UKBA Guidance for International Student
UK Student Visa
The provisions of the point based scheme Tier 4 (Students) will gradually come into effect starting from March 31 2009. The new system will bring about substantial changes to the rules of eligibility and the procedures that affect all applicants from outside the EU. It will introduce more stringent criteria and procedures that allow greater scrutiny of the evidence submitted by the visa applicants to ensure that only the genuine students can get the entry clearance.
Visa national or Non-visa national?
Given the fact that only the Visa nationals need to apply for the UK visa. It is important that an applicant finds out which category they fall in. Visit http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/doineedvisa/visadatvnationals
General Student Visa
CAS number
Once a prospective student has submitted all the required documents, paid the correct amount of deposit and is deemed to have satisfied all the conditions of admission – academic or financial detailed in the conditional offer, the college will issue the CAS number (Condition of Acceptance to Study number). With this number the UKBA is able to know what your proposed course of study is, the payment/s the applicant has made to MRC so far and the main documents that tha applicant has submitted to MRC.
Although the first CAS is issued free of charge, there will be a £10 administration fee for issuing a new CAS if for some reason an applicant requested a new one. This fee covers the UKBA charge for updating their records with new CAS.
The applicant must apply for General Student Visa no later than 6 months after the CAS issue date.
Evidence of money
Under Tier 4 – General Student category applicants need 40 points. By providing CAS number they score 30 points. The applicants will score the remaining 10 points to reach 40 points if they provide evidence that they have enough money to pay their course fees and living costs. (The Your money section explains how much money they need to cover your living costs.) To claim the 10 points, the applicant must show evidence that they:
- have paid all or part of their course fees and (if relevant) accommodation fees to their Tier 4 sponsor; and/or
- are receiving official financial sponsorship; and/or
- have enough money to cover their remaining course fees and living costs, if any.
Acceptable evidence of money
§ A letter of confirmation from official financial sponsor.
§ Personal bank or building society statements
§ Letter from a bank or building society confirming funds
§ Letter from a financial institution confirming funds
§ Letter from a financial institution confirming a loan
The table below explains how much time a General Student can come to the United Kingdom for.
|
Type of course |
Length of course |
Length of stay allowed |
|
Main course of Study (including Sabbatical Officers) |
12 months or more |
The full length of the course plus four months after the end of the course |
|
Six months or more, but less than 12 months |
The full length of the course plus two months after the end of the course |
|
|
Less than six months |
The full length of the course plus seven days after the end of the course |
|
|
Pre-sessional courses |
12 months or more |
The full length of the course plus four months after the end of the course |
|
Six months or more, but less than 12 months |
The full length of the course plus two months after the end of the course |
|
|
Less than six months |
The full length of the course (up to a maximum of three years) plus one month after the end of the course |
UKBA Guidance for International Student (VIDEO)