International students who want to pursue their education in the UK are required to apply for a study visa if they are from outside the UK or EU. Students have to apply for a visa after their admission is confirmed in a university in the UK.

Every year thousands of students apply for UK visa but a few of them are accepted in a first attempt because they ignore the underlying requirements of the visa. If an application is rejected in the first attempt, the student has to re-pay all the fees to apply for visa again as well as to wait another month for the decision on his application.  Hence, it wastes both your time and money. Most of the applications are rejected only due to mistakes in filling the application form and missing documents with the application. UK Visa and Immigration officers consider every application very carefully to make a decision on it. They never reject an eligible application if the applicant has filled in the application correctly and provided all the required documents. This article explains the procedure of applying for study visa for the UK as well as highlights the minor mistakes made by applicants which lead to rejection of their visa applications.

The guidelines for applying for study visa for the UK

1. Type of Visa
2. Course Confirmation Letter
3. Funding Proof
4. Tuberculosis Test
5. Few things to know before applying
6. Visa application Process (Online)
7. Posting documents to UKVI

There are different types of UK visas, e.g. Tier 1 Visa, Tier 2 Visa, Tier 3 Visa, Tier 4 Visa, Family Visa, Visitor Visa. Each type of these visas applies to different nature of applicant, e.g. employees, students, family members, short-term and long-term stay in the UK.

The students are required to apply for Tier 4 (General) student visa. Tier 4 (General) student visa is for a student who is above 16 years (age) and is a full-time student in an academic institution in the UK.

You may apply in any University in the UK depending upon your choice. After applying for admission online in a university, your application is processed by the admission committee of the University. If you are accepted for admission, the University will send you ‘Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter’. You will have to send this CAS letter along with your visa application to UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI).

Students can apply for study visa only after they are accepted for admission in a university or college in UK approved by UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI). It should be noted that student can only apply within three months before the commencement of their academic program and cannot apply earlier than that.

You are required to provide a proof of funding both the tuition fees as well as your living expense for staying in the UK. Your CAS letter reflects the exact amount of your year tuition fee. Some universities also mention the minimum amount of monthly living expenses of a student on the CAS letter. The living expenses vary from city to city in the UK but it is mentioned in your CAS letter, e.g. £1256 per month for London.

If you are a self-funded student, you should provide a bank-statement of last month of your bank account having enough money to support your yearly tuition fee as well as your living expenses (for up to nine months).

If you are a government-funded student (e.g. on a scholarship), you should provide the sponsorship-letter issued to you for the scholarship. Your sponsorship letter must clearly mention the amount you will be given for tuition fee and living expenses. If your scholarship is not funding your total tuition fee and living expenses, you must provide a bank-statement for the remaining amount of tuition fee and living expenses to complete the evidence of your funding.

A tuberculosis test is required for students applying for staying more than 6 months in the UK. UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) has approved test centers for Tuberculosis in various countries. UKVI accepts test reports of applicants for TB only from those approved test centers.  You test report remains valid for 6 months..

Tuberculosis is not required for students coming from some countries; the details of the countries and approved test centers are given on the official website of UKVI.

Two steps process: Visa application process includes two steps; first applying online and then posting the print-out of online application along with the required documents to the office of UK Visa and Immigration.

Interview: Student visa also involves a short online interview. The student is called to Visa application center of UKVI in their home country to appear in an interview. You will have to choose a date for an interview while filling the online application. It is a short interview of 10 to 20 minutes in which you will be interviewed about your study at the UK.

Immigration health service charge: All students from outside EU will be required to pay Immigration health service charge for staying at the UK for more than 6 months. The health service charge will be paid at the time of application. The health service charge is £ 150 per year or £ 75 for 6 months. The amount of health service charge changes from time to time. The update details are available on the website of UKVI.

Visa Processing Time: Most of the applications are processed in 14 working days but it can take longer depending upon the volume of applications at various times in the year.

Visa Vignette and BRP card: When your application is accepted, you are initially issued a visa vignette on your passport reflecting one-month validity for going to the UK. When you reach the UK, you will receive a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card. If you do not move to the UK within the time period shown on Visa vignette in your passport, you will have to renew the Visa vignette by paying the renewal fee.

The procedure for online apply is as follows:

1. Visit the official website of UKVI.
2. Click on Visa4Uk to apply online.
3. Create an account on Visa4UK giving your personal details.
4. Click on ‘Apply for Myself’ and you will be directed to application page
5. Fill in the application form giving required information correctly.
6. You will have to give all the details including the following:

 Your personal details and previous education details
 Details of your academic program and institution at the UK
 Details of your intended residence at the UK
 Passport detail: if you have renewed your passport, also give details of old passport
 Travel history if you have visited any other country before
 Names, date of birth and ID Card numbers of your parents
 Details of a place in the UK to collect your BRP card

7. You will select a date for appearing in an interview for a visa which will be held at the Visa Application Center in your country.
8. Once you complete your application, you will be required to pay your visa application fee and Immigration health service charge online using your credit card.
9. When you submit your application, you will receive confirmation emails of submission of application and fees.
10. Your application is saved in 'pdf form' in your account so that you can print it for posting it along with copies of required documents to of UK Visa and Immigration. Similarly, other documents (e.g. confirmation of payment) are also saved for printing later to be posted to UKVI

You will have to visit the Visa Application Center of UKVI in your home country to appear in the interview. In some countries, the student has to submit his application and document to the same Visa application center to post it to UKVI. The address details of this Visa Application Center are present in your application.

Visit the application center to submit your application and required documents to them; and wait for the interview. You will be called for interview to a room where you will be interviewed on Skype.

You are required to post copies of the following to UKVI:

1. Print-out of online Visa Application Form (Appendix 8 & VAF9)
2. Print-out of address of place to collect Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
3. Print-out of confirmation of payment of Application fee
4. Print-out of confirmation of payment of Health surcharge fee
5. CAS Letter
6. Bank Statement (Funding proof)
7. Sponsorship Letter (if your study is sponsored by a scholarship)
8. TB Test Report (if applicable for your country)
9. Government issued National Identity Card
10. Original Passport (If you have renewed your passport, also attach your old passport)
11. Any other document required by UKVI as in your case

Original Passport (no copy) will be submitted as UKVI has to stamp visa vignette in it.

Note. The fees of visa application can be viewed at website of UKVI