International Document Checking
All students who have declared a nationality which is not British or Irish must attend an on-campus immigration document checking appointment as part of the enrolment process.
Please note: Document checks are not related to fee status. Even if you have Home fee status (e.g. if you have settled or pre-settled status), if your nationality in your passport is not British or Irish, you must have your immigration documentation checked.
During your appointment, you will show your immigration documentation to evidence that you have permission to study in the UK.
You will not be able to complete enrolment onto your course until we have verified your immigration documents.
How do I book an appointment?
Before you can book an appointment, you must first:
- Set up your UKVI account
- Activate your eVisa (you can learn more by watching this GOV.UK video about eVisas)
- Generate a share code to prove your immigration status (this must begin with a letter ‘S’)
Once you have generated your share code, you can then book an immigration document checking appointment through Microsoft Bookings. You will receive a link to book an appointment by email in early January 2025.
When will my appointment be?
Appointments are available on weekdays between Tuesday 7 and Monday 20 January 2025.
You should book your immigration document checking appointment for as soon as possible after you arrive in the UK.
What do I need to bring to my appointment?
- Your current passport
- Your current visa
Most students will now have an electronic visa (eVisa) which they can access through their UKVI account. You will need to provide the University a share code to prove your immigration status. You will be asked to provide your share code when booking an immigration document checking appointment. You should also have access to your share code during your appointment.
- To access your eVisa, you must make sure that you have created your UKVI account.
- Once you have a UKVI account, you can then generate a share code to prove your immigration status. When selecting which type of share code to generate, please select the ‘Other’ option – this will generate a share code beginning with the letter ‘S’.
Please note: we cannot accept right to work or right to rent share codes.
The International Experience Team will be offering daily support workshops if you need any support creating your UKVI account or activating your eVisa. You can find more information about the eVisa workshops on the International Arrivals webpage.
If you are a Student visa holder: you also need to show the Temporary Travel Vignette in your passport. This should have been stamped when you entered the UK. If you did not receive a temporary travel vignette or your vignette was not stamped, we require alternative evidence of your date of entry, such as your paper or electronic boarding pass or airline e-ticket.
For any physical documents such as your passport or physical visa, you must bring the original document. Photos of your passport or visa will not be accepted.
You will also need to provide:
- Your UK address
- Your UK telephone number
I can’t make my appointment anymore. What should I do?
You will receive a confirmation email once you have booked an appointment.
Please do not cancel your appointment if you can no longer attend due to an issue with Microsoft Bookings. Please instead just book a new appointment.
You will not be able to complete your enrolment until your immigration documents have been verified by a member of the UKVI Compliance Team at Sheffield Hallam University.
I will not be arriving in Sheffield until the document checking event has ended. What should I do?
You must enrol before your course starts. The recommended enrolment date is 13 January 2025 and the deadline to enrol is 27 January 2025.
You must email enrolment@shu.ac.uk if you plan to arrive in the UK after your course start date. If you are given permission by the Enrolment Team to arrive late, you will be contacted by the UKVI Compliance Team with information on how to have your immigration documentation checked.
I have had to send my passport away so I cannot bring it to my immigration document checking appointment. What should I do?
You must bring evidence that you have sent your passport to another agency (such as UKVI or Student Finance England) to your appointment. Evidence may include a post office receipt and/or a letter from the agency requesting your original passport.
I have received a cancellation email for my document checking appointment. What should I do now?
Unless you have cancelled your document checking appointment, your original appointment time still stands.
Due to an error with Microsoft Bookings, some students occasionally receive erroneous cancellation emails.
I have attended a document checking appointment; however I am still not fully enrolled. What should I do?
You may have other outstanding requirements before you can complete your enrolment.
Please refer to the enrolment guidance for international students for further information.
I hold British or Irish nationality, but I have been asked to attend the immigration document checking event. Why is this?
We only invite students to have their documents checked based on the nationality we hold on record for each student. If your nationality is incorrect, you must send evidence of your British or Irish nationality (such as your passport or naturalisation certification) to studentimmigrationcompliance@shu.ac.uk
Once we have reviewed your nationality evidence, we will then update the nationality on your record and confirm that you do not need to attend a document checking appointment.