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Students: if your education provider loses its sponsor licence or has it suspended

If your education provider does not comply with its sponsorship duties, it may have its licence suspended or lose it (have it ‘revoked’).

You could be affected if your sponsor’s licence is suspended.

You may also need to find a course with a new education provider if your sponsor loses its licence and you’re:

  • currently studying in the UK on a Student visa or Child Student visa
  • applying to study in the UK on a Student visa or Child Student visa

Your new education provider will need to sponsor you.

If your sponsor has its licence suspended

If your sponsor is under investigation by the Home Office, it may have its licence suspended. Its name will also be temporarily removed from the register of licensed sponsors.

If your sponsor has its licence suspended while you’re studying in the UK

If you’re already in the UK, you can continue to study with your current education provider.

If your sponsor has its licence suspended before you start studying in the UK

If your sponsor has its licence suspended, it may no longer be able to issue Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference numbers. You should contact your sponsor if you’re waiting for a CAS but have not received it.

If you’ve applied for a visa it may be either:

  • put on hold while your sponsor’s licence is suspended
  • refused, if you’re not eligible

If your visa application is on hold, you can either:

If you cancel your visa or have your application refused but you still want to study in the UK, you can find out more information on how to make a new application for a:

If you still want to come to the UK but do not want to study, check which visas you can apply for.

If your sponsor loses its licence while you’re studying in the UK

If your sponsor loses its licence while you’re studying in the UK, you may:

  • be able to continue studying for a limited amount of time with your current education provider
  • have your visa cancelled

If your sponsor is still operating when it loses its licence, it may support you to find a new sponsor so that you can complete your course.

Your visa will be cancelled immediately if you’re involved in the reasons for the loss of the licence.

If you can continue studying with your current education provider

Your sponsor must let you know if you can continue studying for a limited time. This is known as ‘teach-out’.

You may be able to finish:

  • part of your studies
  • your course, if it’s nearing its end date

Your sponsor will let you know how long you can continue studying for. At the end of that time either:

  • your visa will be cancelled, if your course has not been completed
  • your visa end date will not change, if you have less than 60 days left on it

If your visa is cancelled

If your visa is cancelled, you will have to find a new sponsor and apply for a new visa if you want to stay in the UK.

You’ll have 60 days (or however long you have left on the visa if it’s less than 60 days) from the date the visa is cancelled.

You’ll have to leave the UK if you do not find a new sponsor and apply for a new visa in that time.

If you find a new sponsor you’ll need to:

  • get a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number
  • apply for a new visa to study in the UK
  • pay the visa application fees and healthcare surcharge

You can find out more information on how to apply for a:

If you want to stay in the UK but do not want to study, check which visas you can apply for.

If your sponsor loses its licence before you start studying in the UK

If you’re outside of the UK and your sponsor loses its licence before you start studying, your visa may be cancelled immediately. Your visa application fees and healthcare surcharge will not be refunded.

If you attempt to travel to the UK on a cancelled visa, you will be refused entry.

If you’re applying for a visa when your sponsor loses its licence, your application will be refused.

If you still want to study in the UK, you will need to find a new sponsor and apply for a new visa.

You can find out more information on how to apply for a:

If you still want to come to the UK but do not want to study, check which visas you can apply for.

Get help if your sponsor loses its licence or has it suspended

If you need help you can:

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