Receiving your visa and what to do next
This section provides information on your visa documentation and arriving in the UK.
If your application has been successful you’ll be given either:
- A sticker (called a vignette) that goes in your passport – if you gave your biometric information at a visa application centre. This stamp is valid for up to 90 days. If your visa has been issued for more than 6 months, you will be issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which you’ll collect once you are in the UK.
- A digital status which allows you to view your immigration status information online – if you used the smartphone app to prove your identity. You will then be able to travel to the UK on your e-visa.
When you arrive at the University if you have a:
Vignette
Your School/Department will take copies of your passport and visa for their records and will check the date of entry stamp in your passport. If you entered before your Skilled Worker visa was valid, you will not have the right to work and will need to leave the Common Travel Area (UK, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and Ireland) and re-enter the UK within the validity of your visa. If you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months once you are in the UK you will need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
Your BRP:
-
Must be collected from a designated post office:
- before your visa stamp expires or
- within 10 days of arriving in the UK.
whichever date is the earliest.
The letter you receive from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will tell you where your BRP needs to be collected from. If you do not collect this within the required timescale you may be fined by the UKVI.
- Should be collected before starting work so that a complete right to work check can be carried out by the University. If you are unable to do this immediately, you will be able to start work based on the stamp in your passport and work until its expiry date.
Please note from 6 April 2022 holders of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) and Frontier Worker Permits (FWPs) can only evidence their right to work using the Home Office online service. The University can no longer accept a physical BRP/BRC/FWP for a right to work check
Further information on the Biometric Residence Permit
Follow the digital status process below. You should provide your share code before starting work so that an online right to work check can be carried out by the University. If you are unable to do this immediately, you will be able to start work based on the stamp (vignette) in your passport and work until its expiry date.
Digital status
You will need to request a share code so that the School/Department can carry out an online right to work check. You can request the share code from the UKVI 'View and prove your immigration status' webpages.
Prove your right to work to an employer
You will not get a vignette or a BRP. You will also need to keep evidence of your date of travel as you will need to prove the date of your arrival.
Arriving at a UK airport
When you arrive at a UK airport, you may see the ePassport gates, if you have been given a:
- vignette: Please do not use the e-gates as your visa will need to be stamped by a UK Border Officer. The stamp activates your visa. If you are travelling to the UK via the Republic of Ireland, you may find there is no UK Border Force Officer to check and stamp your visa. In these circumstances you must keep evidence of your date of travel (for example your boarding card) as you will later need to prove the date of your arrival.
- digital status: You will be able to use the e-gates. If you have Skilled Worker/Temporary Worker Sponsored Researcher visa, please retain your boarding card as evidence of you arrival date in the UK.
Keeping in contact
If there are any issues with securing your visa or you are not going to be able to start work on your agreed start date, please keep in touch with your School/Department contact and HR Helpline.