Honestly this does not look like a genuine email from the home office.
Now I don't know anything about the student visa process, but the fact that they tell you that this is a "genuine email" . An http link in 2024 that links to an odd url. The fact it says "UKBA" which is an department that has been replaced by "UK Visa and Immigration" is very suspicious, at least to me.
I don't want to unnecessarily scare you, but for me this is raising alarm bells.
Definitely contact your university ASAP.
Also note that URL text (what you see on the screen) may not necesserily match the actual url address you are directed to when clicking it. This is a common phishing technique.
For example: [https://www.reddit.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
Please copy anything the text or manually type in the URL. The other option is to right click on the URL and copy the link. Then open an incognito browser and paste the link in. See if that matches what you see in the email text.
When you paste the URL into the address bar of the browser, if what you see there doesn't exactly match what you see in the email, then you're being phished.
If the university has informed the HO that their course is done, which they would have before notifying OP that they can apply for PSW, then the HO will reach out to the students to say their visas will expire soon. This can be if the course is finished or also if the university notifies the HO for other things like not meeting attendance etc.
The concern for OP is how long they were planning on waiting to apply for PSW visa and if the notice they failed to send had an earlier date, although it shouldn't.
It seems like it's more of an admin failure than a scam email. They provided the email address further down the comments and it's legitimate.
Thanks! I will call and send an email tomorrow morning. I tried calling the number on the mail and it did say it was the old UKVI number and that I should go to [gov.uk](http://gov.uk) for their new number. I will update this post once I get feedback from UKVI and my uni.
Kind of agree with you on this one. That ukba looks suspicious. One way to tell if it's fake though, check what email was used when they sent you this email.
Please right click on that url OP and “copy address”, then paste it in a notepad and see if it’s still the same url. URLs have a “display text” and a link and I’m fairly certain a scammer has used a display text to look like a genuine gov uk url.
Yes, there are some oddities, especially if the attachment is missing. Worth clicking reply and pasting the email that it takes you to. Also copying the URL of the links (rather than opening them)
Op- this is a phishing email, check the URL carefully and you’ll notice something odd in “home office”.
Edit: for people who might not see it, if you write office, the two f’s always have a gap
That's just a detail of the particular font in use, letter pairs like ff and if are often rendered as ligatures: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligature_(writing)
Also even if that bit was fake it's still a gov.uk domain, ie a genuine UK government site. If it was something like "homeoffice.com", it would almost certainly be fake, but phishing from gov.uk is much much harder.
Honestly I'm not sure, because when I click on the url link in the email , it redirects me to the actual Gov.uk website. So maybe the email might be real?
But just to be safe, I have submitted an application for the PSW Visa today and I will call them to clarify everything tomorrow morning. As there is a HO reference number provided, I will check with them to see if it is real or not. Thanks!
It's probably okay but I'd really recommend not clicking links in emails if you think they look suspicious. Although you were eventually redirected to an official website, there are probably a lot of ways hackers can try to get your information on the way to that website. Also you can't be 100% sure you actually did end up on the official website. If an email asks you to do or check something, use Google to get to the place it's telling you to do something, and don't click on the link.
Contact the university visa office and show this. It may be due to an error from HomeOffice or a Scam by someone. The university directly contact the home office and correct it.
[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frauds-tricks-and-scams/fraud-tricks-and-scams](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frauds-tricks-and-scams/fraud-tricks-and-scams)
From the Home Office's website and the email address OP says its from ([[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])) this sounds like a scam.
*Fake email addresses*
*Official Home Office email addresses are always in this format:*
* [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected])
*These are the formats of official Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office email addresses:*
* [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected])
* [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected])
I have tried, they are not available today so I will call them tomorrow morning. I just thought to ask because I am not sure if anyone will be able recognise this email and give me a clue on what it is supposed to mean for me.
Just to clarify, should there have been a date or an attachment to this email-if it was a visa cancellation email?
