Students changing courses in Solomon Islands need a new nomination and visa application

Check the course attached to the permission

The Solomon Islands student visa application form requires a new Student Nomination Form and application when a student changes courses or advances to a different educational level, such as moving from secondary school to university. An existing visa should therefore not be treated as permission for any subsequent study programme. This is current guidance, not a new rule.

The form requires the educational institution to complete the nomination. It asks for the institution, proposed course, duration and qualification, as well as previous education and the means of financing the stay. For applicants under eighteen, it also requires welfare arrangements and evidence that entry does not breach another person’s lawful custody rights.

Match admission and family documents to the application

The Immigration Division’s student category page describes full-time study at an accredited institution and asks for an acceptance or offer letter confirming enrolment and programme duration. It lists a passport biographical page, police and medical reports from the country of residence, and relevant relationship documents. Accompanying dependants need evidence of their relationship to the principal student, including a marriage certificate or a child’s birth certificate and a sponsor cover letter.

The same page states that the visa does not confer work rights. Anyone seeking employment needs a separate permit.

Prepare the university application as a separate file

At Solomon Islands National University, the 2026 admission form calls for certified academic certificates or results and a certified birth certificate. Accepted international students must provide a medical report, police clearance and sponsorship letter for immigration purposes. The form distinguishes full-time and part-time study and campus or distance modes; selecting a university mode does not change the immigration category’s full-time requirement. Ask the university how the chosen programme supports a student nomination before accepting a place. These academic documents should be prepared alongside, rather than substituted for, the visa file. That 2026 form lists a January deadline which has passed: ask Student Academic Services about the appropriate current intake rather than treating the document as an open November admissions invitation.

Resolve the published extension and fee differences

The category page describes a period of up to two years, but gives inconsistent continuation instructions: one passage says an extension may be permitted, while its final note says extensions are unavailable and a new visa is required. The general visa directory also describes student permission as extendable. Students approaching expiry should request a written answer for their individual course and current permission, rather than select the more convenient wording.

The fee information also needs confirmation. The category page lists US$150 plus a US$50 online charge. The downloadable paper application instead lists SBD400 for applications inside Solomon Islands and SBD200 outside, payable with a Ministry of Finance receipt. These are different published figures and currencies, not amounts that can safely be added together. Ask Immigration which current application route and charges apply, including whether a fresh nomination is required. The reviewed resources do not establish a universal exemption from the student requirements based on nationality.

Act before expiry and retain the case reference

The division’s contact resource advises lodging a visa extension request at least seven days before the current permission expires, subject to assessment. Given the student-specific inconsistencies, use that as an early contact point rather than assurance that an extension exists for every student. Contact Immigration sooner if institutional nomination or family documents will take time. Its published telephone and email details provide a direct channel for resolving the conflict before fees are paid.

The contact page says applicants can check an online case using their reference number and email address, or contact the visa section directly. It also says fees must be paid before processing, and permits follow-up after thirty working days. That follow-up point is not a promised student decision deadline. Keep copies of the submitted course details, payment receipt and any written instructions. A university transfer, a payment or an unresolved enquiry should not be assumed to extend the date printed on the existing permission.