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Applying overseas (Permission to enter)

Section 2: Key Information:

Where is the application form?

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/apply and scroll down to the 'Start Now' button.

Where can I get help with completing the online Visa Application Form? What documents do I need to prepare?

Please refer to our sample application form with 'step-by-step guidance' - note there are different guides for EU/EEA and non-EU nationalities.

What visa application service is available from my country and what is the processing time?

Please check https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre.

The UKVI's service target for processing a visa application is as follows, from the date of appointment to decision:

15 working days for a standard application

5 working days for the priority service

1 working day for the super priority service

Priority service availability may not be always be available and visa processing times may differ from those advertised. Plese enquire with your VAC.

How much are the visa application fees?

A standard visa application fee is £363.00.

There are additional charges if you decide to choose priority and premium services, where available. For these services please check with your visa application centre.

How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

£235.00 for each each 6 month block spent on a Student Visa, rounded up to the nearest 6 months. You are eligible to pay for the duration of the visa you are applying for, including the additional 'wrap up period' granted after your course end date. For course of more than 12 months duration, four additional months are granted after the course end date.

The UKVI counts each month, not the dates in the month to make this calculation.

For example:

You are on a full time award bearing course.

Your CAS has a Start Date of 03/Oct/2022 and an End Date of 02/Jul/2025.

This means any visa granted using this CAS would have the UKVI Wrap Up Period added to it making the Visa End Date: 02/Nov/2025.

Using the UKVI calculation method, the total time spent on this visa will be:

03/Oct/2022 to 02/Nov/2025, which is 3 years 2 months, or 38 months

Oct-22 to Sep-23 = 12 months.

Oct-23 to Sep-24 = 12 months.

Oct-24 to Sep-25 = 12 months.

Oct-25 to Nov-25 = 2 months.

This is rounded up to the nearest 6 month block, of 3 years 6 months, or, 42 months.

42 months divided by 6 months = 7

7 X £235.00 = £1645.00 IHS Fee due.

If you are an EU student, you may be eligible for a partial or full refund from January 2022.

Please see the guidance provided on the following links:

Warwick | Student Immigration | EU IHS Payments

GOV.UK guidance

When can I apply online?

You can apply up to 6 months before the 'course start date' stated on your CAS.

Do not apply more than 6 months before your course start date as your application will be refused and the visa application fee will not be refunded

Where can I apply?

You would normally apply from your country of official residence.

For most people, this will also be the country of their nationality.

However, if you hold a valid long term residence permit for a country that is not your nationality, you may apply from that country - check with the visa application centre if you are unsure if you hold a long term residence permit for the country you are in. You cannot apply from a country where you only hold visitor leave.

If the visa application centre in your country is closed the Home Office will usually offer an alternative location - this will be stated before you start the online application form.

Warwick | Student Immigration | Coronavirus news

Section 3: What type of Student visa should I select on the application form?:

  • Student Visa: if you will be coming to the UK for longer than 6 months

See our application guide HERELink opens in a new window

If you are applying at the same time as your dependants (spouse/partner, children), please read the information on the Dependant section of our website.

Section 4: How much money do I need when preparing financial evidence?

Click 'how to evidence money required'Link opens in a new window to learn about the financial requirements, what is considered as acceptable evidence, and for useful sample/template letters.

Section 5: What documents do I need for my student visa application?

If you are a Low Risk Nationality you do NOT need to submit/upload evidence of financial documents, academic qualifications or an English language certificate. However, you should still prepare these documents as the UKVI might make spot checks and reserve the right to request this information.

  • CAS (to be obtained from either Admissions if you joining a new course at Warwick or the Immigration Service if you are applying for further leave to complete a course you have already started) - you are not required to submit a hard copy of your CAS but if asked by a Visa Application Centre, a print-out of the email from the University which contains your CAS number should suffice

  • Passport(s) - Current passport. There is no requirement as to how long your passport must be valid for but it must have at least 1 full blank page (front and back). Previous passports which contain a UK visa or entry stamp are required only if asked.

  • Financial evidence: confirming you have the required funds for course fees and maintenance.

  • Your academic qualification: If you are going to study a degree level or above course you do not need provide evidence of your academic qualifications with your visa application. If you are studying below degree level and have an IB (International Baccalaureate) or have taken A levels in the current academic year (where official award certificates are not released until October/November), it is acceptable to submit a print-out from the online checking service of the awarding body (The University of Warwick will always confirm on your CAS that results stated on a CAS are verified via UCAS). The print-out of results from the online checking service must show your name, the title of the award, the date of the award and the name of the awarding body.