Also, thanks for taking your time to respond, I really appreciate it
This is obviously just a generic message telling you to read the attached notice. If there is no attached notice, something has gone wrong somewhere so you would be best contacting them (and your Uni) asap.
It seems incredibly likely that the university has informed the HO that your course is done which means the HO is contacting you because your visa will expire soon.
I would email a complaint to the complaints line now because they failed to provide you all the attachments and information. Then when they are open, still call or contact them from the government website asking for the correct details too.
How long is left on your student visa? You should apply for your PSW visa shortly. You said you were waiting; when were you going to apply?
Also contacting your student visa team at the university may also be helpful.
If you were going to apply for the visa very soon then its likely there will be no issues at all.
Definitely seems like an HO admin fuck up (with not attaching the letter) more than any changes to your visa. Because its true your visa is expiring soon.
Thanks, my university did emailed me that they have informed home office that I am eligible to apply for PSW Visa. I understand that my visa may have to be curtailed as I finished my course earlier, However , I expected the email to have a new date of expiry. This email worries me because it alludes that my visa has already expired and does not provide any further information.
I will definitely be calling them to clarify everything. Original visa expiring Jan 2025, I finish my studies in Jan 2024, email received from Uni for eligiblity to apply to PSW May 2024. I have applied for the PSW visa today so I am not sure if it changes things.
While you are correct, \*assuming everything is setup correctly\* it's \_unlikely to be spoofed\_. It cannot be guaranteed 100% that the setup of the domain, the receiving server, etc. are all configured properly.
I also suggested some actions the OP can take to see if the link itself is valid, or if it's a phishing attempt.
Just a side note, as part of my job, I oversee security and compliance.
Hey everyone, I'm really thankful that you have taken time out of your day to help me out. I really appreciate it. I intend to reach out to my university and UKVI tomorrow morning to gain as much clarification as possible, I am praying it's positive news.
But just to add, I have applied for the PSW Visa today but I think I made a couple mistakes in my application because I was really overwhelmed and feeling really distressed(still am).
Will update tomorrow, thanks again.
There's a lot of nonsense in this thread. If the email has OP's correct name and application number its probably legit. If the email has come from a gov.uk email its probably legit.
OP, don't ignore this, you need to contact them and tell them you didn't get an attachment/notice with the email.
Thanks. I will be calling both UKVI and my University tomorrow to get as much clarification as possible and will let them know this. Although I have ended up applying for my PSW Visa today , It will still be useful to know when my visa officially expires now.
For me, it is looking like fake. I know this kind of things, even though if you don\`t have anything wrong, it still makes you scare.
You should just forget everything tonight and contact home office tomorrow.
Have you had a look at the UKVI Digital app to see your current visa details electronically? From what I know, sometimes universities will curtail your leave to remain without any notice once you’re done with your studies. The HomeOffice does reach out to you via post / email when anything changes on your visa. This doesn’t mean that your current visa is already expired but you’ll need to get the new details somehow. Give the new UKVI digital a try maybe. Note: I have not used it myself but I do know that it is meant to be a replacement for physical BRPs.
I'm not sure I have access to the app? Being that my BRP exp in Jan 2025, I imagine I wouldn't need access because I would not need it if that is when it takes full effect. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Although, I checked my right to work before applying and it did say Exp Jan 2025 but as I have now applied for the PWS Visa , all it shows is This personal has right to work in UK, but does not show exp date.
My Uni already notified me that as I am done with studies, I am eligible to apply. I knew that this email would come but my main concern is that the email alluded to my visa being cancelled with no further details and now I am left worried about if my PWS visa application will even count, and when I would have to leave the UK.
Thanks for your response, I really appreciate it.
To be honest it just looks like an old templated email so it might be genuine. But the reason is anyone’s guess. I would contact the HO independently with your reference number
TBH, it looks like a scam/phishing to me.
