The terms of your UK Tier 4 student visa will allow you to arrive in the UK 7 days before your program’s start date and remain in the UK 7 days after the program’s end date.

If you are planning a trip for after the program that extends beyond your Tier 4 visa expiration date, you will have to leave the United Kingdom before your visa expires and go somewhere on the European continent. The Republic of Ireland does not qualify as leaving the UK (due to the above mentioned lack of border control). This means that you cannot plan a trip in which you leave the United Kingdom for Dublin and then continue on to another country on the European continent (such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, etc.). If you did this, your UK visa would not have been deactivated. You must go directly from the United Kingdom to somewhere on the European continent in order to deactivate your visa.

Once you have left the UK and traveled elsewhere in Europe, you would be able to re-enter the UK as a tourist after your Tier 4 visa expires if you would like. Entering as a tourist does not require a visa. At the time you re-enter, you should state that you are in the UK on holiday as a tourist. It is also advised that you have your itinerary for your flight back to the United States with you at this time. The UK Border Agency will most likely ask to see it at passport control.

The key thing to remember when you are planning your travels is that you CANNOT be in the United Kingdom when your visa ends!

Spring 2026

Your program dates are Thursday, January 29, 2026 to Saturday, May 9, 2026

Your flight MUST be scheduled to arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by 11:00am on Friday, January 29. This means you will leave the United States on Thursday, January 28.

See Dates & Travel for more information about airports.

Fall 2025

Your program dates are Thursday, August 28 to Saturday, December 6. Your flight should arrive on Thursday, August 28 and depart on Saturday, December 6 (if you are not staying later to travel). 

Your flight MUST be scheduled to arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by no later than 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 28. This means you will leave the United States on Wednesday, August 27.

A visa is stamped or sealed in your passport; it is NOT a separate document. It is official permission from a country to stay in that country. The type of visa indicates how long and under what circumstances you can be in a country.

The United Kingdom has heightened security measures for all migration into its countries. International students studying and working/interning in Northern Ireland are required to obtain a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa. This will allow you to study at Ulster University, CGEE’s academic partner in Northern Ireland, as well as participate freely in your internships. The British Consulate in New York grants visas to US students.

IMPORTANT! CGEE will provide you with a detailed guide when you are applying for your visa. The outline below ONLY summarizes and outlines the process. DO NOT attempt to apply for the visa without CGEE’s detailed instructions and documentation! Applying on your own will delay or prevent your visa being granted.

Note on the potential for changes in visa requirements: The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) frequently changes its visa requirements and the format for submitting documents. CGEE strives to give you the most up-to-date information available and to support you in the application process. However, you are responsible for applying for your visa, including following UKBA instructions. Below are the steps involved in the visa process. 

Step 1: Acceptance at Ulster University 

Once you have submitted all required documents to CGEE, we will submit materials to Ulster University on your behalf. Ulster University will send you an email with your Confirmation of Acceptance for Study (CAS) number. This number is essential for the visa application and you cannot start the rest of the visa process without it.

Step 2: Complete the visa application -- WE WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS. PLEASE SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH CGEE.

• Submit a copy of your online application, pay for your visa (~$640 payable by Visa or Mastercard). 

• Print a hard copy of the application (to mail with your passport and biometrics data to the UK Consulate in New York).

• Schedule a biometrics appointment (a fingerprinting appointment) at your nearest USCIS support center.  Find your closest service center.

Step 3: Attend your biometrics appointment  

Go to a USCIS Support Center and have your fingerprints digitally taken and your biometrics confirmation form signed.

Step 4: Send a hard copy of your completed visa application and materials to VFS Services USA Inc.  in New York. Be sure to include a UPS postage-paid return envelope.

Mail your visa application, supporting items (passport, biometrics confirmation) and postage paid return envelope as directed on this page. 

***This may no longer be necessary -- as of Fall 2025, it appears that the UK has moved to an e-visa, but this is not guaranteed.

Make sure that you use UPS for your return postage. USPS and FedEx are not accepted.

Find a local office.

https://www.theupsstore.com/tools/find-a-store

Step 5: Receive your passport back with the visa inside  

Within two or three weeks of sending your visa application to the British Consulate in New York City, you will receive your passport with the UK visa sealed on an inner page.

Documentation for US Citizens: You must have a valid passport for participation in CGEE's study abroad programs. Your passport must be valid at least six months beyond the end date of the program. 

Documentation for students from outside the US: If you are a citizen of a country other than the United States and your passport is not valid for at least six months past the end date of the program, you will need to renew your passport. Contact CGEE immediately if you are applying for or renewing your passport.

Documentation for Independent Travel: It is your responsibility to know about and obtain any additional documentation you need for travel outside the areas you visit with your CGEE program. CGEE cannot assist you with travel or visa arrangements to destinations not directly related to the program. 

Passports

Be sure to obtain a passport if you do not have one. If you have one, be sure that it is valid until at least six months past your departure from the program.

To obtain a new passport, you will need to submit materials at an in-person appointment:

• Follow the Steps to Apply for a Passport In Person on the U.S. Department of State Website.

• Along with submitting materials, you will also need to pay for the passport fee. To see the most up-to-date costs please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html 

To renew your passport, you can renew by mail:

• Follow the steps to Renew (Your Passport) by Mail on the U.S. Department of State Website.

• Along with submitting materials, you will also need to pay for the passport fee. To see the most up-to-date costs please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html 

For complete information and application forms, see https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html    

Once you receive your passport, make a copy of the photo page to carry with you (in a separate place from your passport) when you travel. You will also need to upload a copy to your Global Gateway account (Passport Information questionnaire).

As a further safeguard, we require that you also bring a certified copy of your birth certificate (see above where this is described) in case you need to reapply for a lost passport during the semester. 

If you are under the age of 18 or are not a U.S. citizen, please contact our Minneapolis office, as there are special documentation procedures you will need to follow.