Advice on Applying Student Visa!

If you are applying for student entry clearance under the new Points Based System to come to the UK for the first time, following information will be extremely helpful.

What is the Points Based System (PBS)

PBS is a new system for immigration being introduced in the UK. The PBS is the most radical reworking of the immigration system in a generation.

It is consolidation of 80+ existing routes in to a structured of five-tiered system covering the areas of work and study and has been rolled out tier by tier since June 2008. The first phase of Tier 4 (Students) of PBS was introduced on 31 March 2009.

Applicants now need to pass a points-based assessment to enter or remain in the UK.

It applies to everyone who needs immigration permission to come to the UK to work or study, and to all organizations that offer them employment and/or courses of study.

The new student tier of the Points Based System

If you want to apply to come to the UK to study, you will have to apply under Tier 4 and pass a points-based assessment.

Tier 4 will consist of two sub-categories

• 1. Adult Student (also known as General Student) - if you are coming to the UK for post-16 education.
• 2. Child Student - for children aged between 4 and 16 attending independent schools.

Tier 4(General Student) of the PBS: Brief Description

If you are 18+ and want to apply to come in the UK as a student, you will have to apply under Tier 4 (General Student). Adult Student Visas also known as General Student Visas replaced the old Student Visa on the 30 March 2009. If you are studying a course which is longer than six months; or you need to do a work placement; or you need to extend your visa you will need to apply for an Adult Student Visa. You will have to apply under the student route of the points-based system. This means that to make a successful application you must achieve 40 points. 30 points are awarded if the college accepts you for a full-time course and provides you with a CAS and 10 points will be awarded if you meet the financial requirements. Do not apply to come to the UK if you do not have the 'CAS' from the college, an offer letter will not be accepted.

Points Calculation under PBS:

As an adult student you will need to have 40 points in total:

• 1. 30 points for CAS, which you get for studying a course at an acceptable level with an approved education provider (also known as sponsorship)
• 2. 10 points for having enough money (also known as maintenance or funds) for your course fees and living costs.

Sponsor License

Under the new PBS, any organigation or institution would like to recruit overseas students or employee, they must have sponsor license given by the UKBA.

Is LCC a 'Registered sponsor'?

It is a requirement of PBS that institutions be registered with the UK Border Agency in order to recruit international students. London Churchill College is a registered sponsor and has achieved an A-rating, the highest available.

Visa Requirement

All non-EEA nationals coming to study in the UK for more than six months are required to obtain entry clearance before traveling. If you are a student from a visa national country you will be expected to obtain a visa regardless of the length of time you are studying in the UK. Passengers arriving in the UK without entry clearance will be refused permission to enter the UK.

Where to apply

You should apply for your Tier 4 (General) student entry clearance at your nearest British Embassy or Consulate with a visa section. The processing times will vary, but it is best to apply at least 6-8 weeks before you begin your course.

Application form & fee

Along with the required documents, you will need to fill in application form VAF9 + Appendix 8: General Student. Please note that you will need your CAS Statement in front of you to fill in the form. It will cost approximately £145 in local currency to apply for your entry clearance.

Dependants

Private college Students who are applying for Tier 4 visa after 4th of July 2011, are not allowed to bring their spouse.

General Guidance

Here are some guidelines to help make your visa application process smooth and successful under the Tier 4 of Points Based System.

• 1. You have been unconditionally accepted for a course at a genuine educational institution.
• 2. The course must be provided by an organisation which is licensed by the UKBA to sponsor overseas students unless you are a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country (the member states of the European Union, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) or a national of Switzerland.
• 3. You can check whether the institution you want to attend is licensed by UKBA on their website or by contacting your nearest British diplomatic post or British Council office.
• 4. The course must be full time involving attendance at one institution for a minimum of 15 hours' organised daytime study in a week.
• 5. The course must be NQF Level 3 or above. English Language Courses at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).
• 6. You must have the ability to follow the course.
• 7. You must intend to follow the course.
• 8. You must have English language knowledge at level B1 (students who wish to study between NQF/QCF level 3 to 5) or B2 (students who wish to study NQF/QCF level 6- or above) of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) in each component.
• 9. You must intend to leave the UK at the end of your studies (unless you are a degree student hoping to stay on to work when you finish your studies, and are not sponsored by your own government or an international scholarship agency).
• 10. You must not intend to take up employment or engage in business, unless the immigration authorities allow you to.
• 11. You must have enough money without needing to work (or engage in business or claim 'public funds') to pay for your course fees, and the accommodation and maintenance of yourself and your husband, wife, and children, if they come with you.

Maintenance requirements

As an adult student, you get 10 points if you have enough money to cover the course fees and living costs shown below. This is known as the maintenance (funds) requirement.

Your money must be held in cash and you must show that you have held the money for at least 28 days prior to the date of application. Shares, bonds, pension funds and similar savings accounts will not be accepted. You would have to ensure that your bank balance has not fallen below the required amount for a full 28 day period.

You can prove you have the money if you have:

• 1. Cash in a bank account in your name (this includes joint accounts with your name); or
• 2. A loan in your name
• 3. Official financial or government sponsorship (for example your government, the British Council or any international organisation, company or university).

Required funds

The cost in the UK can vary greatly. According to UKBA Policy Guidance, living cost in the inner London is £800 per months and you must show that you have up to 9 months maintenance fund in your accounts. So the total money you need to keep in the bank for 28 days is £800 0x9=£7200 plus reaming tuition fee.