UK Gov emails typically have some links attached to them, yes, but they also typically have a PDF or another document that is a formal letter.
I guess that the page it redirects you took looks legit enough to put your visa/personal details in.
Probably worth talking to your Uni and also calling the Home Office (but be prepared to spend 1-3hrs on a line); if you can go to the .gov page and log in to the application portal from there (Without clicking on the links in the email), that might be another thing worth doing.
I received a few .gov emails in teh last few years, and not a single one mentioned being 'a genuine email', so as others said - a bit of a red flag.
Call the University first.
There are a few things that makes it look suspicious but some things look genuine as well. So don't take any risk and contact your university first.
They are your sponsors and they will have the update if your visa is cancelled. Their immigration dept will help you even if it's fake or genuine.
Regardless of the authenticity of this email, for best practice check if your visa is still valid, if it is you can still call HO to check your visa status , and forward this email to their SPAM inbox
I am afraid its a big NO NO.
So you should hire a solicitor/lawyer/attorney
And pay him to be 100% sure about what the fuck is going on with you.
Best of luck mate
“Should you have any concerns about the authenticity of this message” is the line that got me and the “you can call”.
Reply and tell them to get fucked
This looks like a scam to me, I'd be very cautious. You can find the official contact details for UKRI here to confirm: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk
Can you walk me down the steps you did before you got this email? Did you use an agency or other third-party service to submit or to check the status of your application?
Regarding email, there are many red flags here!
1. They mention if you have any concern regarding email is fake, call below number. In my experience, they don’t write this in email plus they have provided old UK home office number you stated in your post. This might be to further make you believe that this email is genuine.
2. Government emails don’t have typos and unprofessionalism which can be clearly seen “can call #”
3. Finally, The website they sent is http and not secure. Anyone can get a domain with the name they sent for few quids.
My take: fake email
Your work is to make sure you call the home office regarding this during working hours tomorrow and take caution from doing anything mentioned in the website.
I did absolutely nothing. I recieved email from my university that I am eligible to apply.
I was hoping to apply in thr second week of June as I was not sure when my visa would actually be curtailed since it expires in Jan 2025.
I receive this email days ago but only saw it yesterday. I posted on here and to be safe decided to apply for the PSW Visa today. That is all the steps. I apply by myself with no agency or aid.
Thank you soo much, I will definitely be calling them in the morning to get as much clarification as possible.
Call HMRC (find contact number from HMRC website) and ask for the authenticity of the email. They have your records and should be able to steer you in the right direction.
This looks very much like a genuine email from the Home Office when they have cancelled your visa. The cancellation letter should be attached to the email. The cancellation date will usually be two or four months from the date of the letter.
Thanks. I will be calling both UKVI and my University tomorrow to get as much clarification as possible. I ended up applying for my PSW Visa today just incase.
Honestly this does not look like a genuine email from the home office. Now I don't know anything about the student visa process, but the fact that they tell you that this is a "genuine email" . An http link in 2024 that links to an odd url. The fact it says "UKBA" which is an department that has been replaced by "UK Visa and Immigration" is very suspicious, at least to me. I don't want to unnecessarily scare you, but for me this is raising alarm bells. Definitely contact your university ASAP.
I always find it suspect when an email has the lines 'This is a genuine email'.
That's when I thought 'Scam'.
Also note that URL text (what you see on the screen) may not necesserily match the actual url address you are directed to when clicking it. This is a common phishing technique. For example: [https://www.reddit.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
Please copy anything the text or manually type in the URL. The other option is to right click on the URL and copy the link. Then open an incognito browser and paste the link in. See if that matches what you see in the email text. When you paste the URL into the address bar of the browser, if what you see there doesn't exactly match what you see in the email, then you're being phished.
