How to complete Appendix 8 2012-2013
How to complete Appendix 8 When you apply outside of the UK, you must complete two forms. The first is the “Personal Details form”, found either as VAF9 or as an online form depending upon which country you are applying from. The second, is the Appendix 8 form, which all applicants must complete. Once you complete it, give it to the UK Embassy or Visa Application Centre relevant to your country along with your original documents (including your original passport). Check that you are filling in the correct Appendix 8 form: the form to use will have “POINTS BASED SYSTEM APPENDIX 8” on the top right corner. The Appendix 8 application form is available on the UKVisas website at: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/visas/vaf9-app81.pdf Low Risk Nationalities: Argentina
Brunei
Croatia
Australia
Canada
BNO
Chile
(British Nationals Overseas)
New Zealand
Taiwan*
(HKSAR blue passport holders)
Singapore
Trinidad and Tobago
Japan
South Korea
USA
Hong Kong
*Those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes their number of the identification card.
If you are one of these nationalities (i.e, hold a passport of one of these countries) AND are applying in your home country then you benefit from the “differential arrangements” referred to throughout the application form. By ticking those sections, you are confirming that while you do not need to send the original evidence with your original passport and application form, you will be able to provide it on request. PART 1: About You
1.1: Write your given names as detailed in your passport.
PART 2: Parent/Guardian Details
2.1-2.8: Provide the details of your parents or guardians.
Only complete Part 2 if you are 16 or 17 years of age at the time that you apply.
1.2: Write your family or surname as given in your passport. 2.9: If you are to live in University Accommodation or know what your address in the UK is going to be, please provide the details – note – this is only required if you are 16 or 17 years of age at the time you apply. 2.10: Letter from parents/guardians – you must provide a letter from your parent or guardian which confirms that they are happy for you to travel independently to the UK to study. 2.11: Tick as relevant. 2.12: If your parent(s) or guardian(s) are going to accompany you, write their details in this section.
PART 3: Tier 4 Sponsor
The University of Edinburgh is your Tier 4 visa sponsor 3.1: University of Edinburgh 3.2: This is 23CYGN5K3 – (9 characters only, though there is space for 12) 3.3: Old College, South Bridge, EDINBURGH, EH8 9YL, Scotland – UK
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PART 4: Course Details This section asks for details about the course you are coming to the UK to study. The details you provide must match the CAS. PART 5: Attributes
4.1: Write the course title and subject in this. (For example; M.A.Hons in History, MSc in Computer Science, PhD in Divinity) 4.2: Academic level of the course when finished will be confirmed on your CAS: Undergraduate (MA Hons, B.Eng): NQF 6 / SCQF 10 Postgraduate taught (MSc): NQF 7 / SCQF 11 PhD: NQF 8 / SCQF 12 4.3: Use the start and end dates as given on your CAS. 4.4: Full address of primary site of study: students who will be studying in the central area should use the address given in 3.3. If you are studying at Kings Buildings, Easter Bush, ERI or in a location not in the central area, you should write your department address: http://www.ed.ac.uk/maps 4.5: If you have already started on the course and are applying to ‘extend’ or change an existing visa, tick Yes. Otherwise, tick No. 5.1: Tick to confirm you have a CAS. 5.2: Write your CAS number in the box. You do not need an official document which confirms the number. Write the number down on the application form.
This is the section 5.3: Tick “Studying”. in which you start to score the 40 points The other options are for specific cases of students coming to do other activities: required for the i) sabbatical officer is for elected student union officials visa. In this section, you need to score 30 points by providing your CAS number and any additional documents required.
