My niece is on a student visa, she had recently fallen ill,

Sorry to hear about it.

Her student visa conditions require her to be actively studying, and if she cannot do that for medical reasons, it’s important to notify UKVI and consider applying for a visa extension or variation on compassionate or medical grounds.

She need to get back to her university and ask them to issue a letter confirming a medical suspension and their support for her application to remain in the UK by getting her visa extended.

The university being her sponsor would liaise directly with UKVI on her behalf

She would need medical evidence from her NHS consultant outlining:

• Diagnosis

• Duration of treatment

• Recommendation that travel is unsafe or unsuitable and she would not be able to continue with the studies for next 6 months,

If the university suspend her course for medical reasons, they may withdraw her current sponsorship, and she would then have to return home and apply for a new student visa later once she’s well enough to resume.

However, if her doctors have advised her not to travel due to chemotherapy, this would not be appropriate right now , in that case she can be given discretionary leave to stay in the UK due to her medical condition .

she should contact her student support or international team at the university immediately for assistance with this.