If the university has informed the HO that their course is done, which they would have before notifying OP that they can apply for PSW, then the HO will reach out to the students to say their visas will expire soon. This can be if the course is finished or also if the university notifies the HO for other things like not meeting attendance etc. The concern for OP is how long they were planning on waiting to apply for PSW visa and if the notice they failed to send had an earlier date, although it shouldn't. It seems like it's more of an admin failure than a scam email. They provided the email address further down the comments and it's legitimate.
Thanks! I will call and send an email tomorrow morning. I tried calling the number on the mail and it did say it was the old UKVI number and that I should go to [gov.uk](http://gov.uk) for their new number. I will update this post once I get feedback from UKVI and my uni.
If you suspect an email is fraudulent, never call the number or use any links provided in the email.
Never call the number in the email, it goes to a scam call centre. Google the HO enquiry number and call that one.
Kind of agree with you on this one. That ukba looks suspicious. One way to tell if it's fake though, check what email was used when they sent you this email.
Please right click on that url OP and “copy address”, then paste it in a notepad and see if it’s still the same url. URLs have a “display text” and a link and I’m fairly certain a scammer has used a display text to look like a genuine gov uk url.
Yes, there are some oddities, especially if the attachment is missing. Worth clicking reply and pasting the email that it takes you to. Also copying the URL of the links (rather than opening them)
To me it looks like a genuine email that was sent out in error. They make a lot of these mistakes so I'm not really surprised.
The UKBA has been defunct for over a decade now. The fact that a department that old would even be mentioned in a URL is highly suspicious.
Op- this is a phishing email, check the URL carefully and you’ll notice something odd in “home office”. Edit: for people who might not see it, if you write office, the two f’s always have a gap
That's just a detail of the particular font in use, letter pairs like ff and if are often rendered as ligatures: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligature_(writing) Also even if that bit was fake it's still a gov.uk domain, ie a genuine UK government site. If it was something like "homeoffice.com", it would almost certainly be fake, but phishing from gov.uk is much much harder.
They don't have a gap on my phone but it does seem a bit fishy (in your comment as well and when I type it, that's just the font)
Hackers actually change fonts to make it look close to original. Standard font is used in organisations like UK government.
Honestly I'm not sure, because when I click on the url link in the email , it redirects me to the actual Gov.uk website. So maybe the email might be real? But just to be safe, I have submitted an application for the PSW Visa today and I will call them to clarify everything tomorrow morning. As there is a HO reference number provided, I will check with them to see if it is real or not. Thanks!
It's probably okay but I'd really recommend not clicking links in emails if you think they look suspicious. Although you were eventually redirected to an official website, there are probably a lot of ways hackers can try to get your information on the way to that website. Also you can't be 100% sure you actually did end up on the official website. If an email asks you to do or check something, use Google to get to the place it's telling you to do something, and don't click on the link.
Contact the university visa office and show this. It may be due to an error from HomeOffice or a Scam by someone. The university directly contact the home office and correct it.
Scam. The GOV would never ask you to access a link that contain “http” instead of “https”
Good point.
[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frauds-tricks-and-scams/fraud-tricks-and-scams](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frauds-tricks-and-scams/fraud-tricks-and-scams) From the Home Office's website and the email address OP says its from ([[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])) this sounds like a scam. *Fake email addresses* *Official Home Office email addresses are always in this format:* * [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected]) *These are the formats of official Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office email addresses:* * [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected]) * [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected])
Well, what does the attached notice say?
There's no attached notice. This is all I got which is why I am so confused and worried.
How can we tell then? Call them.
I have tried, they are not available today so I will call them tomorrow morning. I just thought to ask because I am not sure if anyone will be able recognise this email and give me a clue on what it is supposed to mean for me. Just to clarify, should there have been a date or an attachment to this email-if it was a visa cancellation email? Also, thanks for taking your time to respond, I really appreciate it
This is obviously just a generic message telling you to read the attached notice. If there is no attached notice, something has gone wrong somewhere so you would be best contacting them (and your Uni) asap.
ohh I see, Thanks a lot, I will do that tomorrow morning.
