Dear people on the forum, I was attending my first year of Phd from Oct 2013, having been through a terrible arrangement of supervisory support and I didn't pass the proposal approval panal as a result. That has left me with a terrible outcome being asked to terminate my studies according to the penal rules. However, as I was given a chance of appealing the decisions made by the school chancellor to the University Academic Board Committee.

I appeal with the best efforts I can to inform them the problematic allocation of supervisory support to me as also asking my school to reconsider their decision. Unbelievably, the University Academic Board unanimously support my appeal and suggesting the chancellor to reconsider his decisions (by giving 3 months till Feb)

In the mean time, I have also been applying to other university just in case, thankfully I have also received offers from other universities for a Jan start of the new course...

Now here's the real challenge for me....

As being an International student, I am legally need to renew my visa if I decided to change my university for Phd study. However, here's the UKBA rule

'' The eight year limit will affect students applying for Tier 4 leave after having already completed a PhD in the UK; further leave under Tier 4 will not be granted if the student has spent eight years or more studying at degree level or above on either a Tier 4 (General) Student visa, a Student Visa issued before 31 March 2009, or a combination of the two.''

As I have already spent 5 years under PHD studies, only spent 1 year for the school I am in (However, it's not properly completed as I am also undergone an appeal process), If I am changing school by withdrawing my current one, that means I need to renew my visa with the new university,How should interpret my special case to that rule above, because I really want to change school for the better after winning that appeal!

You might want to get in contact with a legal aid firm that specialises in immigration/student visas. This is probably outside the knowledge of many here? Alternatively, you might be eligible to apply for a resident visa.

hi silentlake,
it reads to me that you are thinking of leaving your current university after applying for an appeal (which was granted).

If it were me, if I made an appeal and I won that appeal, I would stay with my current university and finish that phd.

But of course this is your decision maybe the other university could work out to be better for you.

I think you should really speak to a qualified immigration solicitor for advice, if you have already been on Tier 4 for 5 years. Would you need another Tier 4 visa, or is that current one transferable, as it would be that your current university has sponsored that visa.

Please have money ready to pay fees because solicitors won't speak to customers without getting paid first. This is very normal. They say initial free consultation, but this is very little and you willl get nowhere without paying them fees first.

It is important to get the right advice because if something goes wrong, it won't go well with the home office.

Hope you will get this sorted.
Love satchi

hi, this link has information about changing sponsor

hope this helps
Love satchihttp://www.ukcisa.org.uk/International-Students/Immigration-/Protecting-your-Tier-4-status/Changing-course/

If I have understood you correctly, you submitted your final thesis after five years or the research proposal after five years? It will be crazy for you to submit a research proposal that takes 5 years to develop. What year you joined the Phd and what degree were you pursuing when you first arrived to the UK?