A Student visa is a legal document that lets students from overseas study in the UK.
The earliest that you can apply for a Student visa if you are outside of the UK is 6 months before your course is due to begin.
You should aim to have all of the documentation you need about 3 months before you begin your application so that you can ensure that you have all the necessary paperwork that you are going to need.
All visa applications are processed by the home office.
So, is it easy to get a UK Student visa?
Who can apply for a Student visa?
Firstly you will need to be 16 years older or over, apart from this you will be eligible to apply for a Student visa if:
- You have had a place on a course offered to you by a licensed student sponsor.
- You can read, write and speak English.
- You have enough money so that you can pay for your course and support yourself throughout your studies – the amount can be different depending on your personal circumstances.
- If you are 16 or 17 you must have consent from your parents. Evidence for this will be required in the application process.
If you are 16 or 17 and are wanting to study in the UK at an independent school you could be eligible for a Child Student visa instead so make sure to check out both so you will be sure which one will work best for you.
What can you study?
The government website tells us that for a Student visa you can study the following:
- a full-time course leading to a qualification that’s below degree level (RQF level 3, 4 or 5) with at least 15 hours a week of organised daytime study.
- a full-time course leading to a qualification that’s degree level or above (RQF level 6, 7 or 8).
- a full-time course at degree level or above (RQF level 6,7 or 8) that’s equivalent to a UK higher education course and is being delivered as part of a longer course overseas.
- a part-time course leading to a qualification that’s above degree level (RQF level 7 or above).
- a recognised foundation programme for postgraduate doctors or dentists.
- an English language course at level B2 or above in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Postgraduate doctors and dentists can apply for this type of visa if sponsored by a recognised foundation programme.
You must also have completed a recognised UK degree in medicine or dentistry, have received that degree from a registered student sponsor and have done at least one year of your studies that lead to that degree in the UK.
You could be required to have an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if the subjects you are researching or studying are sensitive and of an RQF level 7 or higher.
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
Once you have your place on your course established your educational provider will send you your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. This is a reference number that you will need for the application process for your Student visa.
You will need to apply for your Student visa within 6 months of receiving your CAS.
What do you need to provide in the application process?
There are a few different documents that you will need to apply these include the following:
- A (CAS) Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies – this is your proof that you have been offered a place on a course by a licenced sponsor.
- Your current passport – or another valid travel document.
- Proof of your ability to pay for your course and financially support yourself for the duration of the course.
- If your course and nationality require it you may need a valid ATAS certificate.
- If you are under 18 you will need proof of parental consent or consent from a legal guardian.
- If you are under 18 you will also need proof of your relationship with your legal guardian or parent.
- Tuberculosis test results (which must be negative) if they are required of you. Check out this page to find out if this applies to you.
- If you have received sponsorship for your course fee and or living costs in the last 12 months you will need written consent from your financial sponsor.
How much does it all cost?
The application process fee will be different depending on your circumstances.
If you are applying for a Student visa from outside the UK the fee is £363.
If you are applying to extend or switch your Student visa the fee is £490.
Along with this, you will also need to pay the healthcare surcharge. This cost can vary depending on the length of your visa. Make sure you know what your healthcare surcharge will be so you are prepared.
Proving that you can financially support yourself
Another step in the application process is proving that you can financially support yourself through your course and pay tuition fees.
You will need to demonstrate that you can pay for 1 academic year (up to 9 months) of your course, you can find this amount on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
The amount you will need to prove that you can support yourself varies depending on where exactly you are going to be studying.
- If you are studying in London you will need £1,334 per month (for up to 9 months).
- If you are studying outside of London you will need £1,023 per month.
- If you are going to be boarding at a residential independent school you will need to pay for boarding fees instead and this amount will be found on your CAS.
There are some circumstances where you may not be required to prove that you have enough money to support yourself. You do not need to prove this if:
- You have already been in the UK on a valid visa for 12 months before the date of your Student visa application.
- If you are from a county that is listed under ‘differential evidence requirement’.
- You’ll need to show you have enough money to support yourself – unless you’ve been on the date you apply for your Student visa.
- You are applying as a sabbatical officer for a student union.
- You are applying to a recognised foundation programme as a postgraduate doctor or dentist.
Knowledge of English
Certain people need to prove their knowledge of the English language for their Student visa application go to gov.uk to find out if this applies to you.
The level of English that you can read wrote and speak depends on what level of study your course is. The level of English is measured using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
If the course that you are studying is degree level or above you will need an equivalent to CEFR level B2.
If the course that you are studying is below degree level then you will need an equivalent to CEFR level B1.
Read more articles about visas and immigration-related enquiries on our blog here.
How long does it take to get a Student Visa?
When the Home Office assess your application it should take around 3 weeks to hear back with their decision.
If you live in the UK the earliest that you can apply for a Student visa is 3 months before your course is due to start. You should receive a decision within 8 weeks.
You must ensure that you apply before the expiration of your current visa and your new course has to start within 28 of your current visa expiration.
Make sure you have all of your dates and that they line up and this part of this process shouldn’t be too complicated.
If you are applying from outside the UK you can apply up to 6 months before your course begins.
If you need to speed up the process this is possible. You can choose to pay a fee, this is told to you when you apply.
How long can you stay in the UK on a Student Visa?
There is, like with most visas, a time limit to how long you can stay in the UK on your Student visa. The length of time that your visa allows you to stay will vary depending on what your course is, how long it lasts and if and what study you have already completed in the UK.
Generally, if your course is at degree level and you are 18 years old or over you will be able to stay for up to 5 years. If it is below degree level you are normally able to stay for up to 2 years.
Make sure you check out your course concerning your visa so that you will have a more specific idea of how long this could be for you.
You of course may be able to stay longer by extending your visa or switching.
If you are eligible you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa and stay in the UK for at least 2 years after finishing your course.
So, is it easy to get a UK Student visa?
If you are properly prepared and have all your documentation the whole Student visa application process doesn’t have to be difficult.
You’ll soon be on your way to studying in the UK.
We hope that the information we have provided in this article eases your journey.
Synergy Immigration Solutions
To find out more about Synergy Immigration Solutions and our visa services, visit our website here.
Enquire about a Student Visa here.
To contact us, call us on 020 3835 5323, email laura@synergy-immigration.com or fill in our online contact form here.
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