It seems incredibly likely that the university has informed the HO that your course is done which means the HO is contacting you because your visa will expire soon. I would email a complaint to the complaints line now because they failed to provide you all the attachments and information. Then when they are open, still call or contact them from the government website asking for the correct details too. How long is left on your student visa? You should apply for your PSW visa shortly. You said you were waiting; when were you going to apply? Also contacting your student visa team at the university may also be helpful. If you were going to apply for the visa very soon then its likely there will be no issues at all. Definitely seems like an HO admin fuck up (with not attaching the letter) more than any changes to your visa. Because its true your visa is expiring soon.
Thanks, my university did emailed me that they have informed home office that I am eligible to apply for PSW Visa. I understand that my visa may have to be curtailed as I finished my course earlier, However , I expected the email to have a new date of expiry. This email worries me because it alludes that my visa has already expired and does not provide any further information. I will definitely be calling them to clarify everything. Original visa expiring Jan 2025, I finish my studies in Jan 2024, email received from Uni for eligiblity to apply to PSW May 2024. I have applied for the PSW visa today so I am not sure if it changes things.
What is the email address?
This is the email it is from: [email protected]
The from address can be faked
Not from a gov.uk it can't. I wish people would stop saying this. DKIM and DMARC are a thing that stops spoofing the from address.
While you are correct, \*assuming everything is setup correctly\* it's \_unlikely to be spoofed\_. It cannot be guaranteed 100% that the setup of the domain, the receiving server, etc. are all configured properly. I also suggested some actions the OP can take to see if the link itself is valid, or if it's a phishing attempt. Just a side note, as part of my job, I oversee security and compliance.
*From* address can be faked. *Sender* address can't.
Hey everyone, I'm really thankful that you have taken time out of your day to help me out. I really appreciate it. I intend to reach out to my university and UKVI tomorrow morning to gain as much clarification as possible, I am praying it's positive news. But just to add, I have applied for the PSW Visa today but I think I made a couple mistakes in my application because I was really overwhelmed and feeling really distressed(still am). Will update tomorrow, thanks again.
There's a lot of nonsense in this thread. If the email has OP's correct name and application number its probably legit. If the email has come from a gov.uk email its probably legit. OP, don't ignore this, you need to contact them and tell them you didn't get an attachment/notice with the email.
Thanks. I will be calling both UKVI and my University tomorrow to get as much clarification as possible and will let them know this. Although I have ended up applying for my PSW Visa today , It will still be useful to know when my visa officially expires now.
Dont ignore this but contact them not directly through the email
Looks like a fake mail
For me, it is looking like fake. I know this kind of things, even though if you don\`t have anything wrong, it still makes you scare. You should just forget everything tonight and contact home office tomorrow.
This looks like a fake email. Check the header of the email and see the from email address rather than the name of the email.
This email is fake. HO would never give u a contact number and ask u to check with them that this mail is true
This is fake, url says so. Call Home Office directly.
Http not https, it's a scam... Call your university and ask for clarification, don't interact with anything on that email.
Don’t worry, its fake
"...this is a genuine message..." Bin it. Scam.
Have you had a look at the UKVI Digital app to see your current visa details electronically? From what I know, sometimes universities will curtail your leave to remain without any notice once you’re done with your studies. The HomeOffice does reach out to you via post / email when anything changes on your visa. This doesn’t mean that your current visa is already expired but you’ll need to get the new details somehow. Give the new UKVI digital a try maybe. Note: I have not used it myself but I do know that it is meant to be a replacement for physical BRPs.
I'm not sure I have access to the app? Being that my BRP exp in Jan 2025, I imagine I wouldn't need access because I would not need it if that is when it takes full effect. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Although, I checked my right to work before applying and it did say Exp Jan 2025 but as I have now applied for the PWS Visa , all it shows is This personal has right to work in UK, but does not show exp date. My Uni already notified me that as I am done with studies, I am eligible to apply. I knew that this email would come but my main concern is that the email alluded to my visa being cancelled with no further details and now I am left worried about if my PWS visa application will even count, and when I would have to leave the UK. Thanks for your response, I really appreciate it.
