Tier 4 General Student Immigration: Immigration Guide

Tier 4 General Student Visa
Immigration Guide 2012-13

Contents
What is a visa? .......................................................................................................2
• Who needs a visa? ....................................................................................................................................................2
• Tier 4 general visa.....................................................................................................................................................3

Making a Tier 4 application .................................................................................4
• ‘Low risk’ nationals....................................................................................................................................................5
• Non-visa nationals .....................................................................................................................................................5

30 points - ‘CAS’ number ......................................................................................6
• When will I get my CAS?...........................................................................................................................................6
• What is Tier 4 sponsorship? .....................................................................................................................................6

10 points - Maintenance (funds) requirements .................................................7
• Tuition fees ................................................................................................................................................................7
• Living costs ................................................................................................................................................................7
• Showing your funds ..................................................................................................................................................8
• How long will I get? ..................................................................................................................................................9
• When can I travel to the UK? ...................................................................................................................................9

Dependants .........................................................................................................10
• General points ........................................................................................................................................................ 10

Refusals.................................................................................................................11
• What do I do if my visa is refused? ...................................................................................................................... 11
• Can the University contact an Embassy on my behalf? ...................................................................................................................... 11

Links and contacts ..............................................................................................12
• Complete Tier 4 guidance from UKBA ................................................................................................................. 12
• ATAS certification information ............................................................................................................................. 12
• UKCISA information ............................................................................................................................................... 12

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What is a visa?
A visa is a certificate (also referred to as ‘Entry Clearance’) which gives you permission to enter the UK. The application for a visa is assessed by the British diplomatic post in your country of origin or ordinary residence, or in some cases, is handled by a UK diplomatic post in a regional headquarters. The visa is issued in the form of a sticker, is placed in the original passport and is evidence of your status and purpose of being in the UK.

Who needs a visa?
Immigration requirements are determined by nationality:
EU/EEA/Swiss passport holders:
Do not need a visa and are not subject to UK immigration control. You should enter the UK through the
EU/EEA channel at passport control on arrival. This includes “dual nationals” - people who have an EU/
EEA/Swiss passport in addition to a non-EU/EEA/Swiss passport. If you have EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in addition to another, use your EU/EEA/Swiss passport to arrive in the UK. Doing so, places you outside of immigration requirements.

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals:
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals arriving in the UK as a student to study for a degree at Edinburgh must arrange a Tier 4 General student visa, before travelling to the UK from the British embassy or consulate in your home country.

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Tier 4 general visa www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students A Tier 4 General visa is the study visa for the UK.
It is a points-based visa and to successfully apply for it, you need to score 40 out of 40 points:
Points

For

Evidence required

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

A CAS number issued by the University of Edinburgh

Previous/most recent qualification Your CAS will be issued on the basis that the University used a previous qualification to confirm that you are suitable to take the course.
This qualification will be noted on your CAS and we will use only one of your previous qualifications. We do not refer to references we may have requested, in the CAS. You need therefore only include the ORIGINAL degree certificate, qualification or transcript detailed in the CAS in your visa application. English Language

Your CAS will confirm on what basis we have assessed your
English language level and that it is above the required minimum level. The CAS will confirm whether you:
i) are from a majority English speaking country as defined by the UKBA (or) ii) have completed a degree from a majority English speaking country (including UK) as defined by the UKBA
(or)
iii) have passed a Secure English Language Test (such as IELTS,
TOFL, Pearson or Cambridge) at the required level (or)
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iv) have been assessed as suitable by the University’s own criteria and methods.
If it uses criteria i), ii) or iv): you do not need to send evidence to prove your English language level.
If your CAS details a Secure English Language Test (IELTS or TOFL): you must send the original certificate with your application. Progression

If you have studied in the UK previously, your CAS must confirm how the new course relates to the previous one.
For example, A-levels to an undergraduate degree, or from postgraduate degree to PhD, are courses at the next level of academic studies.
In rare cases, the CAS may confirm that the course is
‘complimentary’ to a course studied at the same level.

