STUDENT VISA

Those aged 16 or over who intend to study for a further or higher education degree in the UK are eligible for the Student Visa category.

Student Visa Requirements in the UK

To be eligible for a UK Student Visa, you must demonstrate to UK Visas and Immigration that you are:

– 16 years old or older;

– You have been given a spot on an authorized course with a licensed student sponsor on an unconditional basis.

– You can read, write, speak, and comprehend English to at least CEFR Level B2 (if studying at the degree level or above) or CEFR Level B1 (if studying at the undergraduate level or below).

– You have sufficient income to maintain yourself and pay for your education without relying on government assistance;

– If you are 16 or 17 years old, you have the approval of your parent(s) or legal guardian.

The specific conditions you must meet will depend on your circumstances.  You should get expert guidance from an immigration lawyer.

Course Requirements for a Student Visa in the UK

Applicants for Student Visas may apply for the following courses:

• A full-time course leading to certification below degree level (RQF level 3, 4, or 5) with at least 15 hours of organized daytime study per week;
• A full-time course leading to a degree level or higher certification (RQF level 6, 7, or 8);
• A full-time degree-level or higher course (RQF level 6, 7, or 8) that is equal to a UK higher education course and is delivered as part of a more extensive course abroad;
• a part-time program that results in a certification above the degree level (RQF level 7 or higher);
• an Accredited foundation program for postgraduate physicians or dentists (if you have completed an accredited UK medical or dental degree, obtained it from a licensed sponsor, and studied in the UK for your final year and a minimum of one additional year leading that degree);
• A level B2 or above English language course in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Who Else Can Submit a Student Visa Application?

Also, you are eligible to apply for a student visa if you:

• Requesting an extension of your stay under the Doctorate Extension Scheme (you must be enrolled in a study that leads to a Ph.D. and presently has a student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa allowing you to remain in the UK);
• Accepting a full-time elected role as Sabbatical Officer of the Student Union.

Requirements for Study Place in the UK for a Student Visa

All study that is required for the course of study must be competed on the campus of your student sponsor or a partner school, unless you are enrolled in a pre-sessional course, a study abroad program abroad, or a work placement connected to your studies.

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

Following the offer of an unconditional spot on a course of study, a CAS reference number will be sent to you by your educational provider. Following the receipt of your CAS, you have six months to apply for your student visa.

The educational institution must not have retracted its offer, nor may the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies have been used in a prior application that was either accepted or rejected.

A few other pieces of information that must be included in the CAS include the course description, the study level, the study location, the cost of fees and lodgings (as well as any payments that have already been paid), and how the English language requirement has been fulfilled.

The required finances to obtain a UK student visa

It is your responsibility to prove to UK Visas and Immigration that you have sufficient funds to cover your course costs and maintain your living standard while in the UK.

Course Fees

If you do not fit into any of the special categories below, you will need to have enough cash to cover any unpaid tuition for one academic year of your study (up to nine months).

Your course duration will be rounded up to the next full month if it includes any partial months.

If your student sponsor has received payment for all or a portion of your course fees, this can be subtracted from the total amount needed as long as it is verified on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies or if you can present a document from them attesting to the payment amount.

A deposit paid to your student sponsor for lodging may also be deducted from the total amount needed, up to a maximum of £1,265.

Living Costs

You will need sufficient funds to cover your living expenses in the UK unless you fit into one of the special categories below.

You will require £1,265 (or £1,334 from 1/12/2020) for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months, if you want to study in inner London. You will require £1,015 (or £1,023 starting on January 12, 2020) for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months, if you plan to study elsewhere in the UK.

You must demonstrate that you have a total of £2,530 for a course in London or £2,030 for a course outside of London if you plan to participate in the Doctorate Extension Scheme.

Either way, the funds must have been in your possession for a minimum of 28 days straight, ending not more than 31 days prior to the date on which you submitted your application for a student visa.

If you have dependents that are applying at the same time, more funds may be needed.

Special categories

The following applicant categories will be considered to have met the financial requirements for a student visa automatically:

• applicants who, at least a year before the date of their student visa application, had been in the UK on a valid leave of absence;
• Applicants submitting an application to be a Sabbatical Officer for the Student Union;
• Applicants applying to an accredited foundation program as postgraduate physicians or dentists;
• The “differential evidence requirement” applies to applicants who are British nationals (overseas) or who come from one of the specified nations or territories. Despite this requirement, these applicants must still have the necessary amount of funds because UKVI reserves the right to ask them for proof of funds.

English Language Requirement for a UK Student Visa

If you’re studying for a degree level or higher, you must be able to read, write, speak, and comprehend English to at least CEFR Level B2 or CEFR Level B1 (if you’re studying at below degree level).

Usually, passing the Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an authorized provider is required.  Nonetheless, neither citizens of specific countries with a majority English-speaking population nor those who have earned a degree in one of these nations that is similar to a UK degree are obliged to demonstrate their proficiency in the language.