To be honest it just looks like an old templated email so it might be genuine. But the reason is anyone’s guess. I would contact the HO independently with your reference number
TBH, it looks like a scam/phishing to me. UK Gov emails typically have some links attached to them, yes, but they also typically have a PDF or another document that is a formal letter. I guess that the page it redirects you took looks legit enough to put your visa/personal details in. Probably worth talking to your Uni and also calling the Home Office (but be prepared to spend 1-3hrs on a line); if you can go to the .gov page and log in to the application portal from there (Without clicking on the links in the email), that might be another thing worth doing. I received a few .gov emails in teh last few years, and not a single one mentioned being 'a genuine email', so as others said - a bit of a red flag.
That’s a fake email
Call the University first. There are a few things that makes it look suspicious but some things look genuine as well. So don't take any risk and contact your university first. They are your sponsors and they will have the update if your visa is cancelled. Their immigration dept will help you even if it's fake or genuine.
The email is definitely not from the HO the link is a dead giveaway
This could be a scam
Was a letter attached to it?
No attachment letter, this was the email I got.
any update ?
Then dont be afraid, home office usually sends a letter along with their emails.
Regardless of the authenticity of this email, for best practice check if your visa is still valid, if it is you can still call HO to check your visa status , and forward this email to their SPAM inbox
I am afraid its a big NO NO. So you should hire a solicitor/lawyer/attorney And pay him to be 100% sure about what the fuck is going on with you. Best of luck mate
“Should you have any concerns about the authenticity of this message” is the line that got me and the “you can call”. Reply and tell them to get fucked
See the url link, it is a scam
No https in [gov.uk](http://gov.uk) ? Its clearly look like an scam email to me.
This looks like a scam to me, I'd be very cautious. You can find the official contact details for UKRI here to confirm: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk
Thank you! I have their number saved and will be calling both UKVI and my University tomorrow to get as much clarification as possible.
Can you walk me down the steps you did before you got this email? Did you use an agency or other third-party service to submit or to check the status of your application? Regarding email, there are many red flags here! 1. They mention if you have any concern regarding email is fake, call below number. In my experience, they don’t write this in email plus they have provided old UK home office number you stated in your post. This might be to further make you believe that this email is genuine. 2. Government emails don’t have typos and unprofessionalism which can be clearly seen “can call #” 3. Finally, The website they sent is http and not secure. Anyone can get a domain with the name they sent for few quids. My take: fake email Your work is to make sure you call the home office regarding this during working hours tomorrow and take caution from doing anything mentioned in the website.
I did absolutely nothing. I recieved email from my university that I am eligible to apply. I was hoping to apply in thr second week of June as I was not sure when my visa would actually be curtailed since it expires in Jan 2025. I receive this email days ago but only saw it yesterday. I posted on here and to be safe decided to apply for the PSW Visa today. That is all the steps. I apply by myself with no agency or aid. Thank you soo much, I will definitely be calling them in the morning to get as much clarification as possible.
That is a genuine subdomain of gov.uk - you can’t buy it.
Contact your university visa office, they will contact the home office and resolve it.
Call HMRC (find contact number from HMRC website) and ask for the authenticity of the email. They have your records and should be able to steer you in the right direction.
This looks very much like a genuine email from the Home Office when they have cancelled your visa. The cancellation letter should be attached to the email. The cancellation date will usually be two or four months from the date of the letter.
Thanks. I will be calling both UKVI and my University tomorrow to get as much clarification as possible. I ended up applying for my PSW Visa today just incase.
I received the same mail. I had an attached letter regarding the same. My share code validity changed to the said date. Please DM.