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Last Updated: December 11, 2023

UK Student Visa

Overseas studies provide students from all over the world with new opportunities. There could be various motives behind students choosing to continue their education abroad. Study abroad rankings place the United Kingdom in the top 5 most popular countries for international students. The nation is home to some of the top universities in the world, including Oxford and Cambridge. In addition, studying abroad is less expensive than in other nations that rank highly. All the information students need to study in the UK is provided below.

Types of Student Visas and Their Validity

The UK offers three different kinds of student visas. Students must apply for any of the following visas per the course they are enrolled in:

Who Needs to Apply for the Student Visa?

Citizens of nations other than the UK require a student visa to study in the UK. Students can check the GOV.uk website to see if they need a visa if they are unsure if their country requires one. To enter the UK, citizens of the US require a student visa. The duration of the course plus one month is the validity period for the visa.

Students have six months to apply for a visa before the start of their course. Students may arrive in the UK no earlier than one month before the start of their course (or one week earlier if their course is less than six months).

Cost of UK Student Visas

The type of student visa being applied for and the nation from which it is being applied determines the cost of a French student visa. The following are the costs associated with various student visas: Each country charges a different application fee for a visa. Students can find out the application cost for their country by clicking this link. The cost of applying for a student visa to the UK is listed below for US citizens:

Steps to Applying for a UK Student Visa

If international students wish to study in the UK, they must first determine whether they require a visa. If so, they ought to begin the procedure of requesting a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Interested candidates must take the actions listed below:

Applying to a chosen university and receiving an unconditional offer

Selecting the university students are interested in studying at is the first step in applying for a study visa to the UK. The UK is home to several of the best universities in the world. Before selecting a university, students should consider their financial situation, course preferences, and other factors. After that, they must apply and obtain an unconditional offer from the university of their choice.

Getting Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (CAS)

Students will receive a certificate from their university known as a Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (or CAS) after they receive and accept their unconditional offer. This will cost £25 in total.

Gathering the Documents and Beginning the Application Process

Candidates can start the visa application process when they receive their CAS. Up to six months before the start of their course, students can apply for a student visa. Students applying from outside the UK must verify their identity through one of two methods: either they must submit their biometric data, which consists of a photo and fingerprints, or if they are from an EU nation, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, they can use a smartphone app called UK Immigration: ID Check to finish the identity portion of their application. If students are applying from outside the UK, receiving the results will take three weeks.

Documents Required While Applying for UK Student Visa:
To come to the UK to study, students will have to produce the following documents: The following are some additional documents that the government may request: Students must demonstrate that they have the financial resources to support themselves. The location of their studies will determine how much money they require. Students will require one of two things:

Calculating Fee and Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

If students plan to study in the UK for longer than six months, they must include in their application the payment of an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
Each year they spend in the UK, there will be an additional charge for a student visa, which is £470 per year. Students would pay £235 for stays of 1-6 months and £470 for stays of 6-12 months if their stay in the UK is longer than a year.
Students from Europe may be eligible to request a reimbursement for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) if they possess a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Proof of English Language Proficiency (if required)

Students may be required to provide documentation of their fluency in English as part of their application for a student visa. Students should check with their university what kind of English language proof they need, as university requirements vary.

Receiving Entry Vignette

Students will receive their passports back with a vignette (sticker) added to a blank page once their visa application has been processed and approved or access to view their immigration status information online - if students used the smartphone app to prove their identity. Along with the confirmation that their application was accepted, students will also receive a decision letter detailing the length of their visa and the location of their BRP collection, which they must choose when submitting their application.

Students must pick up their biometric residence permit (BRP) within ten days of arriving in the UK (unless their visa is valid for six months or less). Students must bring their visa decision letter and passport in the entry vignette.

UK Student visa for EU Nationals

As of January 2021, the UK officially left the EU, known as 'Brexit'. Due to Brexit, the rules for EU students have been changed, and it impacts them in 2 ways, which are as follows:
  1. Students from the EU living in the UK before or on December 31st, 2020, must apply for an EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). The settlement allows the students living in the UK to continue working and studying and have access to healthcare benefits as usual. It is free to apply to the EUSS, and the deadline to apply to the settlement scheme is June 30th, 2021.
  2. Students from the EU who will start their course on January 1st, 2021, first need to check if they need a visa to go to the UK. Students beginning their course year from January 2021 are NOT entitled to the EUSS. Students need a Student Visa (previously known as Tier 4 General Visa) if required.

Steps to be Taken to Extend the Stay in UK

Students who wish to stay longer and pursue new courses or continue their current studies may be able to extend their student visas. This also applies to any student visas they may currently hold. Students must:
  1. have an unconditional offer of a spot on a course with a licensed student sponsor, as evidenced by their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS); be in the UK on a student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa
  2. demonstrate that their studies are at a higher academic level than their current course.
Students must demonstrate that they have enough money to support themselves in the UK if they have been on a valid visa for less than a year. Students can apply up to three months before the start of their course and 28 days before their existing visa expires. Students must pay £490 plus the healthcare surcharge to renew this visa. Students must have their biometric data (a photo and their fingerprints) taken; there is no cost associated with this.

How to Apply?
The applicant must submit an online application. They will have to provide identification as a requirement of their application. Depending on their citizenship, type of passport, and residency permit, they will use different methods to accomplish this. A decision will usually be made within eight weeks. Candidates will either:

Working While Studying in UK

Students are allowed to work part-time or on holidays. Still, they are not allowed to work more than 20 hours a week during the academic year unless the work is related to their studies, has the approval of their school, and results in a qualification or degree from a nationally recognized examination body. The student visa does not cover some activities. These are:
  1. Doing business of any kind or working for themselves is prohibited for students
  2. Working as a professional athlete
  3. acting as a performer for hire
  4. Being employed full-time in a permanent position
In addition to the mentioned limitations, students' visas will specify the maximum number of work hours permitted, which should never be exceeded.

Changing to a Work Permit Visa While Residing in the UK

Students may be able to convert from a student visa to a work visa, but only in the following circumstances:
  • They have finished an accredited degree program at a legitimate private education institution that keeps accurate records of enrollment and attendance or at a further or higher education institution in the UK that is funded by public funds.
  • They have a current work permit.
  • Any government or agency sponsoring them has given their written consent.
  • They haven't violated any immigration laws.

    Note: Switching a Student Visa to an employment visa does not require students to return to their home country as long as they have all the documents. Switching of visas may incur extra charges.

    Some Things to Remember

    • After receiving their CAS, students must apply for a visa within six months.
    • Students do not need to submit documentation of their English proficiency if they are from Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Ireland (for citizenship only), Malta, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.
    • When an individual applies to stay in the UK, they cannot be granted a BRP if they use the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app to verify their identity.
    • If a student's BRP expires outside the UK, they cannot apply for a replacement.
    • Individuals cannot apply to extend their BRP if their visa is about to expire.
    • Applicants should know the nation's grading system before traveling to the UK to pursue their studies.
    • Students may apply up to three months in advance of the start of their course.


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