Studying in the UK: Visa information for international students

IMPORTANT: This information is for guidance only - please refer to the UKBA website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

UK student visa overview

Two Visa Routes

There are two main routes for students who wish to study in the UK. They are:

  • Visitor – which is available under two categories: 
    • Student Visitor Visa (SVV)
  • including Extended Student Visitor Visa (ESVV) for English Language courses
    • Child Visitor Visa (CVV)
  • General rule of thumb: For those intending to study for less than six months (or up to 11 months under ESVV for English Language courses only) in the UK
  • Tier 4 under the Points-Based System (PBS) – which is available under two categories:
    • Tier 4 General Student
    • Tier 4 Child Student
  • General rule of thumb: For those intending to study for more than six months in the UK

Note: Students requiring a visa to study in the UK will need to obtain Entry Clearance before they travel to the UK and must follow the relevant immigration regulations during their studies in the UK as well as when they apply for their student visa.

Visitor Visa route

Generally speaking, this route is best suited to those looking to study in the UK for less than six months (or up to 11 months under ESVV).
There are two categories under the Visitor Visa route:

Student Visitor Visa (SVV)

For those who are 18 years or above. Students enjoy freedom in that 1) they do not have to study full time or 2) there is no requirement for the course to lead to an approved qualification.

However, students choosing to come as a ‘Student Visitor’ are much more restricted than their Tier-4 General Student counterparts in the following ways:

  • they will not be allowed to do any work or work placement (even if it is part of a course, or is unpaid)
  • they will not be able to extend their stay in the UK, ie they must return home and re-apply if they wish to come back to the UK for more studies.

To be considered for a Student Visitor Visa, students must show that they have been unconditionally accepted on a course that is provided by an organisation that is the holder of a Sponsor Licence for Tier 4 or accredited by a UKBA recognised accreditation body. Students must have the financial resources to accommodate and maintain themselves during the visit.

Note: the exception to the 6 month rule is the Extended Student Visitor Visa (ESVV)

Extended Student Visitor Visa (ESVV):

For those who are 18 years or above. From 10 January 2011, ESVV allows students wishing to study English Language courses to apply for a visa to stay in the UK for up to 11 months.
Useful link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/student/

Child Visitor Visa (CVV)

For those aged 17 years and under. Students are more restricted than their Tier 4 Child Student counterparts as they will not be able to extend their stay in the UK, ie they must return home and re-apply if they wish to come back to the UK for more studies.

Students should only come as a ‘visitor', ie applying under Student Visitor Visa (SVV), Child Visitor Visa (CVV) or Extended Student Visitor Visa (ESVV), if they are absolutely certain they:

  1. will not want to work in the UK
  2. will not want to stay for longer than six months (or 11 months in the case of ESVV for English Language courses)

unless there will be enough of a gap between their studies to allow them to return home and re-apply for a new visa to continue their studies in the UK.

Rule of thumb: Allow typically 1 – 3 months to apply for your visa depending on the time of year.

For more information

Full details on applying under each visitor route can be found here.
To find out if you need a visa to study in the UK, click here.

Tier 4 visa route

Generally speaking, this is the best route for those intending to study in the UK for more than six months. Those already in the UK under a valid Tier 4 visa can apply to extend their stay, whereas this option is unavailable under the ‘visitor visa’ route.
A student cannot make an application more than three months before the start of their course.
There are two categories under Tier 4:

  • Tier 4 General Student: Also known as Adult Student for those aged 18 years or above
  • Tier 4 Child Student: For those aged 17 years and under coming to study at independent fee-paying schools or further education colleges. Note – children between 4 and 15 years old may only be educated at independent fee-paying schools.

Students aged 16 or 17 years old, they can apply either as a ‘Tier 4 General Student’ or a ‘Tier 4 Child Student’ if they are studying a course at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 3 or above.

We generally advise that 16 or 17 year olds apply under a Tier 4 Child Student visa rather than the Tier 4 General
For 16 or 17 year olds studying a course at NQF level 2, then they will have to apply under Tier 4 Child route

English language entry requirements

  • Tier 4 General Student

They must complete and pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) for English language and academic courses as follows:

  • NQF Level 3-5: CEFR Level B1 (IELTS 4.0 minimum in all 4 components)
  • NQF Level 6+:  CEFR Level B2 (IELTS 5.5 minimum in all 4 components)    

All Pre-Master’s programmes offered by Cambridge Education Group are at NQF Level 4, requiring only a CEFR B1/IELTS 4.0. Many Pre Master’s programmes available from other providers are graded at NQF Level 6 and therefore require a CEFR B2/IELTS 5.5  though our students still need to be at IELTS 5.0+ to qualify for our Master’s Qualifying Programme.
Students over 18 with English below B1/IELTS 4.0 will have to use the Student Visitor Visa (SVV) route

Tier 4 Child Student

  • there is no need for a Secure English Language Test (SELT) as Cambridge Education Group can self-assess entry level of English (with no minimum restriction)
  • students can take pre-sessional English language modules before their main academic course under one single CAS

The above applies to CATS College and CSVPA students

Further details about the Tier 4 General student visa can be found here.
Further details about the Tier 4 Child student visa can be found here.

