If you are applying for a Tier 4 visa from outside the UK and your leave is for more than 6 months the visa vignette in your passport may be valid for only 30 days and you will need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) containing your full grant of leave from either the Post Office or the University within 10 days of arrival in the UK. Whether the vignette in your passport will be valid for 30 days or for the full duration of your course depends on the country in which you made your visa application and the date of application.
This will be introduced in various countries within three stages with full implementation to be completed by July 2015. Further information can be found on our website and also on UKCISA’s website