Frequently Asked Questions: How to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa
Contents • I plan on travelling in the summer. Can I apply for a Tier 4 visa before I go travelling?................................ 2 • This will take too long. Can I apply for my Tier 4 visa from another country, which is not my home country, while I am travelling?............................................................................................................................. 2 • Can I apply for a Tier 4 visa in the UK?................................................................................................................. 2 • I am a non-visa national. Why can I not study my degree course on a student visitor visa, which is stamped into my passport at the UK port if arrival?........................................................................................... 2 • Can I study at the University of Edinburgh on a General visitor visa?................................................................ 2 • Do I need to have a UK address before I can apply for a Tier 4 visa?................................................................ 2 • Can my family come and visit me when I am in the UK?.................................................................................... 3 • Can my friends come and visit me while I am in the UK?................................................................................... 3 • The sponsor licence number of the University is only 9 characters. The form has space for 12 – is this right?............................................................................................................................................................ 3 • Does the CAS need to be given to the British Embassy on an official University letter?.................................. 3 • Can someone check my application before I send it to the British Embassy?.................................................. 4 • Can the international office liaise with the British Consulate in my country if there is something wrong with my visa application or if my application is refused?....................................................................... 4 • I have already given my fingerprints for a visa in the past – do I need to give them again as part of the visa process?.................................................................................................................................................... 4 • What are “original” documents?.......................................................................................................................... 4 • My Tier 4 visa expires before the date of my graduation ceremony. What should I do?................................. 4
Frequently Asked Questions: how to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa
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Frequently Asked Questions: How to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa I plan on travelling in the summer. Can I apply for a Tier 4 visa before I go travelling? You cannot apply for a Tier 4 visa more than 3 months before the start of your course. When you apply for your visa, you must supply your original passport as one of the supporting documents. Your passport will not be returned to you until the outcome of your visa application has been decided. Please take this into consideration and do not book any travel until your passport and entry clearance (visa) are returned to you. UKVisas have published the following continuously updated information advising on processing times in your country: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/ processingtimes You should allow around 28 working days total turnaround for the visa to be issued. At certain times of year, it can take longer.
This will take too long. Can I apply for my Tier 4 visa from another country, which is not my home country, while I am travelling? You must apply for your Tier 4 visa from the country in which you are resident or ‘living’. In certain countries the British Consulate or High Commission offers a premium or express service for Tier 4 visa applications, meaning that your visa application is normally decided within 48 hours. If you are a resident of a country where the British Consulate offers a premium service, this may be an option for you, so that you can get your passport and visa quickly before travelling to the UK. There is normally an extra charge for this service. To find out if you can do this from your home country, please follow the link below: www.visainfoservices.com/Pages/Welcome.aspx
Can I apply for a Tier 4 visa in the UK? You must make your initial Tier 4 visa application from your country of residence, regardless of your nationality. Once you are in the UK, you may need to extend your existing Tier 4 visa. For example, if you want to take further study. You would normally be able to extend your Tier 4 visa from within the UK, provided you meet the criteria for this.
I am a non-visa national. Why can I not study my degree course on a student visitor visa, which is stamped into my passport at the UK port if arrival? A student visitor visa can only be used for specific courses which are no longer than six months in total. A student visitor visa cannot be extended and you cannot switch from a student visitor visa to a Tier 4 visa. You will also be prohibited from taking any kind of employment, paid or unpaid under the student visitor route.
Can I study at the University of Edinburgh on a General visitor visa? No. A general visitor visa prohibits study and we will not be able to matriculate you if you are in the UK on a general visitor visa.
Do I need to have a UK address before I can apply for a Tier 4 visa? You do not need to have a UK address for the purpose of your Tier 4 visa application unless you are 16 or 17 years old. On the Appendix 8 visa application form, in Section 2 it asks for the address where you will be residing in the UK. Section 2 only needs to be completed by those students who are 16 or 17 years old. If you are older than 17 then you should skip section 2 of the Appendix 8 form and go straight to Section 3.
