Student
Visa

To apply for a Student visa, you must be aged 16 years or over, and meet the following requirements:

• 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.
• You can speak, read, write and understand English.
• You have consent from your parents if you’re 16 or 17 – you’ll need evidence of this when you apply.

Before you can apply for a Student visa, you must have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed student sponsor.

To prove this, your education provider will send you a reference number called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CaS) once they have offered you a place. You will need a valid CaS to apply for your Student visa.

You can apply for a Student visa if you are doing one of the following courses:

• 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.

You can also apply for a Student visa if you’re taking up a full-time elected position as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.

When you apply for a Student visa, you will need to have enough money to:

• Pay the visa application fee – It costs £490 to apply from inside or outside the UK.
• Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) – The IHS costs £776 per year for students.
• Pay for your course and support yourself in the UK – How much money you need depends on your circumstances and what you’re applying for.

You must apply online for a Student visa.

As part of your application, you will need to prove your identity and provide your supporting documents. To do this, you will need to do one of the following:

• Attend an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) if you’re outside the UK.
• Attend an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point if you’re inside the UK.
• Use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document, if you are eligible.

The earliest you can apply for a Student visa is 6 months before you start your course, if you are applying from outside the UK, or 3 months before your course starts if you are applying from inside the UK.

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks if you’re outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you’re inside the UK.

note:

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision using the Home Office priority services.

You can usually stay in the UK for up to 5 years on a Student visa, if you are 18 or over and your course is at degree level. If your course is below degree level, you can usually stay in the UK for up to 2 years.

If you want to stay longer in the UK, you may be able to extend your Student visa to continue your studies, if you are eligible.

You can also apply to switch to a Graduate visa to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after successfully completing your course.

On a Student visa, you can:

• Study
• Work as a student union sabbatical officer
• Work to supplement your income whilst studying, or as part of a work placement (limitations apply).

You cannot:

• Claim public funds
• Work in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
• Be self-employed
• Study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school).

If you have been offered a place to study in the UK and wish to apply for a Student visa, Smith Stone Walters can help. Our expert immigration advisors can assess your eligibility for this route and support you throughout the entire application process.

To find out more, please contact us today.