ATAS Certification

If your course requires you to have ATAS Certificate, you must provide a print out of this certificate.
For more information see our ATAS guide at: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/international-office/ immigration/downloads/atas-certificate

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Maintenance (Funds)
Requirement

You will need to demonstrate you are able to fund your tuition fees for the academic year plus a set amount for your living costs.

All documents you send for consideration with the application must be ORIGINAL and sent at the time of application – the UK visa office will not contact you if you have forgotten anything or left a document out. This includes your passport.
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Making a Tier 4 application
Timing

The earliest you can apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa to begin studies in the UK is 3 months before the start date of the course. If you apply any earlier than this, your application will be rejected.
Unless you are already in the UK under the Tier 4 or student visa regulations, you must apply in your home country or a country in which you are normally officially
resident.
Application

1. Complete the initial general visa application form online or on paper (application form VAF9) as required in your country. Visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk and select your country in the “Where to Apply” section to begin the process.
2. Print out and complete Appendix 8 on paper (all countries): www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/ apply-outside-uk - see “VAF9 Appendix 8”
We have a guide on how to complete the form here: w ww.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/international-office/immigration/ downloads/appendix-8 3. Pay the application fee (289 GBP): this is paid online at the end of the online application form or is paid when you hand the completed application to the visa application centre, depending on your country of application.

Biometrics

You need to give your biometrics - a scan fingers prints and a digital facial photograph. More information about how the biometrics process is handled in your region is included in the “Where to Apply” section of the UKBA website.

Documents

When you hand/send your application to the British authorities, ensure that
you enclose all the documentation with your application as required.
Use only original documentation with your application - including your original passport. Decision
Return

The visa section at the embassy will consider your application.
Depending upon where you apply, the documents are sent back to you by secure mail or you are contacted to collect them.
You should allow around 28 days turnaround for the visa to be issued. At certain times of year, it can take longer.

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“Low risk” nationals
The UK Border Agency considers the following nationalities as “low risk” nationalities, if they are applying for the visa in their home country:
BNO

Argentina

Australia

(British National
Overseas)

Brunei

Chile

Croatia

Hong Kong
(HKSAR ‘blue’ passport) Japan

New Zealand

Singapore

South Korea

Taiwan *

Trinidad and
Tobago

USA

Canada

*Those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes their national ID card number.

Tier 4 applicants of the above nationalities do not need to send official original points-scoring evidence
(degree certificates, bank statements etc) in with their visa application to come to the UK, if applying in their home country. However, please be aware that you may still need to provide the required evidence in the required format, if the UK visa office considering your application asks for it.

When you make your application, you need to:
• complete the initial form (online or on paper
VAF9),
• complete the Appendix 8 application form,
• pay the visa fee,
• give biometrics,
• send/take your application, photographs and original passport to the British Embassy/Consulate that deals with application in your country.
• use the low risk route – do not send documents that you do not have to, unless requested – it only slows down the process.
If you are applying outside of your home country (for example, you have residency in a different country from the country of your nationality), you will need to provide all the evidence as required with your application and you would not benefit from the ‘low risk’ concessions.

Non-visa nationals
Some nationalities can enter the UK without a visa and be stamped in for up to 6 months as a visitor.
If you are coming to study a degree, you must not enter the UK as a visitor. The University will not be able to enrol you, the visa cannot be changed from within the UK and you would have to return home, arrange the correct visa and return to the UK.

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30 Points - ‘CAS’ number
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number is a 14 digit alpha-numeric reference number essential to your Tier 4 visa application. The
University provides mandatory information about your studies to the UK Border Agency and in return, receives a unique CAS reference number for your visa application. Without it, you will not be able to make a successful application for the visa.

When will i get my CAS?
When you have accepted an unconditional offer and provided a scan or copy of your passport, your
College Office will arrange your CAS number in sufficient time for you to make a visa application.

When you apply for the visa, you need only write down the correct CAS number in the required section of the application form. No additional documents are required as evidence of the number itself and we only provide CAS numbers directly to you by email to your EUCLID/MyEd account. We recommend that you print off your CAS email and enclose it with your application. The visa officer who considers your application will use the CAS number you write in your application form to access your file on the system. All the details about your studies and information detailing what original documents they will expect to see in relation to your CAS number, will be available to them.

