COURSE REQUIREMENTS
There are a range of courses that you can study with a student visa however they need to meet certain requirements which will be given a brief overview in this section (please note: this is not a conclusive list, and you could be asked for additional documents). There are time caps on how long you can study for which are calculated by the Home Office based on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Study provided by your education provider (student sponsor), extensions may be granted for “Compelling and Compassionate Circumstances” such as disability, illness or bereavement.
Via the student route, you can study:
Full-time degrees and degree level programmes that lead to an approved qualification at Regulated Qualification (RQF) Level 6 or Scottish Credit and Qualification (SCQF) Level 9 or above.
Courses below degree level must involve 15 hours per week of organised daytime study and lead to an approved qualification at RQF Level 3 or SCQF Level 6. This includes A-Levels, Foundation Degrees, Higher National Diplomas, and Higher National Certificates.
Pre-sessional courses prepare you for your main course of study and must meet the qualification requirements of courses below degree level.
English Language courses must also involve 15 hours per week of organised day time study, resulting in a qualification at Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS
To study in the UK, there are certain financial requirements which you need evidence of to show you have enough money to cover your course fees and living costs.
Course fees: You will need to provide proof that you have enough money to cover the course fees for your first year of study. If the programme duration is less than 12 months then you will be required to cover the entire course. This figure will be confirmed from the Home Office based on the details on your CAS.
Money which you have already sent to your education provider will be deducted from this total, you will need to provide receipts if these payments are not already stated on your CAS.
Living costs: To calculate the required living costs, the Home Office use fixed amounts which may not reflect the actual cost of living in the UK. For each month of study, they will expect £1334 – if your course contains part of a month then this will be rounded up. For example, if your course runs from October 16th until February 25th, your course duration is 4 months and 9 days however you will need to evidence 5 months. They expect this for up to the first 9 months of your course and so the maximum required will be a total of £9207.
Deductions apply to living costs (up to £1265) however this only applies to accommodation fees from your university or college’s student accommodation and not if you are renting privately or staying with a relative.
EVIDENCE
PASSPORT – A passport is necessary for your visa application; this must be valid at the time of application and contain at least one page that is blank on either side. Ideally, your passport will be valid for the entire duration of your stay although this is not enforced by law, it reduces the potential challenges you may face in replacing your passport whilst abroad.
QUALIFICATION – The Home Office requires proof for all qualifications listed in the “Evidence Used to Obtain Offer” section of your CAS, this can be the certificates or transcripts you received alongside your results. You also have the option of submitting print outs of these certificates or transcripts from the awarding body’s online checking service. They must clearly show your name, the title and date of the award, and the name of the awarding body. It must be noted that the Home Office may still request the official certificates or transcripts.
If these documents are not in English, you must include a translation of each.
ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY APPROVAL SCHEME – If you will be studying a master’s or doctorate level degree programme (post-graduate), an ATAS clearance certificate may be required which is issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This will apply to subjects deemed to contain information that could be applied to the development of weapons of mass-destruction (for example, some sciences, mathematics, engineering, technology or medicine); this will be confirmed on your CAS by your education provider. You must apply for and obtain your ATAS certificate before submitting your student visa application.
Once issued, the certificate will be valid for 6 months for the use of your visa application however this will grant you security clearance for the entire duration of study proposed on your CAS. This is also required for students who applying for a short-term visa.