89 Bickersteth RD
London SW17 9SH
0203 490 1221
Client Support
Mon-Fri: 9:30-17:30 pm
Appointment
London SW17 9SH
Client Support
Appointment
The Student Visa category is for individuals who are aged 16 or over and who wish to study on a further or higher education course in the UK.
If you are between 4 and 17 years old and wish to study at an independent school in the UK, you should apply for a Child Student Visa instead.
In order to qualify for a UK Student Visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:
The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances. You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.
Student Visa applicants can apply for a visa to study the following courses:
You can also apply for a Student Visa if you are:
Unless you are on a course-related work placement, a study abroad programme overseas, or a pre-sessional course, all study that forms part of the course of study must take place on the premises of your student sponsor or a partner institution.
Once you have been offered an unconditional place on a course of study, your education provider will send you a CAS reference number. You must apply for your Student Visa within 6 months of receiving your CAS.
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies must not have been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused and the education institution must not have withdrawn its offer.
The CAS must also contain certain information including details of the course to be studied, the level of study, the place of study, the cost of accommodation and fees (and any payments already made) and how the English language requirement has been met.
You will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you have enough cash funds to pay your course fees and support yourself financially in the UK.
Unless you fall within one of the special categories listed below, you will need to have sufficient cash funds available to pay any outstanding course fees for 1 academic year of your course (up to 9 months).
If the length of your course includes part of a month, the time period will be rounded up to the next full month.
If you have paid all or part of your course fees to your student sponsor then this can be offset against the funds required, provided this is either confirmed on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, or you provide a receipt issued by your student sponsor confirming the amount of fees paid.
If you have paid a deposit to your student sponsor for accommodation, this deposit can also be offset against the funds required, up to a maximum of £1,265.
Unless you fall within one of the special categories listed below, you will need to have sufficient cash funds to meet your living costs in the UK.
If you will be studying in inner London, you will need £1,265 (or £1,334 from 1/12/2020) for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months. If you will be studying elsewhere in the UK, you will need £1,015 (or £1,023 from 1/12/2020) for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months.
If you will be on the Doctorate Extension Scheme, you will need to prove that you have a total of £2,530 for a course in London, or a total of £2,030 for a course outside London.
In either case, you will need to have held the money for at least 28 consecutive days ending not more than 31 days before the date of your Student Visa application.
Additional funds may be required if you have dependents applying at the same time.
The following categories of applicants will automatically be treated as having satisfied the Student Visa financial requirement:
You will need to be able to read, write, speak and understand English to at least CEFR Level B2 (if studying at degree level or above) or CEFR Level B1 (if studying at below degree level).
You will usually need to pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. However, nationals of certain majority English speaking countries are not required to prove their English language ability, nor are persons who have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree taught in English in one of these countries.
If you are a national of Canada or applying to travel to the UK for a study abroad programme as part of a university degree course in the USA or have proved your level of English in a previous visa application then you will also not be required to prove your knowledge of English.
UK Visas and Immigration interview most Student visa applicants before granting them a visa to come to the UK.
You can expect to be asked questions about your immigration history, your education history, your course, where you want to study, reasons for studying in the UK, your post study plans and your personal and financial circumstances.
The Entry Clearance Officer must be satisfied that you are a genuine student otherwise your application for a Student Visa may be refused.
If you currently have valid leave to remain in the UK, you can apply to switch into the Student route provided you do not have, or were not last granted, permission to stay as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household or outside the Immigration Rules (unless leave outside the rules was granted for the explicit purpose of finding a new student sponsor). You must also not be on immigration bail.
If you are applying for a Student Visa from outside the UK then you should submit your application not more than 6 months before the start date of your course.
If you are applying from inside the UK then the earliest you can apply for a Student Visa is 3 months before your course starts. Your course must be scheduled to start no more than 28 days after the expiry date of your previous leave.
If you apply for a UK Student Visa from outside the UK then you should receive a decision on your Student Visa application within 3 weeks.
If you apply for permission to stay as a Student from within the UK then you should receive a decision within 8 weeks.
If your Student Visa application is approved then you will be able to travel to the UK up to 1 week before your course starts if your course will last 6 months or less and up to 1 month before your course starts if your course will last more than 6 months.
If you are 18 years old or over and your course is at degree level, you will usually be able to stay in the UK as a Student for up to 5 years.
If your course is below degree level, you will usually be able to stay in the UK on the Student route for up to 2 years.
There are exceptions to the above rule, including, for certain subjects such as architecture, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and science, law and some music courses.
The period is calculated for the whole period of your leave and not the actual period you were studying or the length of the course. Any period of permission on the Student route extended under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 will also count towards the period of permission granted.
The time limit can be spent studying a single course or several courses as a Student migrant, and the cap applies whether the Student visa application is made inside or outside the UK.
If you are a Student following a full-time course of study at degree level or above then you will be permitted to work 20 hours per week during term-time and full-time outside of term-time.
If you are a Student undertaking a full-time course of study below degree level then you will be permitted to work 10 hours per week during term-time and full-time outside of term-time.
All other Students, including part-time Students, are not permitted to work.
The following Students can bring a dependant partner and / or dependant child to the UK:
Partners and children must each have either £845 a month (for up to 9 months) available to them for courses in London or £680 a month (for up to 9 months) available to them for courses outside London.
In either case, the money must be held for at least 28 consecutive days ending not more than 31 days before the date of the dependent visa application.
Partners and children who have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months or who are from a country listed under the ‘differential evidence requirement’ where the main applicant is applying at the same time, do not need to satisfy a maintenance funds requirement.
International students whose course starts on or after 1 January 2024 are no longer permitted to bring dependents to the UK.
An exception is made for international students whose course is a PhD, other doctoral qualification, or a research-based higher degree (as defined in the Immigration Rules) who may continue to bring dependents to the UK even after 1 January 2024.
Student dependents already in the UK may continue to extend their stay.
If you are in the UK with leave as a Student or Tier 4 (General) Student, you may be able to extend your stay on the Student route. Your dependants may be eligible to extend at the same time.
You will need to have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed student sponsor and, subject to a few exceptions, be able to show that the studies you are looking to undertake are at a higher academic level than your current course.
If you have been in the UK with a valid visa for less than 12 months, you will also need to demonstrate that you have enough money to support yourself in the UK.
The Student route is not a route to settlement. However, Student Visa holders may be eligible to extend their stay into other immigration routes which can lead to settlement.
Students on courses at degree level or above may apply before completing their course to switch to a sponsored work route, provided that their employment start date is not before their course completion.
Those studying towards PhDs are able to switch into a work route after 24 months’ study.
Potential work routes include the Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, Secondment Worker, T2 Minister of Religion, Representative of an Overseas Business, Global Talent, High Potential Individual, Scale-Up, Innovator Founder and International Sportsperson routes.
Our immigration solicitors regularly assist international students to move to, or extend their stay in, the UK in order to pursue their education.
Our solicitors are experts in the immigration options for students and will guide you through the complex Home Office rules and policies.
We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our clients’ needs. We are a highly driven team, dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration advice to students as part of a professional and friendly service.
As specialist immigration solicitors, we pride in having one of the best team of specialist immigration solicitors with wealth of knowledge and experience to deal with all types of UK visa and immigration matters. Our top rated immigration solicitors have successfully helped thousands of clients with all types of UK visa and immigration applications, immigration appeals, Administrative Review, Pre-Action Protocol (PAP) and Judicial Review.
Managing Director
