The United Kingdom has long been a dream destination for students seeking to continue their studies at the country’s top-ranked universities. This article will walk you through the method, eligibility, fee, and other important elements for obtaining a UK student visa.
Eligibility
First of all, you can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if your age is 16 or above and you have met the following conditions:
- You have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
- You have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course – the amount will vary depending on your circumstances
- You can speak, read, write and understand English
- You have consent from your parents if you’re 16 or 17 – evidence is needed for applying
Timeline for Applying
When should you apply for a British passport? The type of study visa you need depends on whether you are applying from within the UK or from outside the country.
If you are applying from within the UK, the official criteria state that you can apply three months before the start of your study; the authorities will notify you of their decision on the visa within eight weeks.
If you are applying from outside the UK, you must apply for a visa at least 6 months before the start of your programme. In this instance, you should receive a decision on your visa within three weeks.
Moreover, you must apply before your current visa expires. It has also been directed that your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
Duration of stay allowed
The primary question about the student visa is how long one can stay in the UK on a study visa, and the answer depends on the length of your course and what studies you’ve already done in the UK.
According to government criteria, if you are 18 or older and studying at the degree level, you can normally stay in the UK for up to 5 years.
If your course is not at the degree level, you can normally stay in the UK for up to two years.
If you are eligible, you may be able to extend your visa to continue your studies in the UK, switch to a Student visa from another visa if you are already in the UK, or switch to a Graduate visa to stay in the UK for at least two years after successfully finishing your course.
It merits mentioning that the above duration is not final as the authorities consider multiple factors for allowing one to stay in the kingdom. The comprehensive guidelines in this regard can be viewed here.
Fee For UK Student Visa
The fee for applying for a Student visa from outside the UK is £363, whereas the fee for extending or switching to a Student visa from within the UK is £490.
It is important to remember that you must pay the visa charge for each individual who joins you. Furthermore, keep in mind that the visa price does not include the university or course fees, which must be paid separately.
In addition to the visa price, an applicant must pay a healthcare surcharge as part of their application, the cost of which is determined by the length of the visa.
UK Student Visa – What is allowed
On a UK student visa, you can study as well as work as a student union sabbatical officer. Moreover, you may be able to work but that depends on what you’re studying and whether you’re working in or out of term time.
UK Student Visa – What is not allowed
If you have secured a UK student visa, you can not claim public funds (benefits) and pensions.
Moreover, you can not work in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. On a student visa, you can not be self-employed.
Besides, you are also not allowed to study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school).
If you are still confused about the terms of your visa, don’t worry as the authorities will inform you what you can and cannot do on a student visa if your application is successful.
Traveling to the UK
When it comes to traveling to the United Kingdom, keep in mind that you can do so before your course begins.
More specifically, if your course lasts 6 months or less, you can go to the UK up to one week before the commencement date.
If your programme is longer than 6 months, you may travel to the UK up to one month before the commencement date.
In general, you must not go to the UK before the start date specified on your visa, regardless of when your programme begins.
Regarding the Course
The most crucial aspect of the student visa is that one must engage in a study course in order to come to the UK. You must have an unconditional offer of a place on a course from a licenced student sponsor in this area.
Once your education provider has awarded you a seat on the course, they will provide you a reference number (called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)).
It is important to remember that you will require a CAS before you can apply for a visa because you will need to enter this reference number on your visa application.
Most importantly, you must apply for your visa within 6 months of receiving your CAS.
How Much Money is required
Proof of financial stability is also required for the UK Student Visa. It means you should be able to show that you have enough money in your pocket to maintain yourself during your education.
In terms of course fees, you’ll need enough money to cover your tuition for one academic year (up to nine months). The sum required for this purpose is specified in the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
You do not need to prove you have this money for your visa application if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.
Money needed to support yourself
This is a major amount that you need to have. For a UK student Visa, you’ll need to show you have enough money to support yourself except if you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months on the date of your application.
The exact amount of money needed depends on where you will be studying.
