Student visa: outside the UK

Guidance notes

1. Obtain or request your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS)

If you’re an applicant and have accepted an unconditional offer to start a course

If you are an applicant coming to study a new course at the university, we are unable to issue you with a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) which you need to make the visa application, until you have paid the tuition fee deposit, or provided evidence of official financial sponsorship, and submitted a fully completed Visa Questionnaire form.

• If you or your parents are paying for your studies (known as self-funding) you will need to pay the £5,000 tuition fee deposit (unless you are exempt). You can pay your tuition fee deposit via Flywire.

• If your government or an international sponsorship agency is paying for your studies (known as official financial sponsorship), you will need to provide written evidence to the university that your government or international agency will pay for your tuition fees.

• Once you have accepted an unconditional offer, you need to complete and submit the online CAS Questionnaire form that you can access through your ‘Applicant Central’ account in the ‘Visa Information’ section.

• Provided you fully complete the CAS Questionnaire; submit the required documents (for some students this will include evidence of meeting the finance requirement); pay the tuition fee deposit or provide evidence of official sponsorship; meet the immigration rules relating to ‘academic progression’ and ‘time limits on study in the UK’, the university will issue you with a CAS number. Your CAS Statement, which includes the CAS number, will be sent to you by email.

You can find out more about how the university sponsors its students under the Student immigration system and the academic progression and time limits on study rules.

If you’re already a student and need to complete the course you have already started

If you are a current student and you need to make a Student visa application to complete your course, you will need to request a CAS from the university. In order to do this you must fully complete the student immigration sponsorship form (pdf).

When you have completed the form you should send it to the Visa Compliance Team by emailing casenquiries@brighton.ac.uk. Once the Student Visa Compliance team receives your fully completed form it will aim to make a decision on your request for a CAS within approximately ten working days.

Provided you meet the immigration rules relating to ‘academic progression’ and ‘time limits on study in the UK’, you are not in debt to the university and you meet any other requirements particular to your circumstances, the Visa Compliance team will issue your CAS and send your CAS statement email.

2. Obtain an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if you need one

An ATAS certificate is a security clearance issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to students who wish to study certain courses in the UK.

You will need to obtain an ATAS certificate every time you make a student visa application if you are studying, or going to study, a course that is designated as requiring an ATAS certificate and provide the certificate with your visa application. The ATAS required courses are mainly at PhD and MRes level, but there are several master’s degrees that also require an ATAS certificate.

Please note: if you are a national of one of the countries below, you will not require an ATAS certificate, even if your course is ATAS required.

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Korea
• United States of America (USA)
• Any of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries
• Switzerland

If you are a national of a country that is not listed above, your offer letter will tell you whether your course requires an ATAS certificate, and this will also be confirmed on the CAS. If you are not sure whether you require an ATAS certificate please see the guidance, or contact us using the online visa enquiry form. 

If you require an ATAS certificate you can apply for one here. It can take the FCO up to 6 weeks to issue an ATAS certificate and so you must make your ATAS application in plenty of time.

3. Obtain a tuberculosis (TB) clearance certificate if you need one

If you have been resident in certain countries for more than 6 months before making your visa application, you will need to obtain a certificate confirming you are free from tuberculosis before you can apply for your Student visa and provide it with your visa application. Select your country to find out if you need to take a TB test.

Please note that you will not require a TB certificate, even if your country is on the required list, if you:

• have been living in the UK for at least six months; and
• returned to your country to make a visa application; and
• left the UK less than six months before the date of the visa application.

4. Apply for your student visa in plenty of time and ensure you make a valid application

You must allow enough time from when you apply for the student visa, which is the date you submit the online application form and pay the application fee and immigration health surcharge, to when you need to travel to the UK.

Although UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) states that it will process most ‘standard’ student visa applications made outside of the UK within three weeks, you should note that it can take much longer. This is because the three weeks does not include the period between making the application and the date of the biometric appointment or between the UKVI deciding your application and returning your passport. As a result, the process can take longer than three weeks, especially in the busy summer period when it can take, in some cases, five weeks.

Here are the latest UKVI Processing times.

If there are less than five weeks from the date of your application to the date you intend to travel to the UK or the start date of the course, you must use the ‘Priority Visa Service’, which is available in most countries (check VFS Global and TLS Contact). There is a fee of £250 that is in addition to the visa application fee. A Priority Service student application overseas normally takes one to two weeks from the date of the biometric appointment.

You must not make your application:

• more than six months before the start date of your course (if you are applying for a new course); or
• before you receive your CAS; or
• before you meet the requirements of the application, such as before you have the required funds for 28 days.

Make sure that you make the correct application and that it is valid.