Once the CAS has been set up, the College Office will email you with the details we have noted on the system in your name. IIf there are any mistakes in the information, or your situation changes, including new passport number, payments for fees and accommodation, it is your responsibility to notify us of these, so that your CAS can be changed and an updated version emailed to you before you apply.

What is Tier 4 sponsorship?

The CAS remains valid for only six months and can only be used within three months of the start date of your course. A CAS number can only be used once - if your visa application is refused, you will need a new
CAS to reapply.

The University as your Tier 4 sponsor has a legal duty to ensure that we - and as far as possible, you comply with UK Border Agency (UKBA) requirements.
As a Tier 4 General Student in the UK, it is essential that you comply with the conditions of your Tier 4 general student visa. The University is required to withdraw sponsorship where the requirements are not being met.

If you have applied to more than one University, you may have been given a CAS number for each unconditional offer. Only use the CAS number relevant to the institution that you wish to attend when you apply for the visa. You can only be sponsored by one University at one time in the UK and we cannot enrol students who are sponsored by other institutions. For more information about “Tier 4 Sponsorship”, please see below (“What is Tier 4 Sponsorship?”).

When you apply for your Tier 4 General student visa, your name is added to the University’s sponsor licence number. If you are a Tier 4 student, you cannot study at the University of Edinburgh unless you have a Tier 4 General visa with the University’s sponsor licence number on it.

Please familiarise yourself with our information on
Tier 4 Sponsorship as these are the conditions under which the University is sponsoring your status in the
UK:
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/ international-office/immigration/new-students/ tier-4-sponsorship

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10 Points: Maintenance (funds) requirement www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/can-you-apply/money Living costs
In addition to the 30 points required for CAS and associated documents, you must score 10 points for your Maintenance (Funds). The money you must demonstrate you have access to, covers your tuition fees for the year + living costs as follows:
Length of Course Maintenance (Funds) needed
9 months or more

Tuition fees for the year as stated on CAS
+
7,200GBP

Less than
9 months

Tuition fees for the programme of studies as stated on CAS
+
800GBP per month/part month of studies up to 7,200GBP

The amount you need to show can either be demonstrated in UK Sterling (GBP) or any recognised world currency. It is useful for your reference – and for the visa officer who considers your application to convert amounts into GBP by using: www.oanda.com/convert/classic Tuition fees
Your CAS contains information about your tuition fees for the first year of the course or in the case that your course lasts 12 months or less, the total tuition fee.
The amount includes any additional programme costs as required by your particular course, such as laboratory/bench fees. The level of fees stated in your
CAS is the tuition fees you must show that you have access to, in addition to your living costs in order to score the points for the Tier 4 visa.
Payments towards your fees in advance of your visa application are deducted from the tuition fee aspect of your maintenance funds up to the total value of the fees. Any tuition fees left over will need to be demonstrated in other evidence.
•

For example, if your course fees are 15,000GBP and you pay 10,000GBP in advance and that payment is noted in the CAS before you apply, you will need to provide evidence for the remaining
5,000GBP in addition to your living costs.

In addition to your course fees, you must demonstrate that you have access to living costs. These are
7,200GBP for students coming to study a degree, or
800GBP per month or part-month of studies if the course is less than 9 months.
“Established Presence”
If, at the time you apply, you have been studying in the UK on a Tier 4 General Student or Student visa for longer than 6 months on a single course of studies and that visa is still valid at the date of application for your new visa, the amount of money you need to show for living costs is reduced. This is called having ‘established presence’ and it reduces your living costs amount for evidence to 1600GBP.
University Accommodation payments
If you pre-pay University-provided accommodation fees before making your visa application, the amount of money - up to a maximum of £1000 can be offset from the 7,200GBP living costs.
• For example, your living costs are 7200GBP and you pay 1000GBP for University accommodation, you need to show 6200GBP in addition to any remaining tuition fees left to pay.
• To complete the example, the 5000GBP left over for fees added to the 6200GBP for living costs, means you have to show you have access to a minimum of 11,200GBP in one of the approved ways, explained in more detail below.
How does prepayment of fees/ accommodation affect my visa application?
Pre-payment of fees in itself does not make a successful visa outcome more likely. Your visa application will be decided on the evidence you send to show that you have the funds available as required - whether these are paid fees/ accommodation, bank statements, student loans or an official financial scholarship. Pre-payment of fees therefore only reduces the amount you have to show in other evidence.
How do I ensure payments are included on my
CAS?
Advise us of payments (or any other required changes to your CAS) by replying to your CAS email with the subject line: “CAS for visa – UPDATE”, with a message giving your student number (UUN), your
CAS number and information about what was paid, how much was paid and when the payment was made. If you received an e-receipt following your payment, please include it with the email.
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Showing your funds

