FAQ 795
If I leave the UK before my graduation ceremony, can I return to the UK to attend it?



If you are on a Tier 4 general student visa or a Short Term Study (STS) visa and you wish to travel to another country after you have completed your studies and then return to the UK on that visa you may not be allowed back into the UK. This is because your visa is for study and you no longer have anything to study as you have completed your studies. You should obtain a new visa for the purpose of your return to the UK for your graduation ceremony. You will need to return to the UK as a visitor.  

The precise requirements for doing so will differ depending on your nationality. Nationals of some countries are able to visit the UK without entry clearance, as a General Visitor. Others (the majority) will be required to obtain entry clearance before being granted leave to enter the UK as a General Visitor. If you fall into this latter category, you need to apply for the visa at British High Commission in your home country.  

To find out whether you will require entry clearance, or whether you can enter the UK as a visitor without entry clearance, please see  https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/overview. Invitation letters from the University of Bedfordshire are available from the Graduation Office ( mailto:graduation@beds.ac.uk;). Letters to invite guests rather than yourself should be requested from the Student Information Desk.