The Points-Based System

In order to qualify for Tier 4, students must pass a points-based assessment and score 40 points by satisfying the following:

Number of Points Criteria
30 Presentation of a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed Tier 4 sponsor.
10 Evidence to show they have the finances to study in the UK (known as maintenance) by demonstrating they can cover:
  • Course fees for up to 9 months.
  • Monthly living costs for up to 9 months.
See table below for specific amounts depending on length of course.
A bank statement must be provided to confirm the student (or parent/guardian) has held the money for a minimum of 28 days.
40 Total points required to be granted a visa.

Certification of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

The Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will include information about the student, their sponsor (education provider), their course and their finances.
Cambridge Education Group’s admissions team will send out CAS statements to those who need to apply under the Tier 4 route. This is conditional upon the student fulfilling the terms set out in their offer letter and having confirmed their place(s) by returning the required deposit or sponsorship letter. The CAS statement should then be included with their visa application.
The CAS statement from our admissions team will include:

  • The student’s name, nationality and passport/travel document number.
  • The sponsor’s licence number, address and contact details; any details of partner institutions or overseas institution (if the course is jointly taught).
  • Course details such as title, level, qualifications to be awarded, start and expected end date, hours per week, address of student’s main place of study.
  • Course fees for the first year and any payments already made. If relevant, any accommodation fees for the first year and any payments already made.
  • Documents used to obtain the offer: this will give a brief description of our assessment of the student’s academic level and English proficiency, including details such as student’s previous courses / qualifications and Secure English Language Test results.

For a list of UKBA approved Secure English Language Tests, click here.

Finances

Depending on the length of the course, the amount of finance required to satisfy the points-based assessment will vary as follows:

Length of course

Where you will study

Maintenance (finance) needed

9 months or less

London-based

Full course fees + £800 for each calendar month of the course

9 months or less

Outside London

Full course fees + £600 for each calendar month of the course

More than 9 months

London-based

First year of fees + £7,200 to cover the first 9 months

More than 9 months

Outside London

First year of fees + £5,400 to cover the first 9 months

Useful link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/evidence/money/

The Financing (or maintenance) criteria can be funded either by:

  1. The student (or parent or guardian) or
  2. A financial sponsor.

If it is through a financial sponsor, this means a student is given money to cover their course fees and living costs. If their financial sponsor is only covering some of the student’s course fees or living costs, then he/she must show evidence that they have the rest of the money needed (as above). The student must provide a letter of confirmation from their official financial sponsor, which may be Her Majesty’s government, the student’s home government, the British Council or any international organisation, company or university.

The letter of confirmation must be on official letter-headed paper or stationery of the organisation of the official financial sponsor, feature the official stamp of that organisation and show the:

  • name and contact details of the official financial sponsor
  • date of the letter
  • full name of the student (that appears in their passport)
  • length of their sponsorship
  • amount of money that the official financial sponsor is giving to the student or a statement that they will cover all (or part) of the student’s fees and living costs.

Types of sponsor

There are currently three levels of Tier 4 sponsor ratings:

  1. Highly Trusted
  2. A Rated
  3. B Rated

All Cambridge Education Group Colleges and Centres have Highly Trusted sponsor status.

This means that students already in the UK holding a Tier 4 visa, wishing to transfer to any Cambridge Education Group College/Centre from another institution, can start their course with us as soon as they have sent their visa extension application, before having received a decision from the UKBA.

The Tier 4 sponsor licence register can be found here.

Note: International students can only study with a licensed sponsor. As a condition of being a licensed sponsor, the education provider is responsible for the student while they are in the UK. All Cambridge Education Group colleges and centres will liaise with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and are obliged to report students to the UKBA if they 1) do not arrive for the start of their course 2) withdraw from their course 3) defer or suspend their studies 4) are absent for significant periods of time.

