How to apply for a UK visa

Everything you need to know about UK visas for students

In some countries, you can apply for a UK visa via a visa application centre (VAC)

What do I need to come to the UK as a student?

First of all, you must be able to show that you have been accepted on a course of study at an educational establishment that is on the UK’s Department for Children Schools and Families Register of Education and Training Providers.
Visit:
www.dfes.gov.uk/providersregister for more information.

You must be able to show that you are going to follow one of the following:

• A recognised full-time degree course
• A course run during the week involving at least 15 hours of organised daytime study each weekr
• A full-time course at an independent fee-paying school.

You must also:

• Be able to pay for your course and support yourself and any dependants, and live in the UK without going into business or getting a job, or needing any help from public funds
• Be able and intend to follow your chosen course
• Intend to leave the UK when you complete your studies, if your course of study is below degree level.

If you graduated from a UK university or other educational institution within the last 12 months with a Bachelor’s degree (second class honours or above), master’s degree or PhD, you may be able to apply to stay in the UK and get a job for an extra year after your degree course finishes, without getting a work permit.

If you successfully complete a degree level course or above, awarded by a Scottish institution, you may be able to apply to live and work in Scotland for up to two years after achieving your qualification under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme.

Postgraduate doctors and dentists

For entry to the UK as a postgraduate doctor or dentist, you will need:

• A UK degree in medicine or dentistry
• To have spent at least two years in the UK studying for your medical or dental degree
• A letter from the Postgraduate Dean responsible for your training to confirm that you have been offered a full-time place on a Foundation Programme in the UK.

You must also:

• Intend to leave the UK after your Foundation Programme, if you have not been given permission to stay on in another employment or self-employment category
• Be able to support yourself and any dependants, and live without needing help from public funds

If a government or international sponsorship agency sponsored your studies at a medical or dental school, you need to have the sponsor’s permission to study a Foundation Programme in the UK. If you are a fully qualified doctor or dentist and you want to get a job or take higher specialist training, you will need a work permit. If you intend to set up in general practice, you will need to meet the requirements for entry to the UK as a self-employed person.

What is a visa?

A visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas. The visa gives you permission to enter the UK. If you have a valid UK visa, you will not normally be refused entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or did not reveal important facts when you originally applied for your visa. When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may ask you questions, so make sure you take all your relevant documents in your hand luggage.

Do I need a visa to study in the UK?

You will need a visa if you:

• Are not an EEA national
• Are stateless (you have no nationality)
• Hold a non-national travel document
• Hold a passport issued by an authority that is not recognised in the UK.

If you do not intend to work or stay in the UK for more than six months, you might wish to consider entering as a student visitor. If you do not need an entry clearance as a student visitor, you will have to satisfy the Immigration Officer that you qualify for entry to study when you arrive in the UK. You must be able to show that you have been accepted on a course of study at an educational establishment that is on the Register of Education and Training Providers.

They will then give you permission to stay in the UK for up to six months. You will not be allowed to extend your stay in the UK as a student unless you arrived with a student visa or prospective student visa. To extend your stay you will need to apply for a residence permit at the Border and Immigration Agency. The Border and Immigration Agency will charge a nonrefundable fee for any application you make to extend your stay in the UK. If you have any doubts about whether you qualify for entry, you should apply for a visa before you travel to the UK.

How do I apply for a visa?

You can apply in a number of ways, for example by post, by courier, in person and on-line. To find out if you can apply for your visa on-line, visit www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk. If you cannot apply on-line you will need to fill in a visa application form. You can get a form from www.ukvisas.gov.uk, or get one free of charge from your nearest British mission overseas where there is a visa section. You should apply for a student visa in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.

What are visa application centres?

In some countries, you can apply via visa application centres (VACs). The VACs are in largely populated areas, making it easier and more convenient for people to apply for a UK visa. Trained staff at each VAC deal with all visa enquiries and applications. They collect your biometric information along with the relevant fees, and provide unbiased, face-to-face advice on the application process, including whether or not you have included all the necessary documents. Entry clearance staff at the British mission will then consider your application and decide whether to issue or refuse your visa. VAC staff have no say in this decision.

What will I need to make my application?

• You will need the following.
• Your passport or travel document. A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour photograph of yourself. This should be:
  • taken against a light-coloured background
  • clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
  • printed on normal photographic paper
  • full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons (but the face must not be covered).
• The visa fee. This cannot be refunded and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
• Supporting documents relevant to your application.

You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a student. If you do not, you may find that your application is refused.

As a guide, you should include:

• Any relevant diplomas or educational certificates that you have
• A letter from the university, college or school confirming that you have been accepted on a course of study in the UK, and a statement of charges for the course
• Evidence of government sponsorship (if appropriate)
• Bank statements, payslips or other evidence to show that you can pay for your stay and your course of studies in the UK
• If you are being privately sponsored (for example, by a college in the UK) a letter from your sponsor giving details of how they will support you during your studies, and evidence that they can do so.

What will happen when I make my application?

The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.

Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:

• Your personal details are correct
• It correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK
• It is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be postdated for up to three months.)

Can I extend my stay as a student?

If you enter the UK with a student visa or prospective student visa, or if you want to study on a course at degree level or higher, you can apply to the Border and Immigration Agency. The Agency will charge you a non-refundable fee for any application to extend your stay in the UK. Visit: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

Can I work?

You can take part-time or holiday work, but you must not:

• Work for more than 20 hours a week during term time unless your placement is part of your studies, has been agreed with your educational institution and leads to a degree or qualification awarded by a nationally recognised examining body
• Do business, be self-employed or provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainerr
• Work full-time in a permanent job.

If you are coming to the UK as a student for six months or less, you must ask the Entry Clearance Officer (or the Immigration Officer if you do not need an entry clearance) for permission to work.

Can I switch to work permit employment when I am in the UK?

You may be able to switch if:

• You have completed a recognised degree course at either a UK publicly funded institution of further or higher education or an approved private educational institution that has satisfactory records of enrolment and attendance;
• You hold a valid work permit for employment
• You have been sponsored by a government or agency and you have its written permission to remain in the UK in a different category
• You have not broken immigration law.

Can I bring my husband, wife or civil partner and children with me?

Your husband, wife or civil partner and any of your children under 18 can come to the UK with you during your studies, as long as you can support them without needing any help from public funds.

Can I go to the UK to arrange my studies?

You can travel to the UK as a prospective student for up to six months to arrange your studies. You will need to show that:

• You intend to enrol on a course of study within six months of arriving in the UK
• You can pay for your course, support yourself and your dependants, and live without working or needing any help from public funds
• You intend to leave the UK when you finish your studies or when your permission to stay ends if you do not qualify to stay in the UK as a student.

Note: you should not buy a ticket, or pay all or part of the cost of a study course if your visa application being delayed or refused would mean that you lost your money.

When should I apply?

You should apply in good time for your entry clearance so that you are not delayed in getting into the UK. However, you cannot have your clearance post-dated by more than three months. It can get very busy in visa sections, especially over the summer when lots of students are applying.

Source: UK visas

For more information, visit: www.ukvisas.gov.uk

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