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Frequently Asked Questions: How to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa Can my family come and visit me when I am in the UK? Yes, your family members would need to apply for a Family visitor visa from the British Consulate/ High Commission in their country. They would apply using form VAF 1B. They will normally need to provide the following documents with their Family visitor visa application: • Payment for visa application • Original passport(s) • One recent passport sized photograph • Evidence of your family member(s) employment or other means of financial support e.g. recent payslips and letter from employer authorising absence • Evidence of your family member(s) total monthly income from all sources e.g. friends, family, property, savings etc • A letter of invitation from you stating when you would like your family to visit and giving the address of where they will be staying. • Proof that you are a student in the UK. You can get a confirmation of student status letter from your school or college office. • A photocopy of your passport pages, showing your personal details, your current UK visa and the most recent immigration stamp from the British Authorities. For further information, please follow the link below: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/ inf2visitors#564054582
Can my friends come and visit me while I am in the UK? Yes, your friends would need to apply for General visitor visa from the British Consulate/ High Commission in their country. They would apply using form VAF1A. They will normally need to provide the following documents with their General visitor visa application: • Payment for visa application • Original passport(s) • One recent passport sized photograph
• A letter of invitation from you stating when you would like your friend(s) to visit and giving the address of where they will be staying. • Proof that you are a student in the UK. You can get a confirmation of student status letter from your school or college office. • A photocopy of your passport pages, showing your personal details, your current UK visa and the most recent immigration stamp from the British Authorities. • Evidence of your friends’ employment or other means of financial support e.g. recent payslips and letter from employer authorising absence • Evidence of your friends’ total monthly income from all sources e.g. friends, family, property, savings etc • Planned itinerary • Details of any flight/ hotel bookings etc For further information, please follow the link below: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/ inf2visitors#564054582
The sponsor licence number of the University is only 9 characters. The form has space for 12 – is this right? Yes. The University’s sponsor licence number is 23CYGN5K3. This is shorter than the section on the form allows for, but the number is still correct. Some Universities/Colleges have longer numbers.
Does the CAS need to be given to the British Embassy on an official University letter? No - we email you with the details of your CAS. You need only write the CAS number on the application form. There is no requirement in the UK immigration rules for the CAS to be a formal letter from the University.
Frequently Asked Questions: how to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa
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Frequently Asked Questions: How to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa Can someone check my application before I send it to the British Embassy? The International Office cannot check that your original documents are suitable from a fax or an email. We do however provide detailed information on how to apply for a UK Tier 4 General Visa. It is your responsibility to make your visa application to come to the UK and therefore, we strongly advise that you take the time to read the information. In various countries, there are UK visa agencies that can check and handle your visa application. This is normally for a fee. You should check carefully that they are a reputable company before handing over responsibility for your application to them.
Can the international office liaise with the British Consulate in my country if there is something wrong with my visa application or if my application is refused? The International Office maintains contact with various British diplomatic missions. These are only used for information sharing purposes. We are not in the position to instruct visa offices to issue visas or to speed up decision making and are not able to intervene in an application made outside of the UK.
I have already given my fingerprints for a visa in the past – do I need to give them again as part of the visa process? Biometric data collection (fingerprints and a biometric photograph) are part of the UK visa process. Each time you apply for a visa, you will need to give these details.
What are “original” documents? Original documents are the first version of the document. In the case of degree certificates/ transcripts, these are the actual documents released by the University. For bank statements/ letters, these are bank statements or letters printed on the headed paper of the bank.
My Tier 4 visa expires before the date of my graduation ceremony. What should I do? If you have finished studying it is not possible to extend your Tier 4 visa simply for the purpose of attending your graduation ceremony. If your Tier 4 visa expires before the date of your graduation ceremony, then you will need to think about what you wish to do before your current visa expires. If you are planning to work in the UK, then you should look at the different visa options: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/ working However, if you ONLY want to stay in the UK to attend your graduation ceremony, then you will need to obtain a General visitor visa. If you are a visa national, you will need to return to your home country to apply for the General visitor visa. If you are a non-visa national, then the General visitor visa can be stamped into your passport on entry to the UK. You can check if you are a visa or non-visa national here: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/ general-info/non-visa-nationals
Version 2 March 2012 Published by The University of Edinburgh, The International Office, 57 George Square - EH8 9JU, Edinburgh
Frequently Asked Questions: how to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa
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