UK Student Visa Application
There are different types of visas available by the UK government. If you want to apply for a UK visa, there are some requirements you must possess, which includes, you must be a minimum of 16 years of age and:
- A licensed student sponsor has offered you a place for a course.
- You have enough financial funds to sponsor yourself for the course.
- You have maximum English proficiency
- If you are below the age of 17, you must submit consent from your parents.
If you are below 17, and you wish to study at an independent school, you can apply for a child student visa instead of a student visa.
If your family or you are from Norway, Switzerland, EU, Liechtenstein, Iceland, have been living in the UK, before the 1st of January 2021, you can apply for the EU settlement scheme and be able to study in the UK. In addition to this, Irish citizens enjoy the privilege to study in the UK, without applying for a visa.
Any exemption to this case will have to apply for a student visa.
When To Apply
This solely depends on where you are applying from. Whether you want to apply from inside the UK or outside the UK.
Applying From Outside UK
If you want to apply for a student visa, from outside the UK, the earliest you should apply is 6 months before the commencement of your course.
You will usually get a decision on whether you are eligible for a student visa or not within 2-3 weeks.
Applying From Inside UK
You can apply for a student visa from inside the UK, the earliest you should apply is 3 months.
How Long Can I Stay In the UK With a Student Visa?
How long you can stay depends on your course, and the course you’ve already completed. If you are taking a degree course, you can stay for up to 5 years in the UK. You can use this tool to check how long you are likely to stay in the UK, with a student visa.
When You Arrive In UK
You can arrive in the UK before the commencement of your study, this can be up to a week or less.
The cost for applying for a visa
If you are applying for a visa from outside the UK, the cost for a visa is £348, if you are applying from inside the UK, the visa fee is £475. In addition to this, you will have to pay a visa fee, for anyone that accompanies you.
Healthcare Surcharge
In addition to the visa fee, you will have to pay, you will also have to pay for healthcare Surcharge. You can find out how much you are to pay here
What You Can’t Do
You won’t be able to do the following with a student visa.
- Claim public funds
- Be self-employed
- Do some professional jobs.