Eligible for home status after 4 years overseas on working holiday visa?

I am a UK citizen who has been in Australia on a working holiday for nearly four years. I intended to come for just a year, but COVID arrived 3 months after I got here and everything changed. I plan to return to the UK (England) to go to university next year, however I am now discovering that I may not receive any student finance and would have to pay full international fees (without loans) which would make it completely not possible for me. My stay here in Australia, whilst long, has always been temporary and I have never had any permanent work/visa rights, but I have only been able to visit home once (due to borders being closed for years + insane flight prices) which I'm worried doesn't help my case. I know temporary absences are fine, but is four years too long for home fee status and SFE support even if it was spent on temporary/working holiday visas? I believe I have sufficient circumstances... but I'm worried that my entire future is now dependent on a hope that my SFE assessor would accept this. Everything I can find on this topic suggests I am in a bit of a grey area of case law.

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 1

Claire SFE

Official Rep

Original post by abi.m1

Hi there,

It's up to the university whether they will charge you home fees or not. You would be best discussing that with them. Regarding finance, you would be best applying and then sending your evidence that the time outside the UK was a working holiday. It will be up to the team once they receive this to review and confirm if they accept it or not. Anything you send, make sure to send it with a covering letter explaining why you're sending it.

Thanks
Claire