Absence requests

Authorised absences

Authorised absences are not the same as annual leave, or an additional annual leave allowance for postgraduate research students. Taught students should take any planned leave during University vacation periods, and PG research students should limit themselves to allocated leave. Instead, authorised absences should be treated as the equivalent of compassionate or special leave. The circumstances need not meet the criteria associated with the Exceptional Circumstances Policy, but should be in some way exceptional.

Taught students do not need to request an authorised absence during University vacation periods.

Example scenarios

• A student wants to return to their home country as a family member is unwell or to attend a family funeral. As long as there is no academic reason why the student cannot take a short time away from their studies/research, this can be approved.
• A taught student wants to take an overseas holiday for two weeks in the middle of a teaching block. This would not be approved.

Absences for taught students require the approval of both the academic supervisor and the Visa Compliance team. The supervisor’s role is to approve the absence from an academic perspective eg to ensure that a student will not miss too much teaching and should still be able to meet academic requirements; the Visa Compliance team checks that the absence meets the above compassionate or exceptional circumstances criteria.

Length of planned authorised absence 

Absence of 0 to 30 days - Taught students only

• Taught students are permitted a total of 30 days authorised absence per academic year.

• Request the absence through your e:vision account.

• If a supervision meeting is due during the dates of the absence, this will need to be rearranged so it takes place in the required time period of engagement.

• Please note that the end date of your course remains unchanged.

• If your absence is due to a period of illness you must request the absence through e:vision in addition to following the Self-Certification of illness process.  

• Unless the absence is related to sudden sickness or an emergency situation which requires you to leave York immediately, such as a death in the family, you must request your absence before making travel arrangements and leaving York.

• If you are suddenly unwell or are dealing with an emergency situation, you must request your absence as soon as possible, but no later than five days of your absence starting.  

Absence of 0 to 60 days - Research students only

• Research students are permitted a total of 60 days authorised absence per academic year.

• Request the absence through your e:vision account.

• Requests of between 31 and 60 days will also be forwarded to the Special Cases team for their approval.

• If a supervision meeting is due during the dates of the absence, this will need to be rearranged so it takes place in the required time period of engagement.

• Please note that the end date of your programme of study remains unchanged.

Leave of absence

Taught students

• The University will withdraw sponsorship and you will need to leave the UK and apply for a new visa to re-enter the UK when ready to resume your studies. This will need to be processed as a formal Leave of Absence.

Research students

• Absence of more than 60 calendar days. The University will withdraw sponsorship and you will need to leave the UK and apply for a new visa to re-enter the UK when ready to resume your studies. This will need to be processed as a formal Leave of Absence.
• Absence under 60 calendar days. A formal Leave of Absence of up to 60 days can be taken without impact to your Student Visa as long as you can complete your degree within your current period of Student Visa permission.  Please speak to your academic supervisor for information about how to request a Leave of Absence.

Change of study location

Postgraduate taught and Research students

Changes of study location are permitted for reasons that directly contribute to study, for example fieldwork, collecting data, research and attending conferences. They are not to be used for ‘working from home’.

This type of absence must be requested and agreed in advance through e:vision.  Postgraduate taught students can only request a change of study location during the Summer Semester where a period of research or fieldwork is required.

A request via e:vision is required for changes of study location over three working days. The change of study location will be reported to the UKVI. The UKVI expects that a Student Visa holder is attending campus for the majority of their studies, so any request over six months requires the additional approval of the Visa Compliance Manager.

Please be aware that the Visa Compliance Manager may deny requests if a student is spending a significant period(s) of time away from the University, and it is considered that this would not be seen as compliant by the UKVI. 

A change in study location will need to be requested via your e:vision account.

Early departures (Leaving the UK before the end of your programme)

Undergraduate students (Continuing)

An undergraduate student, who will be returning at the start of the next academic year, must remain in York until the end of Semester 2 when the revision and assessment period has finished. They are not permitted to leave early and not permitted to request an Authorised Absence in order to do so.

Undergraduate students at the end of their programme of study (Finalists)

The University has an obligation to report to the UKVI any undergraduate finalist student leaving more than two weeks before the end of Semester 2.  This will be done within 10 days of your departure and the UKVI will cancel your Student Visa. 

Before the student leaves the UK they must make their request through e:vision and agree to the following conditions:

• they must seek prior authorisation to leave the UK from their Supervisor; and
• the student must confirm that they understand that leaving the UK will result in their right to remain in the UK being withdrawn.

Postgraduate taught students

If a Postgraduate taught student leaves the UK more than two weeks before their official course end date to complete their dissertation at home, the Visa Compliance team will report the departure to the UKVI and withdraw sponsorship. 

Before the student leaves the UK during this period, they must make their request through e:vision and agree to the following conditions:

• they must seek prior authorisation to leave the UK from their Supervisor; and
• the student must ensure that the dissertation is received by the department/school on the agreed deadline; and
• the student must confirm that they understand that leaving the UK will result in their right to remain in the UK being withdrawn.

Postgraduate research students

Postgraduate research students are required to reside within a reasonable distance of the University of York and to attend all instruction of study on campus unless prior approval has been made. This includes during the continuation period. If a student wants to leave the UK before the end of their writing-up period and plans to submit from home, they must request an early departure.  The Visa Compliance team will then report the departure to the UKVI and withdraw sponsorship. 

If a student wants to leave the UK before the end of their writing-up period they must make their request through e:vision and agree to the following conditions:

• they must seek prior authorisation to leave the UK from their Supervisor; and
• the student must ensure that their thesis is received by the agreed deadline; and
• the student must confirm that they understand that leaving the UK will result in their right to remain in the UK being withdrawn.

All early departures must be requested via your e:vision account.

Please note that if you request an early departure you will not be able to re-enter the UK unless you have obtained new entry clearance, this includes to attend your Graduation ceremony; neither will you be eligible for graduate Route Visa. 

Annual leave - Postgraduate Research Students only

Annual Leave should be requested through the FlexiLeave system.  The Visa Compliance team does not need to be informed about annual leave requests and will not have oversight over leave allowances. Please contact your academic department/school for any annual leave queries. It is not necessary to request an authorised absence in e:vision to cover a period of annual leave that has been requested via the FlexiLeave system.

Frequently asked questions