How To Apply For A Visa outside the UK


The following information is for students who are applying for a visa outside the UK to come to study a course at the University of Westminster. If you are already in the UK and you are applying for a visa to start a course at the University of Westminster please also read 'The Extending your visa in the UK' .
We recommend that you print and read 'Applying for a visa to come to the UK'  and the UK Borders Agency Guidance for Tier 4 Applicants as the University can not provide full details of all the immigration requirements and immigration changes may not always be updated immediately.

What is a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa

Tier 4 (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 work; or you need to extend your visa you will need to apply for a  Tier 4 (General) 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 University accepts you for a full-time course and provides you with a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies number (you will also need to show your original qualifications/transcripts) 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 an up to date CAS from the University as an offer letter will not be accepted.
Tier 4 Visas are only given for courses that are full-time and lead to a qualification. For the full conditions and description of a Tier 4 (General) student visa see the  Tier 4 Policy Guidance for Applicants .

For a Tier 4 General Student Visa application you will need

What you will need first 
  • Maintenance and Fees for 28 Days . You or your  parents must have enough cash funds for 28 days in your/their  bank account . Bank statements can not be more than 1 month old and should include your name or your parents name, the account number, the bank name and logo, the money available. See the UK Border Agency Policy Guidance page 31 to 33.  If you are using a letter or an online bank statement there are  slightly different criteria so see the Policy Guidance. If using a parents account you must include an original birth certificate and letter of consent.
Next
  •  Decide whether you will apply online or with an application form. You will need to find out whether you can apply on line by looking at your visa application centre.  If applying online please remember that yo must meet UK Border Agency requirements for fees and maintenance at the time you submit your online application. If you are not able to  apply on line then  you will need to  apply using the VAF 9 and Appendix 8 Forms. There are twoAppendix 8 forms, one for people whose CAS was produced on or after 21 April 2011 and one for people whose CAS was produced before 21 April. Be careful that you complete the correct form. You will also need to pay thecorrect fee.
  • Include your original qualifications or original tanscripts used to apply for a place on the course and translated into English . Your original qualifications/transcripts should  include your name, the title of the award, the date of Award, the name of awarding insitution. Translations must meet UK Border Agency Requirements.
  • Official Financial Sponsorship.   If you are not being sponsored by either the UK Government, your home government,The British Council or any international organisation, international company, University of independent School then you will need to show your own or your own parents bank statements. Financial information from another family member will not be accepted including bank statements from a spouse (husband or wife).

    If you are being sponsored by either the UK Government, your home government,The British Council or any international organisation, international company, University of independent School you will need an original letter as evidence from your official financial sponsor explaining the amount they are providing for you. All students with a University of Westminster Scholarship should also have their award included in their Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS). For specific information about the evidence you need to include see the section about 'Official Financial Sponsorship'.
  • Translations. All documents that are not in English must be translated. Both the document and the translations must be originals.  The translations must be ones that the UK Border Agency can independently verify and will need to show 1.  confirmation that the translation is an accurate translation of the original document 2. the date of the translation 3. the translator/an authorised official of the translations company's full name and signature 4. the translator/translation companies contact details. See UK Border Agency Policy Guidance  page 2 for more detail.
  • English Language Tests. Most students will now need to show that they meet the new UK Border Agency requirements for English Language. If you were offered a place on a course with English Language test that is below the required UK Border Agency levels then please contact the admissions office. If your Secure English Language Test is 2 years old or more at the time your CAS is produced  then please contact admissions. UK Border Agency Guidance 

When should I apply for my Tier 4 (General) Student Visa?

If you are starting a course in January 2011 you can apply for your visa up to three months before you intend to arrive in the UK. You need to make sure you have enough money in your account for the required 28 days before your visa application. Do not apply without your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies number and if your documents are not the ones specified by the UK Border Agency or you will be refused.

When will I be allowed to come to the UK on an Tier 4 (General) Student Visa?

If you are granted a Tier 4 General 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 a Tier 4 General 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 a Tier 4 General Student Visa for a pre-sessional before going onto a degree course you will be allowed to come to the UK one month before your course starts.

Where should I apply for my visa?

Click here for an A-Z of the Overseas Visa Application Centres.
If you are applying for a Tier 4 General Student Visa you will have to apply for your visa before coming to the UK, unless you are in a category that can switch from within the UK. If you are applying for a Student Visitor Visa you can apply either in your home country or some nationalities can apply at the airport on arrival. See Student Visitor Visa for more information. Please note you cannot switch from either a Visitor Visa or a Student Visitor Visa to a Tier 4 General Student Visa whilst in the UK.
Many visa applications are now made through VFS Global which is a commercial company, working in partnership with UK Border Agency and the British Embassies to provide a UK visa service. The staff at VFS do not decide the applications, it is still the British Embassy staff who will make the final decision. If you are making an online application then remember that the application is made on the date you apply online and not the date you send your documents or do your biometrics.

I am in the UK on another type of Visa, can I switch to an General Student Visa or Student Visitor Visa whilst in the UK?

If you are applying for a Student Visitors Visa you will have to apply for it outside the UK you can not switch in the UK.
If you are applying for a Tier 4 General Student Visa you can only switch your visa if your last permission to stay was as a:
  • Tier 4 (General) Student
  • Tier 4 (Child) Student
  • Tier 1 (Post-study Work) Migrant
  • Tier 2 Migrant
  • Participant in the International Graduates Scheme (or its predecessor, the Science and Engineering Scheme)
  • Participant in the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme
  • Postgraduate Student
  • Student
  • Student Nurse
  • Student Re-sitting an Examination
  • Student Writing-Up a Thesis
  • Student Union Sabbatical Officer
  • Work Permit Holder
You cannot enter the UK on a visitor's visa or a student visitor's visa and switch to a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa.

