visasAs you may be aware there has been a new immigration system in the UK in place since 31 March 2009. The new system is called the ‘Points Based System’ (PBS) and visas are awarded if the necessary numbers of points are achieved.
As all schools and education providers (also known as sponsors) must be accredited, a very high standard of education is guaranteed. If you are a non-EEA (European Economic Area) student, here’s some information on what you will need to have in place in order to obtain your study visa for the UK.
For any further information that you require, you should visit the UKBA website.
* Please note that this information is intended as a guide only. As visa rules and regulations are often subject to change, English UK cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or inaccuracies. We would advise you to visit the UKBA website above or contact your course provider, agent or local visa application post for the most up-to-date information.
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Firstly, how do I make sense of all the acronyms and jargon? |
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It’s easy with our helpful glossary!
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Which visa should I apply for? |
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Firstly you need to decide on how long you are planning to come to study in the UK:
Less than 6 months If you will be staying for less than 6 months and do not intend to work or extend your stay, you need to apply for a Student Visitor Visa. The student visitor visa route is outside the points based system and the rules for application have not been amended. For more information, please click here.
Similarly for those under 16 staying for less than 6 months, typically wanting to do summer courses they will need to apply for a Child Visitor Visa which is outside of PBS and it has no entitlements. For more information on the CVV, please click here.
More than 6 months However, if you intend to stay for MORE THAN 6 months or less than 6 months but intend to work and/or extend your stay at the end of your course, you will need to apply for a Student Visa under Tier 4 of the Points Based System:
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How does the new system work? |
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The new system is a points-based system so students need to have enough points in order to come to study.
Number of Points needed for a General or Child Student Visa
In total you will need 40 points:
To obtain the points you will need to comply with certain regulations and provide certain documents.
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Which courses can I apply for? |
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To apply for a PBS visa (GSV) to follow an English language course, students will need to prove that they have previously studied English. Complete beginners will not be able to apply for a General Student Visa (GSV). Beginners will have to come to the UK via the Student Visitor Visa route for a maximum of 6 months. You can use the English UK website to help you search for a course with an accredited course provider by following this link: http://www.englishuk.com/en/search
The minimum course levels for the GSV are below – the school or education provider will be able to confirm the levels of the course you have applied for.
Minimum levels:
There are rules surrounding the type of course students can take, including the length of the course and how many hours per week:
Courses must:
It will be possible for you to work during their stay in the UK when on a GSV, but you have to comply with the below regulation.
Work Placements:
Students can take course-related work placements but for no more than 50% of the full course length in the UK
Other Work:
Students on a General Student Visa can also undertake paid work for up to 20hrs per week during term time and more hours during holidays.
No work is permitted on a Student Visitor Visa (outside of PBS)
Child Students
Child Students on a CSV can do courses that are:
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What is a visa letter or CAS? |
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Once you have decided which course you want to take, you need to apply to the school for a place on this course. Under the new rules you can only study at an institution that is either on the UK Border Agency (UKBA) list of Registered Sponsors or accredited by one of the accrediting bodies approved by the UKBA. The UKBA Register of Sponsors can be accessed here.
Once you have applied for a place on a course and your application to your chosen education provider has been accepted, the school will send you a visa letter or CAS. You need to include this with your visa application. You must include the original visa letter, copies or scanned versions will not be accepted.
The visa letter will eventually be phased out and be replaced by a CAS (Confirmation of acceptance of study). The CAS is a unique reference number, not a paper document, and will be issued from the web-based Sponsor Management System (SMS). There will be a trial period for the issuance of CAS to those students extending their visas in the UK, in autumn 2009, during which time both Visa letters and CAS will be accepted. By February 2010 only CAS will be issued, not visa letters. However, for the meantime, both are acceptable.
The visa letter should include the below details as minimum:
In order to issue a CAS, the education provider will also need to obtain all of the above information from you prior to issuing you with a CAS. Each CAS will cost you £10.
The UKBA has produced a helpful checklist for the visa letter - click here.
There are also helpful template letters - click here.
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How much money do I need to have in my bank account? |
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Students need to show that they have enough money to cover the below:
The money must be held in cash. Shares or bonds will not be accepted.
After October 1st 2009, Students will have to show that they have held the money for at least 28 days and the end of this 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of their application.
Students have to show that they have the following amount of money
Students will need to have the total amount of living costs and the course fees in their bank account if they have not already paid for their course fees and/or accommodation.
If you are already in the UK and are extending your current visa you may only have to show a reduced amount of funds. You may need to show a lower amount of money for your living costs if:
If you meet these requirements, you will only need to show two months worth of living costs together with your full course fees for the required length of time.
You cannot apply showing the lower amount of money if you:
You can find more information on the amount of money you must show on the UKBA website.
Proof of money
To prove you have enough money you have to show that you have either:
Child students (Under 16) can use an account in their parents or legal guardian’s name.
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How much does a visa cost? |
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The student visa application fee depends on where you apply from:
You must provide payment for your fee or your application will be invalid and will not be considered.
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How to apply |
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Having read the above guidance you can now think about applying for your visa.
The next steps set out how to apply for your visa – there is more detailed information about applying available on the UKBA website.
Applying from outside the UK:
If you are an extending student and applying from within the UK, there is information on how to apply on the UKBA website.
Applications outside of the UK:
If you are applying for a general or child student visa under Tier 4 the correct form to use is VAF9 – PBS Migrant. Additionally you will have to complete and submit a self assessment form.
Self assessment forms:
Applications from inside the UK
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What about biometrics? |
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Firstly, how do I make sense of all the acronyms and jargon?