  • Certificate of English language qualification (only if specified in the 'Evidence used to obtain offer' section of your CAS): Do not submit an English language certificate if you will be studying a degree level course AND your CAS states that the University has made its own assessment of your English language ability. If you will be studying a sub-degree level course (e.g., Pre-sessional English, Diploma course or International Foundation programme), ensure that you include the same 'IELTS for UKVI' certificate as stated in your CAS, which should be valid at the time you submit your visa application. We advise that you submit a photocopy of the test certificate and state the SELT Unique Reference Number on your Student visa application form (see Guidance on Approved Secure English Language tests). The UKVI will verify your scores online.

  • ATAS certificate (if specified in your CAS): this is required for certain science and technology courses at Undergraduate Master's or Postgraduate level as specified in your CAS. Your ATAS certificate is valid for use in a visa application for 6 months after the date of issue. If you are applying to extend your Student Visa for a course you have not yet completed, you will need to apply for fresh ATAS clearance and obtain a new certificate.

Additional documents which may be required:

  • TB Certificate (only for certain nationalities - also refer to more specific information if you have recently studied in the UK)

  • Official financial sponsor's consent to complete studies (if you have been fully financially sponsored over the last 12 months to study a course in the UK by a government or an International Scholarship Agency): this must confirm that your sponsor has no objection to you continuing your studies in the UK. If you previously received a scholarship from the University of Warwick, the sponsor's consent is not required. If you were previously fully sponsored and continued to receive lesser payments you do not need to provide sponsor consent if the last time you were fully sponsored is more than 12 months before the date of your new visa application.

  • English Translations: If any of your documents are not in English or Welsh, an English translation must be provided alongside the document in its original language with your visa application. It must meet the following requirements: 1) the translation can be independently verified by the Home Office; 2) the translation must contain confirmation from the translator/translation company that it is an accurate translation of the document; 3) it must contain the date of the translation, the translator/an authorised official of the translation company’s full name and signature, and the translator/translation company’s contact details.

  • For students with dependants: if your spouse is applying as your Dependant at the same time, you will need to submit your Marriage certificate; if you have children applying as your dependant(s) at the same time, you will also need to submit their Birth Certificate(s). Please refer to our Dependant webpage for more information. If your family members have already been granted leave as your Dependants then you should not need to provide this evidence a second time.

  • If you are 16 or 17 years old when making your visa application, you will also need to provide a parents' consent letter.

The letter must confirm:

1) their relationship with you (i.e., they are your legal parents or legal guardians);

2) that your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to your application; and

3) that your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to you living independently in the UK; and

4) that your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to your independent travel to the UK.

If you have only one parent or legal guardian, or only one who has legal custody or whole responsibility, this must be confirmed in the letter as well. If this statement is not provided, the letter must be signed by both parents and legal guardians.

You must also provide evidence of your relationship with your parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Acceptable evidence includes one of the following documents:

a) your birth certificate showing the names of your parent(s),

b) your certificate of adoption showing the name(s) of your parent(s) or legal guardian(s),

c) a court document naming your legal guardian(s).

Section 6: What visa will I receive?:

If you are a non-EU national: You will first be granted a temporary travel vignette (visa) in your passport. You will need to travel to the UK within the dates of this visa. If you enter the UK before the start date of the visa, then you will be entering the UK as a Visitor and will NOT have activated your Student Visa - you will not be able to study the course and will have to exit the UK and re-enter within the dates of the Student Visa before you can register on the course. Please see our dedicated web pageLink opens in a new window for information. You are expected to arrive in the UK before the expiry date of your temporary travel visa to collect your BRP card. If this is going to be a problem for you, for example, because you are a continuing student currently in a study abroad year, you should contact the Immigration Service for further advice before making your visa application.

If you are an EU national: You will be granted a digital status (not a physical visa). You will not collect a BRP on arrival to the UK. Please make sure that you enter the UK within the dates of your Student Visa and keep evidence of your date of entry to the UK (boarding pass, plane ticket) as you will need that when you register on your course. If you enter the UK before the start date of the visa, then you will be entering the UK as a Visitor and will NOT have activated your Student Visa, which means you will not be able to study the course and will have to exit the UK and re-enter within the dates of the Student Visa before you can register on your course.