You must apply for a ‘student’ visa. You must not apply for a ‘child student’ visa or come to the UK as a ‘standard visitor’ (whether you do so by obtaining a visit visa, using the electronic visa waiver (EVW) or entering at the border). This is because you cannot apply for a student visa in the UK if you have permission as a visitor: you will need to return to your country of residence and apply for a student visa.

Ensure you make a valid application

The immigration rules state that in order to make a valid application, you must meet all of the requirements below. If you meet these requirements UKVI will consider if your application meets the substantive requirements - the academic (confirmed by CAS) and finance (sufficient funds) requirements. However, if you do not meet the requirements below, UKVI will reject your application as invalid, even if you meet the substantive requirements. To make a valid application you must:

• apply using the correct student visa application form
• pay the student visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
• provide a valid passport with your application
• provide your biometrics at the arranged appointment (non-EEA nationals)
• provide a CAS number issued before the date of your visa application
• If you have completed a course in the UK in the past 12 months, for which you received official financial sponsorship (fees and living costs) from your government or international sponsorship agency, you must provide the written consent of that sponsor to you making this application.

5. Calculate how much money you will need to have in order to obtain the visa known as the 'finance requirement'

If you will receive official financial sponsorship from your government, or an international sponsorship agency

If your sponsorship covers all your tuition fees and living costs (at least £1,023 per month of your course) please go straight to part 7. If, however, your official financial sponsorship does not cover all your tuition fees, or all your living costs (less than £1,023 per month), you will need to cover the shortfall with your own funds as below).

If you, or your parents, will pay for your studies, you are 'self-funding'

You will need to demonstrate you have an amount of money, that is equal to at least the sum of your outstanding tuition fees plus £1,023 per month of your course for your living costs, up to a maximum of £9,207. For example, if your tuition fees are £15,000 and your course is for three years you will need to have at least £24,207 (15,000 for fees plus 9,207 for living costs) in your name, or a parent’s name, to meet the maintenance requirement of the visa.

If your money is held in a currency other than pounds sterling (GBP)

You need to use the OANDA website to convert the funds into pounds sterling (GBP). UKVI uses the exchange rate on the date of your visa application to determine the amount of funds. You need to consider this if your currency is fluctuating against sterling at the time of your application. If this is the case, it is safer to hold more money than is required to guard against a possible depreciation of your currency against the pound.

If you have paid for your tuition fees or halls of residence before the date of the visa application

You can deduct any tuition fees, including your tuition fee deposit, you pay to the university before you make the visa application from the amount of money you require. For example, in the case above if your tuition fees are £15,000 per year and you have already paid the tuition fee deposit of £5,000 and a further £4,500 towards tuition fees, before the date you apply for the visa, then you will need to have at least £16,707 (7,500 for fees plus 9,207 for living costs).

Payments for university halls of residence but not privately rented accommodation can also be reduced from the total amount you need to show for your maintenance but only up to a maximum of £1,334. For example, even if you have paid £4,000 towards your halls of residence you can only reduce the living costs you require by £1,334 from £9,207 to £7,873.

Any payments for tuition fees or halls of residence you make before the date of the visa application must be shown on your CAS to be considered.

Please note that although the university accepts payment of tuition fees in three instalments, UKVI requires the balance of the fees that you owe to be shown in your account, regardless of any arrangements you make with the university to pay fees.

Applying with your dependants?

If you are also applying for your dependants to join you in the UK during your course the amount of money you will require is much higher. Please see section 12.

Using the funds after you apply for the visa

You should note that you are required to keep the required funds in your account until the date on which UKVI makes its decision on your application. The balance can be lower than it was on the date of application but only if you have used the funds for tuition fees, an accommodation deposit or other costs related to studying in the UK. It is rare for UKVI to request bank statements on the date of decision but if they do, you will need to show you have the same funds as on the date of application or if the balance is lower you have used the funds as described above.

6. Keep the money for the required length of time and in the accepted form

In addition to having enough money in your name, your parent’s name, or your partner's name (if they are applying at the same time) you will also have to:

1. Hold the required amount of money for at least 28 consecutive days before the date of the visa application. The end date of the 28-day period must be no more than 31 days before the date of the visa application; and
2. Hold the required amount of money on every day of the 28-day period (you cannot have less than the required amount of money even for just one day); and
3. Have the required amount of money on the date of the visa application: and
4. Hold the money in a personal bank account, including a current account, savings account, fixed deposit, investment bank account (not assets) or pension fund that can be withdrawn immediately; and
5. Not use funds held in a business account, even if you or your parent are the sole owner(s) of the enterprise; and
6. Not rely on money held in other accounts, such as asset investments, holdings, portfolios, financial instruments such as shares, bonds, credit cards, overdrafts or pension funds that cannot be withdrawn immediately. This is because no matter how high the level of funds, they will not be considered as part of a student visa application; and
7. Use a bank that is regulated by the  'appropriate financial regulatory body’ in the country the account is based, that uses 'electronic record keeping' and a bank that will respond to UKVI if they contact it to make ‘satisfactory verification checks’ of your bank accounts.
8. You must have ‘control’ of the funds. By this UKVI means they must be satisfied that the funds you are relying on were either historically in the account or if they were placed in the account shortly before the visa application, either you transferred the funds from another account or a family member’s account. In addition, the funds must be available to you after the date of visa application and the decision (apart from funds you spend on your studies).

Loans

If you are relying on a loan to meet the maintenance requirement, it must be provided by your national state, regional government, a government sponsored student loan company or an official educational/academic loan scheme

Important: the date of your visa application

Please note that the date of your student entry clearance application is the date you pay the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge. This is different to the date you provide your biometrics at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) or provide your biometrics online and is important when calculating the 28 days maintenance requirement.

If you’re not sure how much money you are required to have or in what format, please contact us using the online visa enquiry form.

7. Collect the required documents and make sure they are in the correct format

You must provide the documents listed below with your application.

You will upload scanned copies of your documents to your application, but you must provide the original of your passport at your appointment. If you provide a document that is not in English, you must obtain and provide a fully certified translation of the document, that has been translated by a professional translator.

1. Proof that you have sufficient money for the finance requirement in the form of either *:

• Your bank statements; or
• Your parent's bank statements; or
• Your partner's bank statements (if they are applying at the same time as you); or
• An official loan letter from your government or academic loan scheme; or
• An official letter of financial sponsorship from your government, or an international sponsor agency, confirming its financial support of you and its consent to you making the visa application.

Please note that the content and format of the financial documents you provide with your application must meet the exact requirements as set out by UKVI in its Financial Guidance. Failure to do so may mean that your application will be refused.

2. Your current passport

3. Your birth certificate (if you are using your parent’s bank statement)*

4. A letter of consent from your parents to you using their money in the UK for your education (if you are using your parents’ bank statement)*

5. An ATAS clearance certificate (if you are required to have one)

6. A TB clearance certificate (if you are required to have one)

7. If you are aged under 18 on the date of application: your birth certificate and a letter of consent from your parents confirming their relationship to you and their consent to your travel to and living arrangements in the UK.

8. If you are financially sponsored by your government, or an international sponsor agency, or you have been in the previous 12 months: a letter from your sponsor confirming that they unconditionally consent to you making the Student visa application to remain in the UK

Different Documentary Requirements (Low-Risk Nationals)

If you are a national of one of the countries below, you should still collect all of the required documents, but you do not have to provide the documents marked above with an asterisk*. However, you must still meet the requirements of the immigration rules for the application including having sufficient money for the required time as UKVI can request the documents at a later stage before it decides your application.

All countries in the European Economic Area (EEA); Switzerland; Australia; Bahrain; Barbados; Brazil; British National (Overseas); Botswana; Brunei; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Dominican Republic; Indonesia; Japan; Hong Kong (SAR); Kazakhstan; Kuwait; Macau (SAR); Malaysia; Mauritius; Mexico; New Zealand; Oman; Peru; Qatar; Serbia; Singapore; South Korea; Taiwan; Thailand; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; United States of America (USA).

If you are not sure whether you need to provide certain documents or whether your documents are in the required format, please contact us using the online visa enquiry form.

8. Complete the visa application form

You complete and submit the application form online.

While you make the application online, you must be physically present in your country of normal residence (usually your country of nationality) or in a country where you have a long-term residence permit (more than 6 months). You cannot make the application in the UK or elsewhere where you have entered as a visitor.

When you start the application form you should select 'student visa'. You must not apply as a ‘child student’ (even if you are under 18). You should only use the ‘scholarship’ option if you are in receipt of a Chevening award from the UK government

You must complete all sections of the form in English. You can use the information on your CAS statement to answer many of the questions. If somebody else completes the form for you, such as an agent, you must make sure you are aware of the contents before you submit it.

You must answer all the questions truthfully, including those asking if you have previously been refused a visa for the UK or elsewhere or refused entry or removed. If you provide false information or withhold information, UKVI will refuse your application and you will potentially be banned from obtaining a UK visa for up to 10 years.

