Applying for a new course from inside the UK?
Academic Progression for a UK Student Visa: What Counts
If you have held a Student visa before and want another one without leaving the UK, your new course must count as academic progress. Here is what UKVI accepts, what it does not, and how to show it.
Admissions guidance only. HOA does not give advice on individual immigration cases, and no university offer guarantees a visa.
The progression test in three lines
Compare the level of your last UK course with the level of the next one.
- Higher level Counts Bachelor’s to master’s. Master’s to PhD.
- Same level Only if related To your previous course or career aspirations, at degree level or above.
- Lower level Does not count Master’s to a bachelor’s top-up.
Check your own move
Counts. A higher-level course meets the academic progression rule.
Applies to applications made inside the UK by anyone who has had a Student visa. Appendix Student, ST 14.
What Is the Academic Progression Requirement?
It is a rule for anyone who has, or previously had, a Student visa and applies for another Student visa from inside the UK: the new course must represent academic progress from the last one (Appendix Student, ST 14). Everyone on a Graduate visa is covered, because a Graduate visa follows a Student visa.
GOV.UK lists three ways to meet it: a course at a higher level than your current or last course; a course at the same level that is related to your previous course or to your career aspirations, at degree level or above with a higher education provider; or an intercalated course in medicine, dentistry or medical science. A lower-level course does not count. The university checks this before it issues your CAS.
The facts at a glance
Checked against the sources cited on 13 October 2026.
- Who it applies to
- Anyone who has, or previously had, Student permission and applies for a new Student visa from inside the UK.Appendix Student, ST 14.1
- Higher level
- Counts as progress, normally with no extra justification.GOV.UK, extend your visa
- Same level
- Counts only if related to your previous course or career aspirations, at degree level or above with a higher education provider.GOV.UK, extend your visa
- Lower level
- Does not count as progress.University of Bristol, academic progression
- Who decides
- The university assesses it and must confirm it before issuing your CAS.Appendix Student, ST 14.3
- Outside the UK
- Applications made from outside the UK do not have to meet this rule.Appendix Student, ST 14.1
- Exceptions
- Re-sits and repeated modules, continuing a PhD, moving after a sponsor loses its licence, and a few others.Appendix Student, ST 14.4
Who Does the Academic Progression Rule Apply To?
The rule turns on two things: whether you have held Student permission before, and where you apply from.
| Your situation | Does the rule apply? |
|---|---|
| On a Student visa, applying for a new course from inside the UK | Yes |
| On a Graduate visa, switching to a Student visa inside the UK | Yes, because you held a Student visa before |
| On a dependant or Skilled Worker visa, never a Student before | No |
| Applying for a Student visa from outside the UK, for example from Nepal | No |
Applying from outside the UK removes this rule, but it means leaving the UK first, and every other Student visa requirement still applies, including the genuine student test.
Partners and children who have never held a Student visa are not covered at all, and many can study without switching: studying on a dependant visa.
What Counts as Academic Progress?
Progress is measured in qualification levels on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Find the level of your last UK course and the level of the next one.
| RQF level | Common qualifications |
|---|---|
| Level 3 | A level, international foundation year |
| Level 4 | Higher national certificate (HNC), certificate of higher education |
| Level 5 | Higher national diploma (HND), foundation degree, diploma of higher education |
| Level 6 | Bachelor’s degree, including a top-up, and graduate diploma |
| Level 7 | Master’s degree, postgraduate certificate (PGCert), postgraduate diploma (PGDip) |
| Level 8 | Doctorate, such as a PhD |
The trap most people miss: a PGCert and a PGDip are level 7, the same level as a master’s. After a master’s, they are same-level courses, not progress, so they need the same relatedness case as a second master’s.
Common moves, and whether they count
| From | To | Counts? |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation year (level 3) | Bachelor’s (level 6) | Yes, higher level |
| HND or foundation degree (level 5) | Bachelor’s top-up (level 6) | Yes, higher level |
| Bachelor’s (level 6) | Master’s, PGCert or PGDip (level 7) | Yes, higher level |
| Master’s (level 7) | PhD (level 8) | Yes, higher level |
| Bachelor’s (level 6) | A second bachelor’s (level 6) | Only if related to your previous course or career aspirations |
| Master’s (level 7) | A second master’s (level 7) | Only if related to your previous course or career aspirations |
| Master’s (level 7) | PGCert or PGDip (level 7) | Only if related, as for a second master’s |
| Master’s (level 7) | Bachelor’s or top-up (level 6) | No, lower level |
| Bachelor’s (level 6) | HND or foundation course (level 5 or below) | No, lower level |
Related means related to your previous course or to your career aspirations, as the university judges it. A second master’s in a different subject can still count if you can show how it serves a clear career plan. More on doing a second master’s in the UK.