The official guidelines say that you will need either £1,334 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London or £1,023 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses outside London.
In case you are boarding at a residential independent school, you’ll need to pay boarding fees instead and the amount you need to pay will be on your CAS.
For the fee mentioned above, London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.
Another important thing that you should know is when you should have this money. The guidelines say that you must have this money (mentioned above) for at least 28 consecutive days. The end date of the 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply for your visa.
For instance, if you submit your application on 1 January 2021, you’d have to show that the funds were in your bank account for at least the 28-day period ending on 1 December.
In case you have a student loan or financial sponsorship, you’ll need to provide evidence of this from your loan or sponsorship entity.
The financial requirements are waived if you’ve had a UK visa for 12 months prior to the date of your Student visa application – you must currently be in the UK.
Moreover, you are also exempted from the financial requirements mentioned above if you’re applying as a student union sabbatical officer or in case you’re applying as a postgraduate doctor or dentist in a recognized foundation program.
Furthermore, you do not need to prove you have enough money to support yourself if you’re a British national overseas or from some of the selected countries mentioned here.
English Language Proficiency
If you are from outside UK and generally belong to an underdeveloped country, you will need to show that you have command over the English language.
You can prove your knowledge of English by passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. The list of approved providers can be seen here.
Moreover, you can also prove that you have command over the language by having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, gained through study at a UK school that you began when you were under 18.
The applicant must prove they can read, write, speak, and understand English to a certain level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
If you are studying for a degree level or above, the language proficiency required is equivalent to CEFR level B2 and in case you are studying below degree level, CEFR level B1 is required. To know more on this, you can read this guide.
Documents Needed for applying
When you apply for your Student visa, the following documents are needed:
- Passport or other valid travel documentation
- Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your course provider
- Proof that you have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course
- A valid ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate if your course and nationality require it
- Proof of parental or other legal guardian consent and your relation with them if you’re under 18
- Tuberculosis test results
- Written consent for your application from your financial sponsor if you’ve received sponsorship for your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months
As far as the consent for those under 18 is concerned, it must include their consent for the visa application, their living and care arrangements in the UK, as well as their travel to the UK.
Moreover, the applicant needs to provide a copy of their birth certificate (or another government-issued document) that shows the names of their parents.
It should be stressed that additional documents might be needed depending on your circumstances; however, officially the documents elaborated above are needed for any case.
How to Apply
To apply for the UK Student Visa, check whether you are eligible (as per the criteria elaborated above), gather all the documents including Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and apply online for the visa.
If you are applying from outside the UK, you’ll need to prove your identity. For this purpose, you could be asked to give your fingerprints and a photograph (biometric information) at a visa application centre or use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document.
For identification, the applicant will be told what they need to do when they apply. It is not necessary to apply in one go as you can save your form and complete it later.
Decision on your application
The UK immigration authorities have stated officially that the applicant usually gets a decision on their visa application within 3 weeks but one can pay to get a faster decision though this fast-track service might not be available for all.
After you apply
If your application is complex and will take longer, such as if your supporting documents need to be validated, you need to attend an interview, or the circumstances demand more time, you will be informed after you have applied online.
You can make changes to your application after it has been submitted, however you must contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
If your application is approved, you will receive either a biometric residence permit if you provided your biometric information in a visa application centre, or a digital immigration status that you can check and prove online if you utilised the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app.
Withdrawing application
You can ask to withdraw your application by contacting UKVI but your fee will only be refunded if UKVI has not started processing your application.
Can a partner join a student on Student Visa?
The UK authorities say that your partner and children (‘dependants’) may be able to apply to come to the UK or stay longer in the UK if you are one of the following:
- A government-sponsored student starting a course that lasts longer than 6 months
- A full-time student on a postgraduate level course (RQF level 7 or above) that lasts 9 months or longer
As per the official guidelines, if your postgraduate level course starts on or after 1 January 2024, it must be either a Ph.D. or other doctorate (RQF level 8) or a research-based higher degree.