ii) Undertaking a foundation course is for (medical) Doctors and Dentists taking a 2 year clinical training programme. 5.4: If you are a new student at the University, i.e., you are travelling to the UK to start a new course, your CAS will detail the qualification used to give you an offer on the course. You must enclose either the original official transcript or the diploma certificate itself. Tick the box to confirm this. Low risk nationalities: tick the box to confirm that you have the evidence, but do not require to send it with your application. 5.4: If your CAS says anything than a qualification used to assess you as suitable (such as “progress and attendance to date”), tick Yes and write in the box on what basis you have been assessed. 5.6: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ABILITY Please read your CAS details, the section entitled “Evidence used to obtain offer”. Box 1: Look at the list of countries in 5.7. If your nationality is in this box, tick the top box and write your nationality into the box in question 5.7. Now go to 5.14. Box 2: If you have a degree level qualification from an institution in any of the countries listed in 5.8, tick this box and write your qualification title and the country in which you studied it in the box in question 5.8. In 5.9. tick to confirm that you enclose the original degree certificate of that qualification. Low risk nationalities: tick the box to confirm that you have the evidence, but do not require to send it with your application. Now go to 5.14. Box 3: If your “Evidence used to obtain offer” details a Secure English Language Test, such as IELTS, TOEFL, tick this box and go to 5.10. In 5.10, write the details of the qualification and tick the box in 5.11 to confirm that you are sending your original IELTS/TOEFL or equivalent certificate. Note that IELTS reference numbers (test report form number) are 18 characters, not 12. . If you are a low risk national, tick the box in 5.11 to confirm that you have the evidence, but do not require to send it with your application. Now go to 5.14. Box 4: If you have studied in the UK as a Tier 4 Child Student, or have been in the UK under the pre-Tier 4 student rules until this application, tick this box. Go to 5.12, and complete the required details. Now go to 5.13 and tick the required box confirming what evidence you are going to send. Low risk nationals tick the box confirming that you have the evidence, but do not need to send it.
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PART 5: Attributes (Continued)
Box 5: If your CAS states: “We have assessed this student’s English language ability and confirm that it is equivalent to CEFR Level B2 or higher in each of the four components of language learning. No documents are required to be submitted as evidence of this (Para 115 of the Tier 4 Policy Guidance refers)”, tick this box. Now go to 5.14. Box 6: If your CAS states that you are a gifted student and have had your English language requirement waived, tick this box. Now go to 5.14. 5.14: ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) ATAS is a security clearance scheme for students studying certain Science, Engineering, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine courses. Your unconditional offer will confirm whether you need ATAS. Your CAS will also indicate whether you require it. If you require ATAS clearance, you must obtain it before applying for the visa. Go to www.fco.gov.uk/atas to begin the process. 5.12: Print off your ATAS certificate and send it with your application. Low risk nationalities must also send an ATAS certificate, if one is required 5.16/5.17: for Sabbatical Officers and Foundation Year Doctors (Medical) and Dentists. See explanation in 5.3 above.
PART 6 Maintenance Funds In this section, you score the final 10 points required to complete the 40 points by providing the required documents for your maintenance funds. Maintenance funds are made up of: Tuition Fees for the year + Living Costs for 9 months
6.1: Tuition Fees: this section details how much your tuition fees are and whether any have been paid in advance of the application. Your CAS will detail your fees for the course. Write the figure in the box. 6.2: If any of your fees have been paid in advance to the University of Edinburgh, tick Yes and write how much you have paid in the box underneath. Now go to 6.3. If you are going to be studying at the University on a Study Abroad arrangement (exchange) and your tuition fees to your home University will cover fees for Edinburgh, tick the second Yes box. If you have not paid any of your fees in advance, tick No and go to 6.4. 6.3: If you have paid any fees to the University, it is your responsibility to ensure that your CAS has been updated with any payment before you apply for the visa. You can also use an original paper receipt. Low risk nationalities can tick the box to confirm that evidence does not need to be sent, but that you can produce it on request. 