What Is an Academic Progression Statement?
For a same-level course, many universities ask you to write a short academic progression statement as part of your application, before they will issue a CAS. The University of Bristol, for example, asks applicants to cover:
- why you chose the course, and why that university
- your career aspirations, and how both courses help you reach them
- how the two courses are similar and how they differ
- whether your previous course is finished, still in progress, or was not completed
- where you intend to apply for your Student visa
Write it about your own plans, specifically. A statement that could belong to anyone, or one that reads as a reason to stay in the UK rather than a reason to study, is the kind UKVI questions. Bristol also asks for copies of all your previous UK visas and CAS documents, and notes that UKVI may invite you to a credibility interview about why you are studying two courses at the same level.
Academic progression statement: a sample outline
There is no official template. Write it in your own words about your own plans: a copied or generic statement works against you. A clear statement usually covers five points, in this order.
- Your previous course. For example: “I completed an MSc in Finance at [university] in [month and year], specialising in [two relevant modules].”
- The new course, and why this university. “I have applied for the MSc in Financial Technology at [university] because [the specific skill or gap it addresses].”
- How the two courses connect. “Both courses build on [shared foundation]; the new course adds [new knowledge] that my first degree did not cover.”
- Your career aspiration. “I aim to work as a [role] in [sector], which needs [the qualification or skill].”
- Your previous course and visa plans. “My previous course is complete, and I intend to apply for my Student visa from inside the UK.”
Not sure your course will count? A counsellor can check the levels and the link to your previous course before you apply, free.
Check my study optionsWhen Don’t You Need to Show Academic Progress?
Appendix Student (ST 14.4) lists exceptions. You do not need to show progress if you are:
- re-sitting exams or repeating modules on your current course (with a limit of two re-sits or repeats if your sponsor is on probation)
- continuing a PhD with the same sponsor, or following your supervisor to a new one
- moving to a new sponsor because your previous sponsor lost its licence
- completing your course after a period as a Student Union sabbatical officer
- taking an intercalated degree in medicine, veterinary science or dentistry
- on a study abroad period or work placement that is an integral part of your course
The licence exception matters this year: when a university’s sponsor licence is revoked, its students can move without meeting the progression rule. See what happened at Buckinghamshire New University.
What If Your Course Doesn’t Count?
The university cannot issue a CAS for an in-UK application if the course fails the test, so you have three realistic choices.
- Choose a different courseA higher-level course, or a same-level course you can clearly link to your previous study or career plan.
- Apply from outside the UKThe progression rule does not apply to applications made from outside the UK, such as from Nepal. You would need to leave the UK first, and all other requirements still apply.
- Take regulated adviceIf your situation is unusual, for example an unfinished course or a previous refusal, speak to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority.
Whichever you choose, check your dates first: what to do before your Student visa expires, and what a new Student visa costs.
How to Check Your Next Course Counts, Step by Step
Do this before you pay any deposit. The university will make the final assessment, but most problems are visible early.
-
Find the level of your last UK course
Check your previous CAS or certificate for the RQF level: 6 for a bachelor’s, 7 for a master’s, PGCert or PGDip.
-
Find the level of the new course
The course page or the admissions team will tell you its RQF level.
-
Compare the two
Higher counts. Lower does not. Same level needs a link to your previous course or your career aspirations.
-
Write your progression statement if it is the same level
Explain your career aspirations and how both courses serve them, specifically.
-
Gather your visa history
Have copies of every previous UK visa and CAS ready; universities ask for them.
-
Let the university assess it before your CAS
The CAS can only be issued once the university is satisfied the course counts.
