legal advice, this is just passing on information that is on a UK government web site.

The web site does say that one cannot live in the UK by pretending to be a visitor and leaving once every six months - but this does not appear to be the case here.

I'm not aware of any rules/concessions that allow students to overstay for up to 28 days, and I wouldn't rely on hearsay!

I don't believe there is any rule that would prevent you from entering the country as a visitor a short time after expiry of your student visa, but to save complications you should go before it expires and come back after it has expired

stifle

You may be denied re-entry if you encounter UK Border Agency staff on your re-entry, particularly if you don't meet the requirements to be admitted as a general visitor. What will you be doing in the UK between when you arrive and seek to be admitted as a general visitor, and when you depart in early November?

As mentioned above, it is also risky to just overstay –.aside from affecting your future admissibility if it is noted that you overstayed, you are also liable to be arrested for being in the country without leave if you happen to have any dealings with the police.

I can't say I have any experience or expert knowledge on the area, but if you were to travel to the Republic of Ireland on the 12th of October, perhaps via the land border, and return to the United Kingdom on the 13th, you would not need to pass through UK border control and would be deemed to have been granted 90 days leave to enter as a general visitor. This is rather loopholey so please do not rely on this and obtain proper advice, etc.

After further research, the above method would only grant 7 days leave, so not any use.