9. Pay the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The student visa application fee is £363, usually payable in the local currency or USD equivalent. If you do not have enough time to make a Standard application because there are less than five weeks to the start of your course or your date of intended travel, you will have to use the Priority Service. It is available in most but not all countries; you can check via VFS Global and via TLS Contact) and costs an additional (£250). (In certain cases, you may also have to pay a ‘user fee’ of £55.)

You are also required to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) that allows you to access the National Health Service (NHS) treatment in the UK. You will need to make this payment after you pay the visa application fee. You must make the IHS payment, even if you have private health insurance, or don’t plan to use the NHS services while you are in the UK.

The charge for students and their dependants is £470 per person for each year you will be granted permission to be in the UK, and £235 for a period of less than six months (any period over six months is charged at the full yearly rate). For a 12-month master’s degree the IHS is usually £705 and for a three-year degree £1,645.

(If you are a Chevening scholar you should not have to pay the application fee or IHS.)

The date on which you pay both the application fee and IHS is deemed to be the date of your application.

10. Submit your application

Once you submit your application you must provide your biometrics and documents. How you do this depends on your nationality.

If you are an EEA or Swiss national

If you have a biometric passport, you do not have to attend an appointment to provide your biometrics. Instead, you need to scan your passport and upload a photo of yourself using the UK Immigration ID app. Once you have done this, your application will be considered by UKVI in the timeframe(s) advised earlier.

If you are a non-EEA national

You need to make an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC). At your appointment you need to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a digital photograph), submit your passport and, if you have not already uploaded them, your supporting documents.

In a small number of cases UKVI will request an applicant attends a substantive interview, sometimes referred to as a ‘credibility’ interview. If you are invited to an interview, you must attend as otherwise your application will be rejected. At the interview you will be asked about why you want to study your course and the reasons why you chose to study at the university. If you are invited to an interview and would like advice on what to expect, please contact us using the online visa enquiry form.

Once you have attended your appointment at the VAC, your application will be considered by UKVI in the timeframe(s) advised earlier. You can check the latest processing times in your country here.

11. UKVI's decision on your application

If your application is granted

If your application is successful and you are an EEA or Swiss national, UKVI will issue you with 'secure digital status' to confirm you have immigration permission as a student; you will not be issued a vignette in your passport or issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).

If you are a non-EEA national, UKVI will place a 90-day entry-permit vignette in your passport that you use to enter the UK. You will also be issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), that you should collect from the nominated Post Office within 10 days of your arrival. Please keep the letter you receive when the visa is granted safe as you will need it to collect your BRP.

For details of  when you will be able to travel to the UK using your secure digital status or your entry-permit vignette, please see the UKCISA guidance 'Once your visa has been issued'.

If your application is refused

If UKVI refuses your application, it will provide you with a Refusal Notice, that explains the reasons why you did not meet the requirements. Please send a scanned copy of every page of the Refusal Notice to visas@brighton.ac.uk including your name and student number. The advisers will assess the reasons for refusal and contact you as soon as possible to advise you on your options. Please also send a copy of your Refusal Notice to the Visa Compliance team: casenquiries@brighton.ac.uk as they must have a record of the decision.

Please note that you can only use a CAS once, so if your application is refused and you are able to make another application, you will need a new CAS number.

12. If your dependants are applying to come to the UK with you

Please note that the UK Government has announced that for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024 it will not be possible for dependants to join students coming to the UK to undertake a master’s degree. We await further details but, in the meantime, please contact us for advice.

It is already not possible for all students to bring their dependants - partner (spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner) and/or children - with them to the UK.

Please read the information at the links below to find out whether your dependants can come with you to the UK and, if so, the requirements they will need to meet to obtain the dependant visa.

• UKVI - can you bring your family?
• UKCISA – your family’s immigration

If your partner and/or children can to come to the UK with you, they will each have to apply for a dependant visa, complete the online application form and pay the fee and Immigration Health Surcharge. The maintenance requirement – the amount of money you need to have - will be much higher so you need to make sure this money is available. If you are financially sponsored by your government or an international sponsor agency, your financial sponsorship letter must include the details of all your dependants.

If you are not sure whether you can bring your dependants to the UK or you would like further advice about the requirements and how to apply, please complete the online visa enquiry form.

13. Further information and advice

This guidance only covers the main aspects of making a student visa application outside the UK. If you want to make a successful application it is important that you, or a parent, read and understand the documents and web pages below. In our experience, most student applications are refused because the applicant does not read or understand the guidance and therefore does not have sufficient funds for the required amount of time.

1. UKVI: guidance for caseworkers on Student Route applications
2. UKVI: how to apply for a student visa from outside the UK
3. UKCISA: making a student immigration application in your home country

If having read this guidance, and the documents above, you have a question about making a student entry clearance application then please contact us using the visa enquiry form.