-
Apply before your current visa expires
Apply from inside the UK before your visa ends, for a course that starts no more than 28 days after it ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means your new course must move you forward academically from your last one. For an in-UK application by a current or former Student, the new course must be at a higher level, or at the same level and related to your previous course or career aspirations, at degree level or above (Appendix Student, ST 14).
Yes. It applies to anyone who has, or previously had, Student permission and applies for a new Student visa from inside the UK. A Graduate visa follows a Student visa, so everyone switching from a Graduate visa is covered.
No. The rule applies to applications for permission to stay, which are made inside the UK. An application made from outside the UK, for example from Nepal, does not have to meet it, though every other Student visa requirement still applies.
Yes, if the university confirms it is related to your previous course or to your career aspirations, and it is with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. A second master’s is the same level as your first, so it needs that link. Second master’s in the UK.
Not automatically. A PGDip is level 7, the same level as a master’s, so it counts only if it is related to your previous course or career aspirations, like any same-level course.
Not from inside the UK under the progression rule. A top-up is level 6, lower than a master’s, and a lower-level course does not count as progress.
It is a short written statement some universities ask for when your new course is at the same level as your last one. It explains why you chose the course, your career aspirations, how the two courses differ and connect, and whether your previous course is complete.
There is no official template, but a clear statement covers five points: your previous course, the new course and why you chose it, how the two connect, your career aspiration, and whether your previous course is complete and where you will apply for the visa. Write it about your own plans; a generic statement works against you.
Your new university assesses it and must be satisfied before it issues your CAS. UKVI then decides the visa application, and may interview you about your reasons for the course.
Possibly, if the new course is related to your career aspirations and the university accepts that case. The link has to be real and explainable; a credibility interview may ask about it.
Yes. Appendix Student (ST 14.4) exempts re-sits and repeated modules, continuing a PhD, moving after your sponsor loses its licence, Student Union sabbatical officers, intercalated medical degrees, and integral study abroad or placements.
The university cannot issue a CAS for an in-UK application. You can choose a course that does count, or apply from outside the UK, where the rule does not apply. For unusual cases, take regulated immigration advice.
No. HOA gives free admissions guidance: checking course levels, shortlisting courses that fit the rule and handling the application. Questions about your individual immigration position go to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority.
Guides for Students Already in the UK
Each guide answers one question. The first one is where you can ask a counsellor to check your options.
- Graduate visa to Student visaSwitch inside the UK, and check your options
- Academic progressionWill your next course count?
- Second master’s in the UKVisa rules, PSW and costs
- Dependant visa to Student visaSwitch, or study as you are
- Can you extend a Graduate visa?And what to do before it ends
- Student visa expiringYour options before it ends
- Student visa extension costFees, surcharge and a calculator
- February 2027 intakeUniversities we could confirm
Key Terms
- Academic progress
- The Appendix Student requirement (ST 14) that a current or former Student applying from inside the UK moves to a higher-level course, or to a same-level course related to their previous course or career aspirations at degree level or above.
- Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
- The framework that sets UK qualification levels: level 6 for a bachelor’s, level 7 for a master’s, PGCert or PGDip, and level 8 for a doctorate.
- Academic progression statement
- A written statement some universities require for a same-level course, explaining the applicant’s reasons, career aspirations and the link between the two courses.
- Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
- The reference a licensed sponsor issues for an unconditional offer; for an in-UK application it can only be issued once academic progression is satisfied.
Sources
Every rule and figure on this page was checked against these sources on 13 October 2026. If GOV.UK and this page ever disagree, GOV.UK is right.
- Home Office, Immigration Rules, Appendix Student (ST 14, ST 14.4)
- GOV.UK, Student visa: extend your visa
- GOV.UK, What qualification levels mean
- University of Bristol, Academic progression
- Immigration Advice Authority, About us
About This Guide
Who wrote it. House of Admissions (HOA), a UK-only education consultancy founded in 2016, with offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. All 20+ HOA counsellors hold the British Council’s UK counsellor certification, and HOA’s guidance is free to students.
Who checked it. Reviewed by Rahul Chhetri, Director. Every rule and figure was checked against the sources above on , and each one links to its source.
What it is not. Admissions guidance, not immigration advice. For advice on your own case, speak to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Related Guides
Your Next Course Should Move You Forward
Tell us your last course and your plans. A counsellor will shortlist courses that meet the progression rule, free.