6.4: Tick this box to confirm that you have sufficient funding to cover any remaining course fees. 6.5: Initial or Extension Application: in this section, you determine how much money you need to show for your living costs. Box 1: Tick this box if you are applying for a UK visa for the first time to travel to the UK to study. Now go to 6.6. Box 2: Tick this box if you are applying for a new UK visa and have been studying in the UK already on a course of studies less than 6 months long. Now go to 6.6. Box 3: Tick this box if you are applying for a new UK visa and have been studying in the UK on a course of any duration but that course was completed more than four months ago. Now go to 6.6. Box 4: Tick this box if you have been studying in the UK on a course longer than 6 months and your course or most recent UK visa ended within the last four months. Now go to 6.9. 6.6: Tick “Outside of the Inner London Boroughs” – (Edinburgh is outside of London!!). Now go to 6.8. 6.7: (Not applicable to Edinburgh students)
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PART 6 Maintenance Funds (Continued)
6.8: If your course of studies is 9 months or longer, write 7,200. Even if your course is 1, 2 or 4 years, the maximum amount is 7,200. If your course of studies is less than 9 months, multiply £800 by the number of months your course runs for. Each part of a month counts as a month for maintenance. For example, if your course runs from 12th September until 17th December, you would show 4 months of maintenance. 6.9: If you are extending your visa - for example, in question 6.5, you have ticked Box 4, tick “Outside of the Inner London Boroughs”. 6.10: (Not applicable to Edinburgh students) 6.11: Regardless of the length of your course remaining, write 1,600. This is the maximum amount of money you will need to show for your living costs. 6.12: If you are going to be living in University of Edinburgh accommodation, you can reduce your 7,200 or 1,600 if you have paid some of your accommodation fees. The maximum amount of pre-paid University accommodation fees that you can offset against your living costs (7,200 or 1,600) is £1,000. If you have paid, tick “Yes” and indicate how much you have paid. If you are a STUDY ABROAD EXCHANGE STUDENT and your fees to your home University are also going to cover your accommodation costs, tick “Yes - Paid to Overseas Higher Education Institution”. If you have paid no fees for accommodation or you are living in private accommodation, tick “No”. 6.13: If you have paid University accommodation fees, tick a box to show what evidence you are going to provide. The best evidence is that the payment is noted in the CAS before you apply. Otherwise, you should contact our Accommodation Service to request an original paper receipt to be sent to you to enclose with your application. As explained in 6.12, the maximum limit of pre-paid University accommodation fees accepted to offset against your living costs is £1,000. Low risk nationalities can tick the box to confirm that evidence does not need to be sent, but that you can produce it on request. 6.14: SHOWING FUNDS – Now that you have established how much money you need to show, you now have to demonstrate what evidence you are sending to show it. Full details on what evidence is accepted, what documents you must provide and what required information must be contained in the documents can be found in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance from paragraphs 134-184. If you are going to receive a full or partial scholarship from an official financial sponsor, such as a government, the UK government, an international company or international organisation, tick “Yes”. If you are going to be entirely self-funded (including student loans) or funded by your parents, tick “No” and go to 6.17. 6.15: Evidence of Sponsorship/Scholarship: If you are to be funded by an official financial sponsor as detailed above, you must provide a letter from your organisation which confirms this arrangement. Details of what the letter must say can be found in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance. University Scholarship: if you are going to receive a University of Edinburgh administered scholarship, the scholarship must be detailed in the sponsor notes of the CAS. Before you apply, ensure your Scholarship details are in your CAS – do not send University of Edinburgh scholarship letters. Low risk nationalities can tick the box to confirm that evidence does not need to be sent, but that you can produce it on request. 6.16: How much is your scholarship? In the boxes, write how much your scholarship covers in figures. If you have a scholarship letter which states that “all tuition fees and living costs” will be covered, write the amount of your fees in the box on the left and 7,200 in the box on the right.