You won’t need to demonstrate your English proficiency if you are Canadian, are applying to study abroad in the UK as part of an American university degree program, or have already demonstrated your proficiency in the language in a prior visa application.

Genuine Student Rule

Most applicants for student visas are interviewed by UK Visas and Immigration before being granted permission to enter the country.

You ought to prepare to be questioned about your educational background, immigration history, course, desired study location, motivations for studying in the UK, post-study goals, and financial and personal situation.

If the Entry Clearance Officer is not convinced that you are a genuine student, your student visa application can be turned down.

Changing into the Student route

As long as you do not currently possess or were not previously granted permission to remain as a visitor, short-term student, parent of a child student, seasonal worker, domestic worker in a private household, or outside the Immigration Rules (unless leave outside the rules was granted for the explicit purpose of finding a new student sponsor), you can apply to switch into the student route if you currently have valid leave to remain in the UK.  In addition, you must not be on immigration bail.

Apply for a UK Student Visa

You should submit your application for a student visa not more than six months prior to the commencement of your study if you are applying from outside of the United Kingdom.

The earliest you may apply for a student visa if you’re applying from within the United Kingdom is three months before the commencement of your study.  The start date of your course must fall no more than 28 days after the expiry date of your prior leave.

Student Visa Processing Times

If you apply for a UK student visa from outside the country, you ought to receive your application in three weeks. 

You should receive a decision from the UK within eight weeks if you ask for permission to remain as a student.

Travel to the UK on a Student Visa

If your application for a student visa gets approved, you will be allowed to enter the UK up to one week before the commencement of your course, if it is going to last six months or less, and up to one month prior, if it will last more than six months.

Duration of Stay on a UK Student Visa

You can typically remain in the UK as a student for up to five years if your education is at the degree level and you are eighteen years or older.

You can often remain in the UK for up to two years on the student route if your course is below degree level.

There are several fields, such as architecture, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, science, law, and some music courses, where the previously mentioned regulation does not apply.

The duration of the course or the real-time you spent studying is not taken into account when calculating the period; rather, it is the entirety of your leave.  The duration of the visa granted will include any time spent on the student route that is extended under section 3C of the Immigration Act of 1971.

The cap applies whether the student visa application is submitted within or outside of the UK, and the time limit can be used to pursue one course or many courses as a student migrant.

Working on a Student Visa

You may work 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time outside of term-time if you are a student enrolled in a full-time program at the degree level or higher.

You may work 10 hours a week during term-time and full-time outside of term-time if you are a student enrolled in a full-time course of study below the degree level.

It is not allowed for any other students, even part-time students, to work.

Dependent Family Members of Students

Courses starting before 1 January 2024

The following students are permitted to enter the UK with a dependent spouse or child:

• a full-time student in a postgraduate degree lasting nine months or more that is at RQF level 7 or higher;
• a fresh, government-sponsored learner enrolled in a program lasting more than six months;
• a student of the Doctorate Extension Scheme.

Partners and kids must have access to either £845 per month (for a maximum of nine months) for courses in London or £680 per month (for a maximum of nine months) for courses outside of London.

Either way, the funds have to be kept for a minimum of 28 days straight, with a maximum of 31 days remaining before the dependent visa application deadline.

If a partner or kid is applying concurrently with the primary applicant and has been in the UK for at least 12 months on a valid visa, or if they are from a country covered by the “differential evidence requirement,” they do not have to meet the maintenance funds requirement.

Courses starting on or after 1 January 2024

Dependents of international students are no longer allowed to enter the UK after January 1, 2024, for the duration of their education.

International students may continue to bring dependents into the UK after January 1, 2024, if their study is a PhD, other doctorate qualification, or a research-based higher degree as defined by the Immigration Rules.

Dependent of the students who are already in the UK are allowed to extend their stay.

Extension of Stay as a Student

You might be eligible to extend your stay in the UK via the Student route if you are in the country with leave as a student or Tier 4 (General) Student.  It’s possible that your dependents can also extend simultaneously.

Subject to a few exceptions, you must be able to demonstrate that the studies you wish to pursue are at a higher academic level than your present course and obtain an unconditional offer of a place on a course from a licensed student sponsor.

You will also need to provide proof that you have enough funds to support yourself while in the UK if you have been here for less than a year with a valid visa.

Settlement in the UK as a Student

There is no settlement path along the student route. Holders of student visas, however, may be able to prolong their stay through alternative immigration routes that can result in settlement.

Switching from a Student Visa into Work Routes

If their employment start date does not coincide with their course completion, students enrolled in degree-level or above courses may request to switch to a sponsored work route before finishing their coursework.

PhD candidates have the option to switch to the work route after a 24-month study period.

Possible routes of work include the Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, Secondment Worker, T2 Minister of Religion, Representative of an Overseas Business, Global Talent, High Potential Individual, Scale-Up, Innovator Founder and International Sportsperson routes.