Extending your visa to study at NTU Important information for students finishing their NTIC programme in August 2013 In order to enrol at NTU you will be required to present a visa which is suitable for study at the University. If you do not present a suitable visa by the official start date of your course, your offer from NTU could be withdrawn. You therefore need to read the following information carefully so that you understand the action you need to take, which will depend on your current visa (when it was issued and how long it is valid for). Please note: if you applied for your current visa after 5 th October 2009, it is NOT suitable for study at NTU. You must apply for a new visa before you can enrol on your course.
Current visa details
Action needed
th
You applied for your current visa after 5 October 2009 AND your visa expires either less than 28 days before the start of your course at NTU (eg. visa expiry date = 17/09/13, course start date = 23/09/13) or after your course at NTU has started (eg. visa expiry date = 31/10/13, course start date = 23/09/13).
You have two options: 1. If you are planning to return home between courses, you may make your new Tier 4 visa application from your home country, and return to the UK using your new NTU visa. 2. If you are planning to stay in the UK between courses you can apply for your new visa from within the UK. You must submit your visa application before you can start your course at NTU. The International Student Support Service will support you with your application.
Your current visa expires 29 day or more before the start of your course at NTU.
You should check that you have sufficient time to complete your course at NTIC. If you do, you will need to leave the UK and make a fresh visa application in your home country. Contact the International Student Support Service (int.support@ntu.ac.uk) for individual advice on the action you need to take.
You have made a visa application to the UKBA for your NTIC course, but have not received a decision yet.
Applying for a new student visa What do I need to do to prepare for my visa application? Action I have attended an International Student Support Service visa information session. (NB please check your NTIC email account at the beginning of June for your invitation to this event). I know how much money I will need to have available in order to successfully make my student visa application. I have transferred the required funds into my UK bank account. I have made arrangements for my bank to send me bank statements after I have kept the required funds in my account for 28 days. I have created an account on the UKBA website and started to complete my application form I have prepared all the documents listed in the NTIC Tier 4 application checklist. I have created an account on the UKBA website and started to complete the online application form I have submitted my documents and a draft version of my application form to the International Student Support Service for checking. I have received confirmation from the International Student Support Service that my application is ready to submit to UKBA. I have submitted my online application to UKBA and provided the International Student Support Service with the cover sheet provided by UKBA. I am checking my NTIC email account regularly
Deadline* July
Done
July July August August August August* August* September* September* Continuously
*The International Student Support Service will provide you with further information on exact deadlines in the summer term.
How much money do I need to meet the maintenance requirement? The amount of money you need to show will depend on your personal situation. Your situation
Your maintenance requirement
You have a valid student visa which has not yet expired at time you are making your visa application AND you have completed a course at NTIC that was at least 6 month during this visa.
All outstanding tuition fees for the 2013/14 academic year plus £1,600 for living costs.
Your course at NTIC was less than 6 months long and / or your most recent visa will have expired at the time you make your new application.
All outstanding tuition fees for the 2013/14 academic year plus £7,200 for living costs.
How do I make my application? Applying from inside the UK If you are planning to make your application from inside the UK, the International Student Support Service can support you with your application. You will be required to submit an online application form. The International Student Support Service will provide you with full guidance on this. You can then submit your documents to
the UK Border Agency either by post or in person. Postal applications are cheaper (currently £406) but often take at least 3-4 months to be processed, during which time you cannot travel. In-person appointments are more expensive (currently £781) but you will receive your new visa within 2 weeks of the appointment. If you want to apply in person, you will need to book your appointment as part of the online application process. You should ensure that your documents are checked by an adviser prior to making your application and booking the appointment. Document checking The International Student Support Service will check your documents and a draft of your application before you submit it online. Once you have submitted your application online, we can send your documents directly to the UKBA Student Batch Scheme (or return them to you if you have booked an in-person appointment). In order to take advantage of this service, you must submit your documents on the deadline which has been assigned to you by the International Student Support Service. If you miss your deadline, we may not be able to offer the service to you. You are advised not to submit your online visa application form (including making the payment) until your documents and a draft of your application have been checked by an adviser. You will receive further information about this during your International Student Support Visa Information Session held in July. Applying from outside the UK You are advised to check with your local British Embassy to see how long visa applications are currently taking in your country. You must ensure that you will not be delayed in returning to the UK – if you cannot be back in the UK in time for the start of your course at NTU, you may not be allowed to enrol on your course and you may have to defer your studies. The documents that you need to prepare for your visa application are the same as if you were applying from inside the UK, but the application form and fee are different. To find out more about the visa application process in your country, including how to apply and the location of visa application centres, please see www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries. We also recommend that you consult the UKCISA guidance notes for more guidance on “Entry Clearance” visas: www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/immigration_uk.php
Important information for students with dependants If you have family members (husband / wife / children under the age of 18) and you want them to join you in the UK while you study, please check carefully that they are entitled to come to the UK as your dependant. The UKCISA online guide for Tier 4 family (www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/t4_family/index.php) and their guidance note Your family’s immigration (www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/your_family.php) are useful tools to check if you are able to bring family members with you to the UK and get advice on how to apply. Please contact the International Student Support Service (int.support@ntu.ac.uk) if you require further guidance.
Where can I get further information? International Student Support Service: Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2631 Email: int.support@ntu.ac.uk www.ntu.ac.uk/internationalsupport UK Council for International Student Affairs: www.ukcisa.org.uk UK Border Agency: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students Please be aware that the UK Border Agency regulations change regularly. You are therefore advised to check that you have the most recent information before making your visa application.