Money and the 28 day rule

You will need to show proof that you have the money needed for 28 days (maintenance plus your fees). You must provide the correct documents in the correct format or your visa will be refused. You must show your personal bank or building society statements covering a 28 day period ending no more than 1 month before the date of your application (Details of what should be in yours or your or your parent/legal guardians bank statements are listed in the UK Border Agency Guidance for Tier 4 Applicants). If you are sending your parents bank statements please remember that you will also need your original birth certificate and a letter confirming certain information).
If in the UK for a course of one year you will need to show:
£5400 if studying at Harrow site
£7200 if studying on other sites

If in the UK for a course of less than one year you will need to show
£600 if studying on the Harrow site, for every month or part of a month
£800 if studying on other sites, for every month of part of a month

Established Presence in the UK  

If you have already been studying on a course in the UK and have gone home to apply for your Tier 4 (General) Student Visa then you may only have to show a reduced amount of maintenance plus fees. You will need to show less money because you may have an 'established presence' in the UK, but the rules are complicated. For the rules about Established Presence click here.
If you meet the rules and you do have an 'established presence' in the UK  then Harrow students will need to show £1200 maintenace + outstanding fees  for Harrow Students and £1600 maintenance + outstanding fees  for students studying in Central London. Please note that you can only show the reduced maintenance if you are extending a student visa an not if you are moving from another type of visa to a Tier 4 Student visa.
You also will not meet the established presence rules if your visa has expired.

From 21 April 2011 to have an 'established presence' you must

  • have current Entry Clearance, Leave to Enter or Leave to Remain as a Tier 4 migrant, as a student, or as a Postgraduate Doctor or Dentist and
  • Have finished a single course that was at least six months long within your last period of Entry Clearance, Leave to Enter or Leave to Remain, or
  • Be applying for continued study on a single course where you have completed at least six months of that course.
Please email studentadvice@westminster.ac.uk to find out how much money you will need to show.

Is the University of Westminster on the register of sponsors?

The University of Westminster has an A rating on the register of sponsors and we are also a Highly Trusted Sponsor. See the register of Tier 4 sponsors

University Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) and Deposit

Please do not attempt to apply for your visa with your offer letter as your visa will be refused a Tier 4 visa.
Once the University receives your deposit we will send you an  email asking for certain information (eg your name as it appears on your passport), once we have received this information we will produce your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) which is an electronic record for the Home Office.We will then send you an email with the information that we have given the Home office, this is called a 'CAS statement'. You will then be able to use the information in your CAS Statement to make a Tier 4 Student visa application.
Your CAS statement lists
  1. your CAS number
  2. the start and end date of your course
  3. our Sponsor License Number
  4. our Sponsor License Address
  5. your primary site of study
  6. the original qualifications you will need to include with your visa application (remember they must be original and if not in English they must have translations that meet the UK Border Agency criteria for translations)
  7. the fees for your course
  8. the fees you have already paid
  9. Your name as it appears on your passport
  10. Your scholarship information
If any of the information is incorrect in your CAS statement  please email the details to your admissions office and send a copy to Tier4visas@westminster.ac.uk
If we have issued you with a CAS and you do not enrol with in ten days of your course start date then we will report you to the UK Border Agency.
If you know you are going to be late to enrol on your course please contact your admissions office to see if you can still be allowed to start your course.
If your visa is refused please email Tier4visas@westminster.ac.uk to let us know as well as informing your admissions office.
If you decide not to come or you wish to defer until next year please tell the admissions office now so we can pass this information on to the UK Border Agency.

If you are coming to the University to study a Pre-sessional English course followed by a Degree

If you are an overseas student and you are accepting a place on the Pre-Sessional course which leads on to a degree course you will need to pay your deposit of £4,000 at the same time as paying the Pre-Sessional course fee.
Full details of how to pay the deposit and the refund policy are available online at www.wmin.ac.uk/deposits.

Official Financial Sponsorship

If you are coming to the UK and you are applying for a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa and you are being financially supported by:
  • An International Company
  • A University
  • The UK Government
  • Your Home Government
  • The British Council
  • An International Organisation
When making your first visa application you will need to provide a letter which
  • Should be on official headed paper or the stationery of the organisation of the official financial sponsor with the official stamp of the organisation
  • Include your name
  • Include the name and contact details of your financial sponsor
  • Include the date of the letter
  • Include the length of your sponsorship
  • Include a statement that your official sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs
Please note that if your official sponsorship only covers part of your fees and living costs, you must include in the letter.
The actual amount of money they will give you. You will also need to show proof that you have the rest of the money needed in your bank account for the required 28 days, see the 'money' section above for details.
For Full details of money needed, how to present your evidence, qualifications, the CAS, definitions of full-time study and how points are awarded look at the following websites, taking care to read the UK Borders Agency Guidance for Tier 4 Applicants

ATAS Certificates

 Only some MPhil/PhD courses at the University of Westminster will require an ATAS Certificate. If you do need to apply for an ATAS certificate you should apply well in advance of making a visa application. The research team will tell you if you need an ATAS Certificate.