2. Parental/Legal guardian(s) bank statements

You can demonstrate access to the funds in one or more of four ways. Pages 29-34 of the Tier 4
Policy Guidance provides a full explanation of the documents required to score the points and what these must confirm. You should take time to look at these before applying for the visa:

You can use funds held by your parents or legally appointed guardians as evidence for your 10 points.
You must ensure that the funds are demonstrated in cash funds as above. In addition, you must also provide: • your original birth certificate (professionally translated, if required) or an adoption certificate or official court document confirming legal guardian status.
• a brief, signed letter from your parents which confirms that the funds can be used for your UK education. www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/ applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf 1. Your bank statements
If you use your own money to score 10 points, you must provide one month (at least 28 days) of original bank statements in your name.
The statement or letter from the bank – must confirm that the amount of money you need for your maintenance (tuition fees + living costs) has been at least the minimum balance available throughout a
28 day period.
The balance must not fall below the required amount during the 28 day period, otherwise your application will be refused. The bank statement must be dated within 1 month of your date of application.
The ’date of application’ outside of the UK, is the date on which you either pay for your visa application in ‘online’ process countries or in countries where there is no online process, the date you attend the
Visa Application Centre to hand in your application.
Evidence must be cash funds, either a regular current/checking account or a savings account.
Salary, stocks, shares portfolios, property value or other non-cash assets such as government pension schemes are not considered as evidence. The most commonly accepted evidence is an official bank statement which covers a period of at least 28 days, ending within a month of the date of application.
Alternatively, a purpose-written letter on the letter headed paper of your bank confirming the amount of money that has been a minimum balance in your account over the 28 days is also accepted. Full details of the criteria for documents is contained in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance.
The evidence you provide can be issued from a bank in your home country or from the UK. There are restrictions on the acceptability of some banks’ statements. Please refer to the UKBA website for detailed lists of which banks you can use to provide evidence of your funds in these countries: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/ documents/studying/financial-institutions/

Details of what these documents must confirm can be found in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance.
Note that only parents or official legally appointed guardians (through a court of law or adoption procedures in your country) are eligible to be considered for ‘parental’ sponsorship. You cannot use financial evidence which belongs to other family relatives. 3. Official financial sponsorship
Sponsored Students
If you receive sponsorship from an official financial sponsor – such as the UK government, your national government, an international scholarship organisation, an international University or international company – you must provide an original letter which details the funding.
University of Edinburgh Sponsorship
If you receive sponsorship from the University of Edinburgh, your CAS must indicate this at the time you apply. When you request your CAS, please discuss this with your College to ensure it is included. Without it, your University sponsorship cannot be considered and a visa officer will expect to see any required funds in your own account.
Note: if you are to receive University of Edinburgh funding, do not send the sponsorship letter which confirms this – the immigration rules require that
University sponsorship is detailed in the CAS. There is no option for other documents.
4. Student loans
If you receive student loans from a student loan organisation or bank in your country, you need to provide a letter which confirms the details of the loan. Page 33 of the Tier 4 Policy Guidance provides detailed information on what information the letter should contain.

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How long will I get?
If you make a successful application for Tier 4
General your visa will be issued along the following time-scales: Length of Course Length of visa
12 months or more

The length of course plus four months following the end date on CAS.

6 - 11 months

The length of course plus two months following the end date on CAS.

Less than
6 months

The full length of course plus 7 days after the end date on CAS.

