Types of UK Study Visa
Information
ABOUT THE UK
The United Kingdom (UK) is an island nation situated in the Northwestern Europe. It comprises of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom or Britain is a sovereign state. Spread over the area of about 93,630 square miles, it is surrounded by Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, The English Channel and the Celtic Sea. The country is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth ll has been reigning since 1952.
The Education System of the UK is highly developed and the country spends 6.6% of its GDP on the education sector. The literacy rate of the nation as per 2020 data is 99%. UK’s universities are regarded worldwide for their reputation and high quality education. The UK has a rich history of prestigious universities and each university has a variety of options to offer to students. The universities are known for their top ranking, student satisfaction and high employability rates. As an international student, if you decide to study in UK, you must know that there are two types of UK student visa.
Information About
COST OF STUDYING IN AUSTRALIA
TYPE-1
A Short-Term Study Visa: this type of visa is valid for up to six months for studying short courses. However, it can be extended for up to 11 months for English language courses.
TYPE-2
A Tier 4 Student Visa: This type of visa is applied for courses with longer duration at an institution that holds a Tier 4 Sponsor License. It can be further categorized as follows:
- Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa- For applicants aged 4-17 who want to study at an independent school in the UK.
- Tier 4 (General) Student Visa- For applicants aged 16 and above.
REQUIREMENTS
TO BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR A TIER- 4 (GENERAL) STUDENT VISA
If you want to study in the UK for higher education, you have to acquire a Tier 4 General student visa. In order to do so, you have to fulfill the following criteria:
- You must have an unconditional offer letter for a course that has a licensed Tier 4 sponsor.
- You must be able to understand, speak and write English
- Proof of financials, indicating that you have sufficient monetary fund to support your education and cost of living in UK.
- You must show the intention to leave UK after the completion of your course (before the end date of your immigration permit), especially in case of a short-term study visa.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
TO APPLY TIER 4 STUDENT VISA
In general, you will require the following documents:
- A valid passport
- Evidence of monetary fund to prove that you will be able to pay your academic and non-academic expenses during your stay in the UK.
- Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number and documents used to obtain CAS.
- Passport-sized coloured photographs
- Tuberculosis screening
- Assessment Documentation
Moreover, you might need t submit some additional documents if you are not a citizen of the country that you are applying from, and/or are below 18 years of age, and/or have family (dependents).
You also need to know that if any of the supporting documents are not in English language, you will have to get them translated first. It should be noted that each translated document must be dated, and include the name and signature of the translating authority along with the confirmation that it has been translated accurately as per the original document.
Proof of Financial Support may include the bank statement of the sponsor or a letter from your sponsor, showing that you will be able to cover your tuition fee, accommodation and living expenditure. You also need to prove that you have £1,015 per month if you are going to study outside London, and £1,265 per month if you are going to study in London.
UK VISA APPLICATION FEE
The amount you have to pay as visa application fee for Tier 4 (General) student visa category is £348. It has to be noted that the fee is £348 per person for any dependents coming to UK along with the main applicant. You will also need to pay an additional surcharge to access the National Health Service (NHS). The payment for healthcare surcharge will depend on how long you stay in UK.
Besides, the cost you need to pay for a short-term study visa is £97 for a six-month program and £186 for an eleven-month program.
Procedure
UK STUDENT VISA PROCESS
In order to apply Tier 4 UK study visa, which usually takes three weeks to process after lodgement, you will need to follow the following steps:
The first step is to found out whether you are eligible to apply study visa or not. You are eligible if:
- You have already received your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the university or college where you intend to study. This means that your place at the particular university or college is confirmed.
- You have enough money to cover your cost of study including tuition fee and cost of living in the UK.
The next step is to get your documents ready. The documents required for your visa application have been listed above.
Once you have all the documents ready, the following step is to apply visa online. In order to do so you will need to create an account at UK’s official visa website. You will then complete and fill your application form. Make sure to print the form and sign it once it is completed. You will then book your appointment at the visa application centre using the online appointment calendar provided on the website. Once you submit your online application, an email will be sent to you that will contain your application number.
The following step is to pay your application fee. You can use any of the 4 options to pay our application fee as listed below:
- Payment at Standard Chartered Bank: The fee can be paid at some of the branches of this bank and the bank will issue a demand draft in favour of ‘The British High Commission’.
- Payment at the visa application centre: You also have the option to pay your application fee at the visa application centre when you visit the same to submit your application.
- Payment from a nationalized or foreign bank through demand draft: You may also pay the application fee through a nationalized or foreign bank by issuing a demand draft in favour of the ‘The British High Commission’.
- Pay Online: Another option is to pay your fee online via a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card.
The final step is to go to the Visa Application Centre on the date of your appointment. You have to attend the appointment at the visa application centre to submit not only your application, but also your facial photograph and fingerprints.