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PART 6 Maintenance Funds (Continued)
6.17 If you are not fully funded by a scholarship, or you have tuition fees left to pay and maintenance funds still to show, tick Yes and write in the boxes how much of your fees you have left to pay and how much maintenance (7,200 or 1,600) you still need to show. Total these up – the total you write in the box is the amount of money you need in your bank account or in the account of your parents. Now go to question 6.18. 6.18: Is the money in your own name? If the money you need to show is in your own bank account or a joint account in which you are one of the account holders, tick “Yes”. Now go to question 6.20. If you are fully funded by a scholarship you can tick “No”. Continue to Part 7. If the money is in both your and your parents’/legal guardians’ bank account, tick “Have money in parent bank account”. Now go to question 6.19. Note that it is only parents or legally appointed guardians. If none of the money is in your own name and all of it is in your parents/legal guardians, tick “No”. Now go to question 6.19. 6.19: Parental Funds: If you are using your parents’ or legal guardians’ bank statements you must provide a letter from them confirming this arrangement and that the money is for your studies. Low risk nationalities can tick the box to confirm that evidence does not need to be sent, but that you can produce it on request. You must provide (as relevant): Your original birth certificate which names you and your parents; or A court document naming you and your legal guardian; or An adoption certificate naming you and your adoptive parents. Low risk nationalities can tick the box to confirm that evidence does not need to be sent, but that you can produce it on request. 6.20: Evidence of funds If you have to provide evidence of your own or your parents (or legal guardians) cash funds, or evidence of a student loan, you need to tick the appropriate box. You must provide ORIGINAL evidence, such as posted bank statements, official letters or similar. Do not use photocopies, internet print-outs or similar. If you are using cash funds in the bank, these funds need to be in place as a minimum balance across 28 days and provided in original evidence which is dated no more than one month from your date of application (the date you pay for the visa application). If you have a student loan, you should provide a letter from the financial institution confirming the funds or agreement of the loan. US and Canadian Student Loan student holders should ensure they have their student loan letter from the University of Edinburgh confirming that the loan has been set up but also benefit from the low risk nationalities arrangements which confirm that the letter does not need to be sent with the original passport and visa application. Low risk nationalities can tick the box to confirm that evidence does not need to be sent, but that you can produce it on request.
How to complete Appendix 8
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PART 7 Summary Sheet In this section, you total your points, list the documents you are sending and sign and date the application form.
Possession of a CAS (30 Points): You may require any or all of the following: • CAS number • ORIGINAL degree certificate or official transcript of studies • ATAS Certificate – if your course requires it, print off your ATAS and send it with the application. This includes low risk nationality. • English language certificate – (ONLY if your CAS specifically mentions your English language test and score). Maintenance funds (10 Points): You may require any or all of the following ORIGINAL documents: • Any pre-payment of fees or University accommodation costs must be updated in the CAS. • Official paper receipts confirming payment has been made for either Fees or Accommodation (University provided). • Letter from official financial sponsors. • Confirmation of a University scholarship must be in the CAS. • Bank statements (covering 28 days with a minimum balance across that period no lower than your required level of funds). The end of the statement must fall within 28 days of the date you pay for your visa application. • Birth certificate (original) naming your parents and you. • Letter from parents confirming funding for your studies. • Certificate of adoption or official legal document confirming legal guardianship. SIGN AND DATE THE FORM. NOW GIVE ALL YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS – INCLUDING YOUR ORIGINAL PASSPORT – TO THE BRITISH EMBASSY OR VISA APPLICATION CENTRE AS REQUIRED IN YOUR COUNTRY. Low risk nationalities: You do not need to send the evidence outlined above, but you must send your original passport and a completed application form. If you require ATAS, you must print this and send it with the application. If the British Embassy/High Commission request evidence later on, it must be in line with the general requirements set out above and must be original. If you confirm in the application form, something which later is proved not to be accurate or deliberately misleading, you can be banned from the UK for a period of up to 10 years. Please therefore ensure that if you tick that you have the evidence required, that you genuinely do have that evidence available. If you have booked travel, you may wish to send in a photocopy of your itinerary with your application. This does not guarantee that you will have your visa in time, but they will at least be aware of your planned travel date.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Translations: If any of your documents are not in English or bilingual to English (i.e., in your own language AND English simultaneously), you must provide an official translation. The original translation must contain confirmation from the translator/translation company that it is an accurate translation of the original document, 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. Tier 4 Policy Guidance: making a successful visa application requires you to pay close attention to the evidence requirements. Please refer to the Tier 4 Policy Guidance, available at: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf This rules and criteria detailed in this document are used by Visa and Entry Clearance Officers to make a decision on your application. Paragraphs 134 to 184, detail the documents you can use to prove you have funds available.
Version 2: Review date 31 July 2012
Published by The University of Edinburgh, The International Office, 57 George Square - EH8 9JU, Edinburgh
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