I've got admission and funding into a PhD program in the UK beginning on the 1st of October, which would mean I can enter the UK from the 1st of September.
However, my family and I have planned a month's getaway in the UK in August. Hence I've been informed that I will need to apply for a UK travel visa AND a Tier 4 visa as well.
Now I've also been told that I would have to leave the country after the travel and return back to the UK to get my Tier 4 activated and stamped. I have a few questions on this:
1: I'll be travelling to Ireland as part of the vacation. Would my return to London from Dublin count to activate my visa? From other threads I've read that UKBA doesn't actively man flights coming in from Dublin, but is there a way I can insist on seeing an immigration officer and getting my passport stamped and visa activated?
2: I'm applying for my travel visa with my family now, but my documents won't have any proof of travelling out of the country at the end of my visa (due to above mentioned circumstances), will this lead to complications at this stage? (I've stated my entire story in a covering letter on the application, but not sure if they will consider it, as even though I have a written confirmation of my offer on the course along with funding, I don't have the official CAS letter yet, which I expect in a week or two)
3: If Ireland is out as an option, could I, theoretically, travel to Paris with the Eurostar and come back the same day just to get it stamped?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me
