Uk Student Visa
Irrespective of the level of study international students can only apply for one UK student visa and it depends on the duration and fee of the visa. For those who are planning to study in the UK in the near future this article will help to know about the detailed explanation of the requirements for a UK student visa. So it will give you an idea of the steps involved for applying for a UK study visa and the cost associated with it.
1. Types of UK student visa
About 44,000 applications for student visas were received from indian in the last 6 months of 2022 according to the preliminary data from Department of home affairs. And the most reported Indians received the greatest number of student visas from the UK in 2022. Out of 2.8 lakh student visas that the UK issued in total, 25% of applications were approved for Indian students according to the British high commissioner. The uK and iNdian government recently launched a Young professional scheme which will help the students who qualify will get a UK work visa for a maximum of two years. People aged between 18 to 30 years can apply for the same.
Students who likes to study in the UK for more than 6 months needs to know the following visa types:
- Short-term Study Visa: for those who wants to study an english language course for more than 11 months
- Student Visa: this is for students coming for higher education. It is popularly called as Tier 4 Student Visa
- Child Student visa: this visa is for children in between 4 and 17 yeast and wish to study at an independent school in the UK. It is commonly called a Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa.
2. UK student visa eligibility
- An offer of a full time course form a licensed sponsor is required for the enrolment of the program.
- A student needs to to able to support financially during the entire duration of the course
- Language test is prerequisite for the admission
- Students require parental consent if they are 16 or 17 years old.
3. UK student visa cost
Student visa fee for the students who are applying for outside of the UK is £363 (Approx. Rs 37,082) and they have to pay the health insurance charge as well which will depend on the length of the stay.
The methods of payments are:
- Online using either a MasterCard or Visa card.
- Through demand draft at specific Standard Chartered Bank branches and the visa application center.
- Through Cash at specific Standard Chartered Bank branches and the visa application center.
Students who apply from the UK will have to pay the fee of £490 (INR 50,056). Before making the application please make sure to check the UK study visa.
4. Latest update
The UK has increased the visa fees which will impact international students worldwide which includes Indians. Once the proposal is accepted the students have to pay the fee and health insurance to the National health service. The fee hike will be around 5-7% and the same will assist in the wage of the country for police, teachers, junior doctors etc. announced by the UK PM Rishi Sunak. He also mentioned that because of the concerns about inflation his government will not use more money for these expenses.
Highlights
- Work and visa costs will increase by 15%
- All other visa costs will increase by a minimum of 20%
- Per year around £776 Immigration Health Surcharge (previously £470) will apply to international students who wish to study in the UK for higher studies.
5. Documents required for UK student visa
Compared to a tourist visa, a student visa requires a lot of paperwork. They have to provide financial support and academic records. Before attending the interview at the consulate students are required to review the UK student visa checklist.
The following are the following the documents before applying the UK student visa:
- A completed student visa application form
- Proof of parent/ guardian consent if applicants are below 18 years.
- Letter of acceptance of the course – education provider will give you the acceptance letter and offer letters that are official and unconditional based on the course of study. After receiving the CAS students are required to apply for a UK study visa.
- The success of the application is not guaranteed based on the visa letter. Applicants must meet all requirements issued by the immigration departments.
- Proof of funds – the required funds cover living expenses for a maximum of nine months( 1 year ) and your course fees for the first year of study. If you are applying as an adult or child, if you are planning to study outside of London all of these factors will determine how much money you need. You need to provide proof that you have enough money for a minimum of 28 days. The 28 days cannot expire more than one month prior to the application date.
- You need show the money to meet the living expense for nine months is £12,006 or nine months ( £1,334 per month) if you are living in London and if you are living outside of London £9,207 for nine months (£1,023 per month)
- If the student has been in the UK with a valid visa for more than 1 year then they don’t need to provide proof of funds.
- The visa fee payment confirmation receipt
- ATAS certificate if your nationality and course need it
- Payslips
- Original mark sheets/provisional certificates
- English language test result
6. Types of courses valid under UK student visa
- Qualification which is below the degree level and organized daytime study of a minimum of 15 hours a week a full time course will help
- Qualification which is degree level or above a full time course will help.
- Qualification which is degree level or above which share the same platform as the same as the UK higher education a full time course will help
- A part-time programme which would help to obtain a qualification which is above degree level
- A known foundation course for PG doctors or dentists
- An English language course at the Common European Framework of Reference Languages B2 level or above
7. How to apply for the UK student visa
The steps for applying student visa are:
Step 1. First step is to check whether you are qualified or not. Fo that you need to show:
- Confirmation of offer letter from the school or university
- Proof of funds which will cover the tuition fees and living expenses.
