WHY STUDY IN UK VIA UK STUDENT VISA?

You have to apply for a UK student visa online. It’s necessary to submit all necessary documents along with the application, which includes:

• a current passport or other valid documentation for traveling to the UK
• a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) issued by the institution providing the course to you

Other documents you may have to submit include:

• proof of having sufficient money to support yourself and meet the expenses of your course (depending on the circumstances you are in)
• proof of consent of a parent/other legal guardians in case your age is under 18 years
• a valid ATAS certificate in case your course and nationality need it
• written consent from your financial sponsor for your application in case you have got sponsorship for your course fees and cost of living in the last 12 months
• results of your test for tuberculosis
• proof of how you are related to your parent/guardian if you are aged under 18 years

To be eligible for a UK student visa, you must procure an unconditional offer to join a course with a licensed student sponsor. Once you are offered a place on the course, you will receive a CAS from the education provider. The CAS is required to apply for a student visa in the UK.

It’s necessary to have sufficient funds with you to pay for your study fees and to meet the expenses of living in the UK. You have to show proof of this while applying. Expenses could be:

• Visa fees
• Living expenses

As part of the visa application process, you have to submit one of the following to prove your identity:

• A photograph and your fingerprints (biometric information) at a VAC (visa application center)
• Scanned copy of your identity document using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app

Another requirement to apply is English language proficiency. The required level of skill is determined with the CEFR scale. Here are the levels of language skills required by the course category

• Below degree level – CEFR level B1
• Degree level or above – Equivalent to CEFR level B2

After applying online, application processing takes up to 3 weeks. You may get faster processing of the application wherein you will get a decision on your visa application within 5 working days (priority service) or by EOD of the next working day (super priority service).

The length of a UK student visa is determined by adding the following:

• Start date of your course to the end date of your course
• The UKVI Wrap up period

Here’s a table that shows how much time an international student can stay in the UK with a UK student visa:

If you are aged 18 years or above doing a course of a degree level, in usual cases you can stay in the UK for a period, not more than 5 years. If your course is below degree level, in usual cases you can stay in the UK for a period, not more than 2 years.

If you want to stay longer in the UK on this visa, you may:

• apply to extend your visa as per eligibility
• change to a student visa from another visa in case you are present in the UK already

change to a graduate visa so that you can stay in the UK for a minimum period of 2 years post the successful completion of your course

Whether and how long you can work holding a UK student visa depends on the visa conditions and the norms of the university.

If you are doing a full-time course at a degree level with a student visa, you can work in the UK. For this, you have to meet the following rules and requirements:

• You can work up to 20 hours per week while you are doing term time n the university. As per UKVI, a “week” is a seven-day period that begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday.
• You may work full-time during vacation time at the university.
• You may work full-time while doing term time if you are placed in work that’s an integral as well as an assessed part of your course. No work placement must extend longer than 50% of the total length of your course.
• You may work as a sabbatical officer for a student union for a period of not more than 2 years.
• In case you hold a UK student visa for a course done on a part-time basis, you won’t have the right to take up any paid/unpaid work in the UK.

As a student visa holder in the UK, you can only do temporary work. You cannot enter into a permanent contract for employment. You also aren’t allowed to be self-employed or establish a business. You can’t be employed as an entertainer or a professional sportsperson while holding a student visa.

Overseas students must pass one or multiple tests prior to being considered for admission by the majority of the Universities in the UK. These include standardised college and graduate admission tests like SAT, GMAT, and GRE. English language tests like IELTS and TOEFL are also included.

The entry requirements for studying in the UK are diverse based on the type of study you have selected.

Degree

• Qualifications on par with 2 or 3 UK A-levels, 3 or 4 Scottish Highers, Diploma or Higher National Certificate, or National Diploma BTEC or an overseas foundation year
• IELTS bands score 6.0 to 6.5

Pre-master’s

• Undergraduate degree
• IELTS bands score 5.0 to 5.5

PG Dip /PG Cert

• Undergraduate degree
• IELTS bands score 5.0 to 5.5

Master’s degree

• First/ Upper second class Undergraduate degree
• IELTS bands score 7.0

MBA

• First degree
• IELTS bands score 6.0 – 7.0
• 2-3 years of business experience

PhD

• Master’s degree

•    IELTS bands score 6.5 – 7.0

For a General Student Visa [Tier 4], you can expect a decision on your student visa application within 3 weeks of submission of your UK student visa application.

For the General Student Visa [Tier 4], the applicant will have to pay £348 when applying from outside the UK. An additional £348 per person will have to be paid for any dependents that will be accompanying the principal applicant to the UK.

You are permitted to work in the UK with the Student Visa if you study at a College or University that is listed both on the list of accredited bodies and the official list of UKVI Sponsor.

Overseas students are permitted to work part-time for 20 hours weekly during term and full-time during vacations. They must be studying a full-time Post-graduate or Undergraduate course at a recognized University.

International students who complete their undergraduate or postgraduate degree would be able to stay back in the UK for up to 2 years to look for work. They can take up any type of job with no restrictions.

Colleges and universities in the UK are open and are accepting online applications from international students.

You are required to apply for a student visa in the UK if you wish to study in the country. The study program should be longer than six months. For more details about study visas and how to apply for them, go through the details about the EU-Exit of the UK and visit the Study UK page.

Yes. A substantial number of students at British universities take up part-time jobs. Generally, they are employed in the academic tutoring, hospitality, or student union at the institute. If you are an international student, there are restrictions on the number of working hours.

Your institute might also provide guidelines about the number of working hours permitted. Check with them to verify that you have adequate time for your studies.

As per Numbeo, the cost of living in the UK is 5.44 percent cheaper compared to the US, while the rent is 20.97 percent cheaper compared to the US. The actual expense varies based on where you opt to study in the UK.

To help international students find accommodation, the universities in the UK provide student halls. These are offered to primarily first-year students. The halls have a good value for money and have easy access to essential facilities needed by a student.

The international students get an opportunity to interact with students from different social backgrounds. Independent companies run private halls and provide a similar type of accommodation for students who cannot get space in the university’s student halls.

Yes. Your university must have a facility for language support to improve your speaking, listening, and writing skills. It is possible to find a course if you want to improve your language skills in English, even after meeting the university’s English proficiency requirements.

You can also learn other foreign languages.