To study in the UK, you would be required to have a student visa which is an essential part of the journey. Although it can be stressful if you do not have proper orientation on what the requirements are. For students from the European Union countries, you do not need a visa to study or enter the UK, while students from outside the European Union will need a visa. The type of visa you need to apply for depends on the duration of your study program.
Below are the steps to follow to obtain a UK student visa:
1. Application and obtaining a reference number: You would be required to apply to a UK institution and get accepted, after which they send you a reference number known as the Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS). The CAS is an electronic document that contains confidential information, your personal details, details of your study program, and the payable fee amount. One section of the CAS document requires you to provide all of your current academic qualifications, like your high school transcript or bachelor’s degree, and you will need to have the original documents for this part. In order to proceed further with the processing, you might also need to sit for an English language test such as the IELTS.
2. Visa type to apply for: There is the student visitor visa and the student route visa. The student visitor visa is for students whose study program is less than six months. However, students in possession of this visa type are allowed to enter the UK up to one week before the start date of their study program and can apply for this visitor visa online up to three months before planning on moving to the UK, while the student route visa is for students whose study program is more than six months.
3. Online application: after deciding on what visa type you would like to opt in for, you will have to fill out the online form, create an account using a valid email address, and a visa application fee of £348 needs to be paid right after you complete the form. After which, you will have to go to the visa application center that is the closest to you to get your photographs and your fingerprints taken. However, the following are also considered when you visit the visa application center and they determine your credibility: your reasons for coming to the UK, your education history, your plans for study and after study, your immigration history in the UK and other countries, your personal and financial circumstances, and if you have dependents who intend to join you in the UK.
4. Documents: After the completion of the application form, some of the important documents needed are your passport details, CAS number, English language test scores, original academic documents mentioned on your CAS, financial details like the tuition fee, and an original birth certificate. However, after posting your visa application, you would also need your biometric information, proof of funding, bank statement, and your sponsor’s information.
After all this is completed and submitted, you would be required to wait for approximately three weeks for the visa application to be processed and granted.