Step 2: Get all your document ready
Step 3: apply online. Create an account on the official UK visa website. Then you need to complete the online application form. After that you need to print and sign the document. You need to book the online appointment calendar to book an appointment at the visa application center. You will receive the application number via email after you have completed the online application.
Step 4: pay your application fee. There are 4 ways to pay the fee.
- Payment at Standard Chartered Bank – paying the fee at any branches of the bank. The bank will issue a demand draft in favor of the British High Commission.
- Demand draft from a nationalized or foreign bank – can pay from nationalized bank or foreign bank. Then the bank will issue a demand draft in favor of the British High Commission.
- Payment at the visa application center – can pay the fee at the center where you have submitted the application.
- Pay online – can pay online by using visa or mastercard credit or debit.
Step 5: Visit the application center for the appointment date. You need to book an appointment in order to do your facial photograph and fingerprints.
Students can withdraw their application for that they need to contact UKVI, if they haven’t started the process you will receive the refund.
8. LATEST UPDATE
Another update states that VFS global has partnered with the Radisson Hotel Group and the Tata owned indian hotels company therefore students can apply for UK visa at nearby hotels. Those who would like to apply for the same can visit the nearby Taj hotel in Bangalore, Visakhapatnam and Mangalore. Students can get help from Vivanta Bengaluru (Whitefield), Vivanta Mangalore (Old Port Road) and The Gateway Hotel (Visakhapatnam) with their visa applications. Park Plaza Ludhiana, Radisson Noida, Radisson Blu Hotel Amritsar, and Radisson RED Chandigarh Mohali have announced premium application centers by VFS global. Making an appointment for the same is required. You have 240 days from the date of the online visa application to appear in person for the appointment to provide the biometrics.
9. UK student visa part time work
If you are enrolled in bachelor’s or higher degree levels which is listed in the official UKBA sponsor list and in the list of recognised bodies you are allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week and able to work full time during school holidays.
Students whose degree level is below the UK degree level are only allowed to work 10 hours per week. Students who hold a visa which is a short term study visa cannot work.
10. UK student visa - Dependents
Recently the government has declared that international students who are studying non-research Masters degree courses are not allowed to bring their families or dependents to the country.
A dependent visa is granted to the spouse or children for the same duration as the primary applicants. Currently this is only applicable to masters degree application students. Your course has to be at least nine months long and at least RQF level 7. In the UK undergraduates are not allowed to bring dependents with them.
Dependents on your visa must apply “dependent on a points based system migrant”. A separate application and payment are required to be filled by each dependents. You must provide proof of additional £845 (inside London) or £680 (outside London) for each dependent for each month you are requesting maintenance funds up to a maximum of nine months and this must be in addition to your own maintenance funds. If you have a scholarship already then you can use it to pay your dependent maintenance. Funds for your dependent must be mentioned in the scholarship letter as well.
11.Additional information about the UK student visa
You must first apply for a graduate visa and then a tier 2 visa which is used for highly skilled workers, if you wish to work there after completing your studies. You do not receive a work permit in addition to your student visa. A work visa requires a separate application.
If the leave is granted for more than a year your spouse is permitted to work in the UK. Your spouse is not permitted to work in the UK if your visa was issued for a shorter duration than a year or if you are enrolled in a program of study that does not result in a degree.
12. Premium visa services
Students can choose the priority visa service or the super priority visa service to finalize the visa processing time for an additional fee, although a standard UK study visa may take at least three weeks to process. After receiving your biometric information, UK visas and immigration will review your application for a priority visa and they will contact you when your passport is ready to be picked up. The same work must be completed in 24 hours for the super priority visa application. It is important to know that this service comes with an additional cost to the visa application fee and it is not refundable if the visa application is denied.
- UK Priority Visa has an additional cost of £500
- UK Super Priority Visa has an additional cost of £800
13. In some cases it may take time.
Before informing the result to you the embassy will review your application. The processing of visa application will take 2-3 weeks depending on which country you are applying to. In order to avoid rejection you need to make sure that your application is completed and not pending. You can track your application number with the help of the receipt. The reference number that was provided to you on the day of appointment must be used for the same purpose. Email and SMS notifications will be sent to those who select SMS services.
Scholarships for studying in the UK
The UK has one of the best educational systems in the world. To continue their higher education from the UK a majority of international students require financial aid. There are different kinds of scholarships available for international students to fulfill their aspirations. Here is the list of some of the best scholarships available for studying in the UK.
International Scholarships Award | London Business School Fund Scholarships |
PhD Scholarships in the UK | The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships- University of Cambridge |
14. UK student visa: when to apply for visa extension
In order to apply for a UK student visa applicants must do so soon after receiving CAS which is ideally three months prior to the start of their course. Don’t forget to apply before your current visa expires. Also you must enroll in your new course no later than 28 days after the expiration of your current visa. You are allowed to remain in the UK until you receive the decision.
