Absences during studies for international students with a student visa

What is an absence?

The general expectation for those studying with us on a Student visa is they are expected to live within the Dundee area during study periods, this is defined as anywhere within a 90-minute commute of campus. Study periods include teaching during the semester, examinations, resit periods (if applicable), and times when you are working on assignments and do not have timetabled activities. You are not required to remain in Dundee over the weekend. If you will be absent from your course during a study period, this is an absence. The information below covers the processes to follow for different types of absences and what the University’s expectations are. 

Requesting an absence and absence letters

Absences are requested by submitting an online absence request which can be found in the ‘International Student’ container in eVision. Absence requests are then reviewed by your School Office and you will receive an email notifying you of the outcome.

Absence letters will not be issued for general travel, they are only issued if you need one to apply for a visa for your travel. An absence letter will only be issued if you have an approved absence request. You can request a letter from the student records team. 

Holiday – Taught Programmes

Absences during study periods will only be approved for genuinely exceptional circumstances. See Undergraduate semester dates. Reading weeks are not considered vacation time. The semester times advertised on the website do not apply to postgraduate students in the same way as undergraduates. Postgraduate students will be on vacation and absences automatically be approved during Easter and Christmas vacations, as well as timetabled non-study periods. 

Note: any course-specific timetabling information provided by your School overrides this general vacation information.

Holiday – Research Programmes

All postgraduate research students are permitted 28 days of annual leave as per the Research Degrees Quality Code and should discuss leave with their supervisors before submitting an absence request. The time between thesis submission and viva is automatically considered a holiday period.

Study Related Absences

A Student visa establishes a requirement that study should take place on University premises. There are exceptions for in-person work placements and temporary alternative locations that are part of studies, but these must be authorised and reported to UKVI by the Immigration Compliance team. 

Some courses may offer a work placement or internship module. This is permitted under the conditions of your Student visa as part of your study if they are an “integral and assessed” element of your course. This essentially means that you are undertaking it with credit value towards your degree. If this criterion is not met then the work placement falls under Student visa working rules (during the term a maximum of 20 hours per week and students are expected to stay in the Dundee area). Your School will inform us if you are undertaking a work placement as part of your studies. For information on work placements and work rules please visit our Working during study as a Student visa holder guide.

You may need to spend time away from campus for research purposes, such as data collection or attending a conference. This is mostly applicable to PhD students but may also apply to some TPG students. To request an absence of this nature you must complete an off-campus study form and have it signed off by the School to confirm the genuine academic need for the absence. This route cannot be used to approve remote study for tasks that should otherwise be completed from Dundee as remote study is not permitted on a Student visa. 

September cohort TPG students may have a choice to return home to complete the final elements of their degree online. This is likely to lead to the cancellation of your Student visa, removing your Graduate Route eligibility, but means they are no longer restricted by Student visa conditions. This is most likely to be an option for September TPG students and PhD students. If you are requesting this option you should complete an early departure form, which must be approved by the school to confirm you are able to complete online and submit this to the Immigration Compliance Team. The team will then contact you and inform you that your visa will be withdrawn once they have returned home to complete their studies. 

Medical Reasons

There may be times when you need to request an absence during study periods for exceptional circumstances such as acute health problems, bereavement, or pregnancy, along with others. Any requests for absences in these exceptional circumstances will be assessed by your School as to how disruptive it will be to your studies. Periods of remote study within the UK cannot be authorised under the conditions of a Student visa. If an absence is likely to prove disruptive to studies the Immigration Compliance team will assess the individual circumstances and provide advice on options such as continuing studies, taking a short break, or deferral to a later study period and the impact on your Student visa.