An American's Guide to Getting a UK Student Visa
I have this theory that the British government has intentionally made their student visa application process impossibly hard just to stymie applicant motivation. I’ve come to this conclusion after facing endless hurdles and coming across red tape at every turn throughout my own application process. Hopefully, by writing about it, I can clarify the steps for any Americans thinking about going to the UK for school (in excess of 6 months) that will invariably need to apply for a Tier 4 General student visa.
I should preface that this guide is really intended for American students planning on going to a UK university full-time. I can’t promise that these practices will be the same if you are going for a shorter amount of time.
What is the application process like?
Sample CAS statement
The first step in the application process is getting a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number from the university you’re attending in the UK. You’ll get this once you’ve been unconditionally accepted and have taken their offer of placement. In addition, you’ll need money to cover the cost of the online application (typically around £348, but this changes year to year) as well as the National Health Service (NHS) fee. For an up-to-date application fee amount, click here and scroll down the page until you hit the “Fees” section. Once you have your CAS number and application and NHS funds, you can complete the online visa application. It’s imperative that you be as clear and concise as possible on the application. Any errors could - and likely will - lead to a rejection.
The next step in the process is to schedule and attend a biometrics appointment where your fingerprints and picture will be taken. You'll have the opportunity to book this appointment at the conclusion of your online application. After your appointment, you’ll be told to submit all of your original documentation for final review. This documentation varies per person and you should be told what to send but the one thing that is an absolute must is sending in your passport with at least one page that is blank on both sides.
This next step is not required of American citizens but you should have it done in case you are asked for this information from the British government, which could happen!
Possess proof of maintenance fees, which is a fancy way of saying that you need to have evidence you can support yourself financially both in your tuition fees as well as your living costs. To prove you have the money, you have a few options:
Submit a bank statement showing that you have had enough money in your bank account for 28 consecutive days to cover your full tuition fees as well as an additional £1,265.00 per month for 9 months (£11,385.00 total). This amount also changes every year so for the most up-to-date sum, click here and read the “How much money do I need?” section. The catch is that your bank account cannot dip below the required amount at any point during that 28-day period before the date of your application (which is considered to be when you complete your online visa application).
Your parents provide financial evidence on your behalf in the form of their own bank statement that meets all of the above criteria. In addition to the bank statement, you’d need to submit your original birth certificate and a letter from your parents that states the relationship between you and them as well as consent for you to use their funds during your studies in the UK. Only your parents (or legal guardians) can vouch for you financially - no one else in your family.
You may be getting a full ride from your university or perhaps there is an entity (a workplace, etc.) that is sponsoring your studies in the UK. If that’s the case, your CAS documentation will be enough to prove your financial stability. If, however, your CAS paperwork does not make any such guarantee, you’ll need to get a letter (printed on official letterhead) from your sponsor that states: (1) your name, (2) the contact info for your sponsor, (3) the date of your sponsor letter, (4) the length of your sponsorship, (5) the amount of money your sponsor is giving you OR a statement that they are covering all costs for you.
There are a ton of steps in this process and each one can be very tedious but has to be done in a precarious manner. Failure on your part to meet any of these expectations will lead to a refusal of your application and that in itself is a whole other process to get around. So, seriously, check everything before handing it in. Then check it again, and again, until you’re certain it's all up to par.
Sample BRP
Once your visa application has been approved, you’ll get your passport back with a sticker inside that will serve as a temporary visa so that you can enter the UK once it goes into effect. As soon as you’ve touched down in the UK, you have 10 days to go pick up your actual visa, which is referred to as a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Although you can choose to pick-up your BRP from a post office, most actually choose to pick it up from their university. You can arrange this by selecting the “Alternative location” option at the end of your online visa application and typing in your university code (which can be found on your CAS document).
When you go to grab your BRP, you have to bring your passport with the temporary visa stamp inside as well as the visa decision letter you would have received after your application had been approved.
And voila! You are now an official recipient of a Tier 4 General student visa! It won’t be an easy process and it will feel like it’s taking forever to finish, but it’s so important that you give every step due attention if you want to avoid being refused.
When can I apply?
You cannot apply for your student visa earlier than 3 months prior to the start of your course. So, for example, my course starts on September 17th. That means that I can officially apply for my visa on June 17th and no earlier. This is a hard deadline and there’s no way around it. I initially had the opportunity to do an internship in London that would have started in May but had to turn it down because I wouldn’t have even been able to apply for my visa by then.
Can I apply for my visa if I’m already in the UK?
If you’re an American applying for your student visa for the first time, you must submit your application from U.S. soil. But perhaps you’re already a student in the UK and are simply transitioning from your undergrad degree to your grad degree, in which case you’d just have to extend your Tier 4 student visa. If that’s the case, I don’t really know what you’re doing reading this because you’ve already gone through the process and the hardest part is over for you!
The only way you’d be able to apply from inside the UK is if you have an existing visa but, odds are, you don’t. And you can’t simply go to the UK for a few months prior to the start of your course with the intention of actually moving there under the guise of just “visiting.” Although it would be nice to think we could pull a fast one on the British government, they have safeguards in place to prevent this from happening. For one, you have to physically go to a biometrics appointment in the U.S. after submitting your visa application and then also send your passport off to be stamped with a temporary visa sticker. So, no matter how you cut it, you’ll need to be in America, whether it’s to make your appointment or because you literally don’t have any way to get into the UK without your passport.
How long after I get my visa can I go to the UK?
Let’s say you apply for your visa early and get approved quickly (it usually takes about two weeks for the application to be reviewed and approved/denied), you are still limited to when you can actually pick up and move to the UK. The absolute earliest you can go is 30 days prior to your course start date because that’s when the visa stamp in your passport takes effect. So, again, if my course starts on September 17th, that would mean that I could head over on August 17th.
If my visa is approved, can I go to the UK and wait for it to take effect there?
Unfortunately, if you go to the UK before your visa takes effect, you have to show proof that you intend to go back to the states again before your visa starts to work. So you can go to the UK, but you’ll have to return to the U.S. prior to the start of your studies and then fly back to the UK for your final move once your visa takes effect. This seems like a waste of airfare to me but, hey, to each his own.
Can I work with my visa?
If you’re going to school full-time at a university that is listed on both the official UKVI Sponsor list and the list of ‘recognised bodies’, you can work 20 hours per week during term time and then full-time (40 hours/week) on holiday breaks.
What do I do if my application has been refused?
If this happens to you, don’t freak out. Instead, focus all of your energy into getting the issue remedied. Unfortunately, you’ll have to submit an all new application, which means paying the fees all over again. You’ll want to get in touch with your university’s visa assistance office. If you’re not sure how to find them, I would start by typing “[Insert university name here] visa office” into a Google search. Going through the application process again will take time and you’ll need to be issued a new CAS number. That’s why it’s best to submit your application early so that, if it gets rejected, you still have plenty of time to get it sorted before your course starts.
What are the most common reasons that visa application is rejected?
Most often, visa applications are rejected because there was something wrong with the proof of maintenance funds. However, like I mentioned earlier, U.S. citizens are considered “low-risk nationals” so they are not required to give financial evidence. This does not mean that you won’t be asked for this proof. You may still be required to show that you can support yourself financially. In that case, you’ll need to have the proper documentation ready.
I know, it seems like a lot and, honestly, it is. But all it boils down to is whether or not you can just keep good enough track of all these steps in order to guarantee your application's approval. So long as you keep focused and on top of everything, you shouldn't face any difficulties whatsoever. But if you have questions, you can definitely get in touch with your university's visa office for help and they'll be happy to give you a hand. Best of luck!