The visa checklist

Students will need to:

  • fill in the appropriate visa application form
  • pay the visa application fee.
Students will need to provide the following:
  • passport or travel document
  • a CAS statement from a licensed sponsor
  • documents to show they meet the maintenance requirements (such as a bank statement featuring the student’s name (or parent or guardian) or a loan in their name or government sponsorship
  • documents listed by their sponsors in the CAS statement assigned by their Tier 4 sponsor, such as academic transcripts and IELTS certificate.
  • biometric details
  • biometric Residence Permit/Identity Card (if they are applying from inside the UK)
  • Signed declaration of genuine funds (from 4 July 2011)

Working whilst studying

International students are able to work in the UK as per the conditions imposed in their visa during their studies with opportunities available including:

  • part-time work
  • vacation work
  • course-related work placements.

Depending on the course, they may also be eligible to switch into the post-study work category of Tier 1 (this route will be closed from April 2012).

Working whilst studying brings many benefits including extra money and it can also help to improve their English language. However, they should be careful not to let their job interfere with their studies as this is, after all, the reason why they are here in the UK. Do not under-estimate the hours needed to focus on studies in order to successfully achieve their desired academic result.

Students may work part-time for a number of hours during term time depending on their course, age and type of visa. The following restrictions apply as part of the conditions for visa applications submitted on or after 4 July 2011:

Tier 4 General Students:

For those applying for new visas from 4th July 2011, only those studying at a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) or a publicly funded further education college will be entitled to work under a Tier 4 General Student visa.

A. For those at a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI):
  • for courses at or above NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9, or a short-term study abroad degree programme, students are allowed to:
    • work for up to 20 hours per week during term time
    • work full-time during vacations
    • do a work placement as part of their course
    • volunteer and non-paid work is permitted.
  • for courses below NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9,(applicable to FoundationCampus Centres CULC, Coventry, LSBU, UCLan, Sunderland) students are allowed to:
    • work for up to 10 hours per week during term time
    • work full-time during vacations
    • do a work placement as part of their course
    • Volunteer and non-paid work is permitted.
B. For those at a publicly funded institute:
  • for courses at any level, students are allowed to:
    • work for up to 10 hours per week during term time
    • work full-time during vacations
    • do a work placement as part of their course, provided the education provider is a Highly Trusted sponsor or the course is at or above NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9
    • volunteer and non-paid work is permitted.

Definition of a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) – A recognised Body or body in receipt of funding as a higher education institution from the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales or the Scottish Funding Council.

Tier 4 Child Students:

The student’s ability to work is determined by their age.

  • Under 16yrs: cannot work at all during their time in the UK
  • 16yrs and above are allowed to:
    • Work for up to 10 hours per week during term time
    • Work full-time during vacations
    • Do a work placement as part of their course
    • Volunteer and non-paid work is permitted.

Students do not have to seek approval from the UK Border Agency for such employment. Students may undertake work placements as part of their course, providing the work component comprises no more than 50% of their total course and is an assessed part of the course. The only exception to this 50% rule is where there is a UK statutory requirement for a course to contain a specific period of work placement that exceeds this limit.

Dependants

The only students who are eligible to bring dependants from 4 July 2011 will be either:

  • Post-graduate students on courses at NQF level 7 or above of more than 12 months’ duration or;
  • Government-sponsored students

Dependants of both of these categories of students will be able to work

Secure English Language Tests (SELT)

Exemptions

Only the following types of students are not required to undertake a SELT in order to obtain a Tier 4 General visa:

  • Tier 4 General applicants who are 1) sponsored by a Higher Education Institute (HEI) for 2) courses at or above NQF Level 6
  • Tier 4 Child applicants
  • students who have successfully completed a course as a Tier 4 (Child) student/Under Pre-PBS rules when granted permission as an under 18 year old, which was 1) at least six months in length, and 2) ended less than two years before the date their Tier 4 General CAS is assigned
  • nationals from a majority English-speaking country
  • students who have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree which was taught in English in a majority English-speaking country (including UK).

Definition of a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) – A recognised Body or body in receipt of funding as a higher education institution from the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales or the Scottish Funding Council.

Hints and tips

  • Book a SELT test (IELTS/TOEFL/Pearson/Cambridge ESOL) as soon as possible.
  • We are working closely with Pearson, who can offer rapid access to test locations in many countries. If you need assistance, please contact our Central Admissions team.
  • Use the Child route where you can (applicable to CATS/CSVPA/Stafford House School of English only).
  • Use the SVV (or ESVV) route, especially where students risk failing the CEFR B1 (minimum IELTS 4.0 or equivalent in all of the four components).

UKBA majority English-speaking countries

Students from these countries are exempt from requiring a SELT:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • The Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and New Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • United States of America
  • United Kingdom

Contact us...

If you would like more advice or information about student visa applications, please contact one of our educational advisors who will be happy to help:

Telephone: +44 (0)1223 345698

Fax: +44 (0)1223 346181

Email: admissions@ceg-uk.com