Pre-sessional course 12 month course or more: full length of course plus 4 months. 6 month course or less: full length of course plus 2 months. When can I travel to the UK?
If you are coming to the UK to study a course lasting
6 or more months or a pre-sessional course, your visa will be valid for travel for 1 month before the start date of the course.
If you are coming to the UK to study a course lasting less that 6 months or one which is not a pre-sessional course, your visa will be valid for travel for up to 7 days before the start date of the course.
Please note - until you formally matriculate at the
University, if you live in private accommodation
(accommodation not provided by the University) you may be eligible for Council Tax. Council Tax is a form of local taxation, payable on the basis of the value of the home you own or rent. The Edinburgh University
Student Association (EUSA) has information about
Council Tax available at: www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/advice/council-tax Tier 4 General Student Visa - Immigration Guide 2012

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Dependants www.ukcisa.org.uk/files/pdf/info_sheets/your_family_print.pdf Dependants considered under UK immigration rules are: married partners, civil partners, same-sex or unmarried partners who have been in a relationship akin to marriage (for at least 2 years) and children under the age of 18. Details on the documents required can be found in the PBS Dependants’
Guidance.
The link above contains comprehensive information prepared by the United Kingdom Council for
International Student Affairs (UKCISA). It details how to apply for a dependant’s visa, including the application process, documents needed and financial requirements. It is advisable to read it in preparation for making an application for your dependants to join you in the UK.

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Refusals and invalid applications (rejections)
Refusals or rejections are usually for the following reasons: •

Not sending required documents: where the applicant has sent in documents for the points, but these have not been in the format required in the Tier 4 Guidance.

•

Not sending the original passport: applications which do not enclose the original passport with the application documents.

•

•

Not eligible to claim points: applications have been refused in which the student was not eligible to claim the points, for example, they did not have sufficient funds in their bank account for the time required or did not provide original certificates of their qualifications when needed.
Existing immigration record: on rare occasions, students who have got a negative immigration history to the UK (for example, overstayed a recent visa, have an entry-clearance ban or similar) can be refused under ‘general grounds’.

What do I do if my visa is refused?
1. Read the refusal notice - this explains why the
Visa Officer refused your application.
2. Check the documents you sent in with the application and whether these comply with the
Tier 4 Guidance. This includes checking that they are in the required format, cover the required amount of time, are original and genuine documents and contain all the information required. In such cases, they may overturn, uphold or vary the grounds of the refusal as appropriate.
Only follow this course of action if you are certain that a mistake has been made and that your documents were exactly as required in the rules. You cannot include new documents in an administrative review as it is only a review of the original application to confirm whether the decision was legitimately made.
You can make a fresh visa application while the administrative review is pending however, please contact the International Student Advice Team to discuss your options before you do.
4. If you accept the reasons for which you have been refused and they are correct as according to the Tier 4 Guidance, you need to make a fresh application with a new CAS. This means paying the fee again, giving your biometrics and the same application process.
If your visa has been refused, please email [e-mail] to notify us, including your uun, your course information and an attachment of the refusal notice.

Can the University contact an
Embassy on my behalf?
The International Office maintains contact with various British diplomatic posts. These are only used for information sharing purposes. We are not in the position to instruct visa offices to issue visas, to speed up, influence or change decision making.

3. Outside of the UK, you normally have a right to an administrative review – the refusal notice will confirm this. This means that you return the documents as directed in your refusal notice and an Entry Clearance Manager from a different embassy to the one you applied to, will review your application.

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Links and contacts
Complete Tier 4 guidance from
UKBA
The Tier 4 Guidance should be your primary source of information when preparing to make a visa application. It contains the rules, the requirements for documents and information about the visa application process. www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/ applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf

ATAS certification information
If you require an ATAS Certificate, you can find out more about the process and begin an application through www.fco.gov.uk/atas
We have prepared information about this process at: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/ international-office/immigration/downloads/atascertificate

UKCISA information
The United Kingdom Council for International
Student Affairs produces guidance and information to students on how to apply for the Tier 4 (General) visa. This can be found at: www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/immigration.php Version 1 - April 2012
Published by The University of Edinburgh, The International Office, 33 Buccleuch Place - EH8 9JS, Edinburgh

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