Documents

You will need a number of documents to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. We suggest that you print off our Tier 4 Visa Applications checklist to help you with your application. This includes information about the new financial requirements. The UK Border Agency is extremely strict about the documents and financial evidence that must be provided for a Tier 4 visa so you need to follow these guidelines exactly. As you are required to maintain a set amount of money for at least 28 days, make sure that you begin to prepare your documents early!

You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a student. If you do not, your application may be refused.

You must provide the following documents. List of the document is not exhausted and you need to provide any other related documents that may help your application.

• 1. CAS Statement: You will need a special 'CAS' number from the college to apply for your visa -college will issue a CAS Statement and your CAS Statement includes the college sponsor number and CAS number.
• 2. Maintenance: You must show that you have enough money to pay at least your first year's tuition fees + £800 per month for accommodation and living expenses (up to a maximum of 9 months). You will need a further £533 per month for any dependants.
• 3. Proof of qualifications:Your CAS Statement will list the qualifications that you used to obtain your place at Princeton College. With your visa application, you must submit original proof of all of these qualifications.
• 4. Sponsor Letter: If you have an official sponsor such as a University, Government, Scholarship agency or Company, a letter covering certain information.
• 5. Accommodation letter (if applicable)
• 6. Photographs
• 7. Passport
• 8. Medical Report: Medical certificates/ chest X-rays, especially if you are applying from a high-risk TB area.

Please click on following link if you wish to obtain detailed information on how to apply for UK Student Visa.

Please Note: All of the documents accompanying your application should be originals and NOT photocopies.

Accommodation and living expense

Students must bear the cost of accommodation and daily living expenses as well as the cost of tuition fees. Planning the weekly or annual budget depends on the type of accommodation and spending habits. We estimate of average costs for accommodation and living expenses as follows:

These costs do not include tuition fees.

Estimated weekly budget, 2011-2012

		Sharing a room (2 occupants)- cost per occupant per week		Living in a single room (1 occupant)
Rent		£50		£76
Food		£15		£20
Gas/electricity		£9		£15
Internet		£3		£8
Mobile phones		£3		£3
Laundry/toiletries		£3		£5
Travel		£15		£15
Books		£6		£6
Television License		£2		£3
Total per week		£106		£151

When will you be allowed to come to the UK?

If you are granted an Adult Student Visa you will be allowed to enter the UK up to one month in advance of a course that lasts for six months or more. If you are granted an Adult Student Visa and your course is less than six months you will be allowed to enter seven days before the course starts. If you are granted and Adult Student Visa for a pre-sessional before going onto a degree course you will be allowed to come one month before your course starts.

Arriving Late

If you have a genuine reason for being late and we have approved your late arrival, you will be allowed to enter the UK. Please note that students will rarely be allowed to start more than 3 weeks late even if their visa has been delayed.

After Arriving in the UK

It is extremely important that you report to the college immediately after arriving in the UK. If you don't report within 10 days of your arriving, this will be reported to the UKBA

While you are in the UK, following procedure need to be followed:

• 1. Visa/passport copies: You will need to present your visa or ID card and passport to the college or you will not be able to register. We will keep copies of your visa and passport.
• 2. Academic Certificates: You will need to provide your original academic certificates to the college to verify.
• 3. Address: You will need to give us your local address before we issue you any letter.
• 4. Up-to-date contact details: LCC will be required to keep up to date contact details for all international students. If you change your address or phone number, you must let the college know by updating your details using the change of address form. You can download this form using this website download link or you can collect from our reception desk.
• 5. Attendance: It is a requirement of PBS that attendance be monitored and that non-attending students must be reported to the UK Border Agency. It is therefore vital that you attend all mandatory seminars, lectures, labs, etc. If you have a good reason for missing a teaching event, you should contact your tutor or college in a written form in advance to let us know that you will not be attending and why. You will receive a warning if you miss too many classes, and if you miss 10 consistence contacts with the college, it will be reported to the UKBA.

Police Registration

Certain nationalities will be required to register with the police. This will be indicated on your visa.

Guidance on Photograph

The photographs must be

• identical where two photographs of the individual are required
• in colour, not black and white
• taken against a light grey or cream background
• 45 millimetres (mm) high x 35 mm wide
• able to fit into the template opposite, with the eyes positioned in the shaded area
• free from shadows
• taken with the eyes open and clearly visible (with no sunglasses or tinted spectacles, and no hair across the eyes)
• with the subject facing forward, looking straight at the camera
• with a neutral expression with the mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows) of each person on their own (no objects such as dummies or toys, or other people visible)
• taken with nothing covering the face
• in sharp focus and clear
• with a strong definition between face and background.

The requirements listed above are mandatory.

The photographs must also

• be taken within the last month
• be undamaged (not torn, creased or marked)
• be free from reflection or glare on spectacles, the frames of which must not cover the eyes - if possible, we recommend photographs without spectacles to avoid the risk of rejection because of glare or reflection
• be free from "redeye"
• be free from airbrushing or similar enhancement
• be taken of the full head, without any covering unless worn for religious or medical reasons
• be printed professionally or taken in a passport photo booth. Photos printed at home are unlikely to be of an acceptable standard
• have the person's full name on the back of each photograph.

Disclaimer

Major changes are taking place in the immigration system in 2011/12 with the introduction of Tier 4 (Students) of the new Points-Based System for immigration. The procedure for applying for a visa has changed dramatically and you should not rely on previous experience of the visa application process and you are advised to check up to date information.