Applying For A Student Visa? We Promise

A Student Visa allows non-British citizens aged 16 and over to study in the UK. It has replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa.

If you are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you can apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme. You must have started living in the UK before 1st January 2021. If eligible, this means you would not need to Student Visa.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or EU Settlement Scheme to study in the UK.

To apply for a Student Visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• You’ve been offered to study a course licensed by a student sponsor
• You can speak, read, write and understand English
• You have enough money to support yourself whilst simultaneously paying for your course
• If you’re between the ages of 16 to 17, you’ve been given consent by your parent or guardian

If you’re under the age of 18 and wish to study in the UK, you may instead be able to apply for a Child Student Visa.

To apply for a Student Visa, you must apply online.

When you submit your application, you’ll need to provide:

• A valid passport or another piece of travel documentation
• A Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) from your course provider

In some cases, you may need to provide other documents. Some examples include proof of your relationship with your parents or tuberculosis test results. Remember that the Home Office will need substantial proof that you are eligible for a Student Visa.

To apply for a Student Visa, you’ll have to pay one of two fees:

1. An application fee of £363 when applying from outside of the UK
2. A fee of £490 when extending or switching to a Child Student Visa when in the UK

The application fee also applies to anyone that joins you (i.e. spouse, child etc.)

On top of this, you’ll have to pay the healthcare surcharge. This will differ depending on your specific scenario and can be calculated via GOV.UK.

The length of an application depends on if you are applying from within or outside of the UK.

Outside of the UK

When applying for a Student Visa outside of the UK, your application will take roughly 3 weeks to process. You can apply as early as 6 months before your course is due to start.

Inside the UK

When applying for a Student Visa inside of the UK, your application will take roughly 8 weeks to process. You can apply as early as 3 months before your course is due to start.

Remember that you must apply before your current visa expires. To compensate for this, the Home Office allow for your course to start up to 28 days after the expiry date.

The length of time you can spend in the UK depends on the length of your course and what level it is at. Typically, if your course is at degree level, you can stay in the UK for up to 5 years. If it is lower, this will usually be 2 years instead.

You are allowed to arrive in the UK before your course starts. If the course is 6 months or less, you can arrive a week before. If the course will last more than 6 months, you can arrive up to 1 month before.

There are a number of reasons why your application may have been refused. This could be due to:

• The application form being incomplete or invalid
• Fee payments not made
• Your criminal or immigration history invalidated your application

If your application was refused, you may apply for an administrative review of the Home Office’s decision. You have up to 28 days to file this request if outside the UK or, alternatively, 14 days if within the UK. If this is refused, you can submit a judicial review to further this.

We highly recommend consulting an experienced immigration solicitor if your application is denied. We can help explore other options or assist in submitting forms to question why your appeal was refused. This can save you time and expenses in the long term, purely by letting our solicitors do the work for you.