Live Chat
Visa Advice Appointments
Right to Study Check Appointments and BRP Collection
Virtual Events
Visa Submission Workshops
Send a email from your University email account or include your student ID number in your message: visa@soton.ac.uk
The VISAS Team online live chat held every week at the following times (London):
Tuesday 10:00 - 11:30
Wednesday 13:00 - 14:30
Thursday 10:00 - 11:30
How does the live chat work?
Click to ask a question during our drop-in times.
Use your University login details to enter.
What to expect
The drop-in service is aimed at students who have a quick question about their visa or immigration status for studying in the UK. For more complicated questions, a visa advice appointment may be offered.
Have a visa question?
Talk to a visa advisor online using live chat during our drop-in session times
Talk to us on Live ChatBefore you book
Visit VISAS drop-in live chat because we may be able to answer your question quickly or give you important information about what to bring to your appointment.
How to book
To book an appointment, please contact us through live chat; the visa advisor will send you a link to book an appointment or arrange an appointment if appropriate.
After an appointment is booked, you will receive an email to confirm the date and time of the appointment.
Appointments are online using Microsoft Teams.
Before you attend your appointment
If you are applying for a visa:
- Prepare the documents needed for your application. To find out what to prepare, visit our webpages about applying for a Student visa inside the UK or outside the UK or attend the drop-in service if you have further questions.
- Save electronic copies of your documents where you will be able to access them during the appointment.
- Start your visa application online. Do not sign the declaration or pay for your application before you book your visa advice appointment. You should receive a link to your application by email.
- Prepare a payment card to pay the visa application fee and immigration health surcharge online.
At your appointment
Please dial into your appointment promptly. If you need to cancel or rebook your appointment for another time/date, please let us know at least 24 hours before your appointment so that the appointment slot can be offered to another student.
A Visa Advisor will help you to check your documents and answers to your online visa application.
Right to Study Checks
To fully enrol for your course you will need to complete a Right to Study check and provide the University with details of your nationality and immigration status. Please follow the steps on the Welcome Website
If you have a Student visa you must also attend an in person Right to Study check. If you are starting your course at the start of semester 1 or semester 2 , you can book your appointment using the following link
If you have an agreed later arrival or there are no appointments available in the above link, please try this booking link instead.
If you have selected the University as your Alternative Collection Location(ACL), you should also be able to collect your BRP as part of these appointments.
The VISAS Team run a number of virtual events providing information and guidance around 'Applying for a Student visa' over the year. Please use this link to sign up. If none are available, please check back later in the year. Links are periodically refreshed according to the availability of virtual events.
The VISAS Team offer visa submission workshops to help students with their Student visa application in-person. The visa advisors can answer any questions about your visa application, and check your answers before you submit. You can book a visa submission workshop here.