Section 7: I will not receive my exam results until August. Will I have time to make a visa application and receive my visa in time for the start of term?

Firstly, don’t worry as lots of students will be in this situation. Check the conditions of your offer and ensure that your exam results are the only thing that the Admissions team are waiting for. If you have any other outstanding conditions, verification of a reference for example, provide this well in advance. Prepare the supporting documents that you will need for your visa application. Aim to have all your visa application documents ready so that you can apply as soon as your place at Warwick is confirmed. Many visa application centres offer a 'user pay service' which costs a little more (an additional £100 approx.) but which offers quick turn-around of your Student visa application. If you are particularly worried about the time it may take to get your visa you could consider paying for this service. You can check the processing times for your local visa application centre. Also, check your CAS for a 'latest start date' - this may be a few weeks after the actual course start date and is the latest date you are allowed to join your course.

Section 8: Do I need to submit original documents or photocopies?

From 5 November 2018, there is no longer a requirement to provide original documents with applications (you can use scans and digital documents). However, there are still specific requirements in terms of the format of certain documents. For example, there are specific requirements for the format of financial documents (bank statements) and financial sponsorship letters and if the documents you provide are not in the appropriate format it may delay your application, or even cause it to be refused.

Section 9: What if I answered one of the questions on the online student visa application form incorrectly and only realised it after submitting the form but before I attend the appointment?

It is quite common to answer some of the questions incorrectly. For example, if you answered that you will use your personal bank statement but will actually need to use a combination of your personal bank statement and your parent's. If this happens, please write a personal covering letter and submit it with your passport and other supporting documents when you attend your appointment. You can find a sample letter here.

Section 10: How long is the processing time? What is Premium or Priority Service?

Please be aware that visa processing times may be slower than advertised - please check with your VAC for updates.

If you use a 'standard service' then the processing time is usually about 3 weeks (from the date you attend your visa appointment and enrol your biometric information (photo and finger prints), to the date when a decision is made and your passport is ready for collection). See link below:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk

Largely in response to business demands, the Home Office has further been expanding its premium and priority services for out-of-country applications (https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre). Premium and priority services allow applicants to attend their appointment outside of normal working hours, walk in without an appointment or have their visa applications placed at the front of the queue once they have attended an appointment with UK Visas and Immigration. In certain countries, applicants will need to submit documentary evidence that they have previously travelled to one of the following destinations in the previous five years and complied with the terms of their visas: the UK; USA; Canada; Australia; and New Zealand.

See a list of visa application centres managed by VFS Global offering priority service.

Priority applications are usually processed in between 3-5 working days from the date you attended the appointment. Super Priority applications are usually processed within 24 hours from the date you attended the appointment. You should always allow at least 2-3 days to post/collect your passport.

UK Visas and Immigration advises that applicants should not apply for priority service if they:

  • have been refused leave to enter the UK;* (see more information below)
  • have been previously deported, removed, or otherwise required to leave the UK;
  • have overstayed a period of leave in the UK;
  • have had leave to remain in the UK curtailed by the Home Office;
  • have been refused leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office;
  • have been previously refused a visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, or a Schengen country;
  • have been interviewed, detained, or prosecuted by the police for any offence in the UK or elsewhere;
  • have an unspent criminal conviction in any country; and/or
  • have committed a criminal offence in any country.

* In our experience, if you have previously had a visa refusal for a straightforward reason, for example, unacceptable financial evidence, and you have not had any other adverse immigration history, you should still be able to use the 'priority service'..

The University has no influence over UKVI processing times and cannot request that individual applications be expedited.

Section 11: Can I contact anyone for more advice on making an application overseas/ check the progress of my application?:

Home Office UK Visas & Immigration launched a new international enquiry service. For more information please see the following link: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk. Please be aware that a charge applies when using this service and that Home Office staff will not be able to provide progress updates on individual applications.

If you experience visa delays beyond the UKVI's service target (15 working days for a standard application or 5 working days for a priority application from the date of appointment to the date of decision), and the delay means you may be unable to arrive in the UK before the 'latest start date' stated on your CAS, please get in touch with us Link opens in a new windowand we will try our best to follow up with the UKVI on your behalf.

Section 12: What do I need to check when I receive my visa?

You should check for errors when you receive your visa to ensure that it has been issued correctly, for example, there are no errors in your personal details or the length and conditions of your visa (police registration, working permission etc.) Your visa should also feature the sponsor licence number for the University of Warwick.