Your Gateway to an International Career: Tier 4 – UK Student Visa
The United Kingdom houses few of the best universities of the world which can be your gateway to making a global career.
The UK government has also been very keen on exploiting the full potential of international students. Recently the government has streamlined its student visa processing for 11 countries aiming to attract larger number of international students.
In the year ending March 2018, there were 223,839 Tier 4 Study-related visas granted by the UK. Thus, between the quality of universities available and UK’s desire to expand its higher education opportunities lies your chance to make the most of it.
The UK student visa or the Tier 4 visa is a point-based immigration system based on the principle of visa sponsorship. Under a point based visa immigration system, the applicant is required to accrue points to have a successful visa application. There are several steps prior to getting issues a Tier 4 visa that must be sorted for your successful visa application:
Step 1 – Admission: Although this step is fairly self-evident, international admissions can be fairly daunting. After finding the right university and the course program comes the uphill task of securing admission. For the purposes of your admission, you must make a thorough check of the documents required to submit your application like your statement of purpose, your previous degree and transcripts, recommendation letters from your former professors and additional certificates and awards confirming your excellence and co-curricular participation.
Step 2 – Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) For a Tier 4 student visa, your sponsor would be an educational institution, i.e., your prospective university or college, which will issue you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) after you have accepted your unconditional admission offer to the University. A CAS is a 14 digit reference number which is issued through an online database of UK Visas and Immigration which contains your details. A correctly issued CAS by a Highly Trusted Status (HTS) university listed on the UKVI Tier 4 Sponsor list enables you to score 30 points.
Step 3 – Meeting the financial requirement: Meeting the financial requirement is crucial to your Tier 4 visa application. The financial requirement can be met in 3 ways: Self-funding, Financial Grant, Educational Loans. Meeting the financial requirement through any or a combination of the above sources enables you to score 10 point under the points based visa systems. Do remember that the financial documents are one of the most important parts of the visa application and submitting financial documents in an incorrect format is the main reason why Tier 4 visa applications are refused.
Step 4 – English Language Requirement: As all the study courses whilst you are enrolled in a UK university are in English, you are required to provide evidence that they speak, communicate and understand English language to a certain level and this requirement can be met by either being a national of one of the majority English speaking countries, or by having a degree level qualification from an English speaking country or by having passed an English language Test level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference required, please refer to the Approved English Tests Providers List.
Step 5 – Tuberculosis Certificate: Visa nationals of certain countries need a TB Certificate from UK government approved clinic in order to qualify for entry clearance.
Step 6 – Immigration Health Surcharge: Coming to study in the UK, you are required to pay a mandatory immigration health surcharge in order to access national healthcare services in the UK. The surcharge fee payable by you is calculated based on the course start and end dates inputted into the form. The payment for the surcharge is made online as a part of the visa application.
Step 7 – Visa Application Process: After collecting all the necessary documents you will have to submit an online visa application form. You will then be asked to make an appointment with a nearby visa centre which you will have to attend with all the documents collected.
There are some other great additions with the Tier 4 student visa – you can bring along your dependants – your partner and children.
There have been some recent changes that have made to Tier 4 student visa. The UK government has introduced a list of low risk countries which allows for relaxed documentation.
For instance, in order to meet the financial requirement you will not need to send official original points-scoring evidence i.e., your financial and educational documents for your visa application.
You just need to sign a declaration in the Tier 4 visa application confirming that the necessary evidence available to you.
Unfortunately, India is not included in the list of low risk countries and hence it is advisable to seek legal assistance in making your application.
The UK has also introduced a Tier 4 Pilot Scheme with a select 23 universities which streamlines the visa application process for certain Masters Degree students. The Tier 4 Pilot Service allows you to stay in the UK for 6 months after your programme has ended and submit fewer documents with your application. The Tier 4 student visa also exempts you from certain requirements for work-related visa in case if you were to find a job in the UK. The Tier 4 visa requirements might be cumbersome, but once successfully done, it can ensure that you embark on building a global career.
If you need a U.K immigration lawyer and need assistance with any aspect of UK immigration law whether from inside the U.K or from overseas, contact Aschfords Law in Harrow, London. We also provide legal advice and assistance in respect of Family Law, Wills & Probate, Litigation, Landlord & Tenant. Please contact us today on +44 (0) 7582932830