Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
Prepare
/ Visa
How to find advice about British immigration issues
|
|
Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||||
|
Prepare
/ Visa
|
||||
|
How to find advice about British immigration issues
|
||||
|
Sections:
|
Introduction |
 |
| Vocabulary | ||
| Points-based system | ||
| Getting advice | ||
| Visa application | ||
| Register of Education & Training Providers | ||
| Entering the UK | ||
| Identity cards | ||
| Passport stamp / sticker | ||
| Student visa extension | ||
| Changing your course | ||
| Problems | ||
| Fees | ||
| Links | ||
|
Related pages:
|
Croydon (go to the Home Office building in Croydon) |
Immigration is the process of entering the UK to stay, either for a
short time or permanently.
A UK visa is a sticker placed in a passport at a UK visa office (outside
the UK). The visa gives you permission to enter the UK (known as entry clearance).
A visa will state the reason for your visit to the UK and how long you can stay.
An Entry Clearance Officer works at a UK visa office (outside the UK):
he/she decides decides if a visa applicant qualifies for a UK visa.
An Immigration Officer works at an airport or other entry point in the
UK: he/she decides decides if an arriving passenger qualifies for entry into
the UK.
Some of the types of visa are known informally as a tourist visa, a student
visa, an au pair visa, and a working holiday visa.
A visa national is a person who needs to obtain entry clearance before
travelling to the UK.
A non-visa national is a person who does not require a visa for most
travel to the UK which is short-term (for 6 months or less).
If you are refused leave to enter, you are not given permission to come
into the UK
Once you are in the UK you can apply for an extension of stay (to be
able to remain longer in the UK) or for a variation of leave to enter
(a change to your reason for being in the UK (for example from a working holidaymaker
to a work permit holder). In general people who are admitted as visitors are
not allowed to extend or change their stays.
A British embassy represents the UK in a foreign country (the ambassador
is the most important person at the embassy).
A British consulate takes care of British people who are living abroad
and supports British business.
A British High Commission represents the UK in a country which is part
of the Commonwealth.
A UK diplomatic mission is a British embassy, High Commission or consulate.
Many of these offer a visa service.
The Home Office is the government department which looks after the rights
and laws of people living in England and Wales.
The UKBA (UK Border Agency) is the part of the Home Office which is
responsible for immigration. Previously this was known as the IND (Immigration
and Nationality Directorate) and as the BIA (Border and Immigration
Agency).
The FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) is the UK government
department which is responsible for international relations.
The DIUS (Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills) is the
UK government department which is responsible for education and training in
the UK. It is responsible for the Register of Education and Training Providers
("the Register"). From January 2005, you can only obtain immigration
permission (visa, entry clearance or leave to remain) as a student in the UK
if the school/college/university is included in this Register. This government
department was previously known as DfES (Department for Education
and Skills).
| Student Visitor - You can come to study in the UK for a maximum of 6 months - Your stay in the UK cannot be extended - No work (whether paid or unpaid) is allowed - You may be able to apply for this visa at the airport/port where you enter the UK, but it depends on your nationality (check first with the British embassy in your country) |
| Prospective Student - You need to apply for this visa before coming to the UK - You will be given a maximum of 6 months to choose between schools which have offered places to you - No work (whether paid or unpaid) is allowed - You may be able to switch to a General Student visa after you have chosen your school and have obtained your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) |
| Adult Student - For full-time study (usually at least 15 hours per week of classes) - If the study is for a qualification which is lower than a university degree, the maximum visa length is 3 years - If the study is for a university degree or higher qualification, the maximum visa length is 4 years - If you have this type of visa you can work part-time during term (a maximum of 20 hours per week) and full-time during your school's official holidays - You may be able to switch into a Tier 1 (highly skilled) or Tier 2 (skilled worker) visa at the end of your studies |
| Child Student - For students under 18 [details are not shown here] |
|
New rules for Adult Student visas (for applications
on/after 31 March 2009)
|
| Accreditation [=checking that the quality of the education and
facilities provided by a school is above a minimum standard] You can only study at a school, college or university whose quality has been accredited by one of these approved agencies: - British Council (through Accreditation UK): accredits English language schools. See: http://www.britishcouncil.org/it/accreditation-az-list.htm - BAC (the British Accreditation Council): accredits private schools which do not mainly teach English language courses. See: http://www.the-bac.org/colleges/directory/ukdirectc.pl - ASIC (the Accreditation Service for International Colleges): accredits private schools. See: http://www.asic.org.uk - Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills): accredits mainly schools which are paid for using UK government money (where many British students will also be studying). See: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk The school also needs to have a UK Border Agency Sponsors' Licence. If the Home Office takes away this licence from a school it will not be able to recruit any new international students from outside the EU (so it may close). A list of licensed schools will be published on the website of the Home Office's UK Border Agency: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points/sponsoringmigrants/registerofsponsors [previously it was possible to obtain a visa for a school which was not accredited but which appeared on The Register of Education and Training Providers, a list maintained by the DIUS] |
| Course level and type Your course must be at a certain level (for lower level courses you can only apply for a Student Visitor visa): - For English courses it must be at least at "pre-intermediate" level (the easiest of the 5 Cambridge ESOL exams, the Key English Test (KET), is at this level) [The formal requirement is that it is at Level A2 or above in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/main_pages/levels.html] - For non-English courses it must be at least at the level studied at British schools after the age of 16 (for example: A Levels, AS Levels, Scottish Highers, NVQs, university level). [The formal requirement is that it is at Level 3 or above in the National Qualifications Framework: http://www.qca.org.uk/14-19/qualifications/116_brief-guides-level-3.htm] - If a course includes job placements, at least 50% of the course must be study, and a maximum 50% can be work [previously it was possible to get a student visa even for low level courses, or for courses that were mainly work-based] |
| Money You will need to show that you have enough money available to cover either the full length of the course (for courses which last under 9 months) or which cover the first 9 months of a course which is for more than 9 months. The minimum amount of money you need is enough for: - any unpaid tuition/course fees for the first year of study, plus the following maintenance funds (this is the money you need for your living expenses): - if you are studying in London: maintenance funds of £800 per month [£7,200 for a course of 9 months or more], plus maintenance funds of £535 per month [£4,815 for a course of 9 months or more] for each dependent (usually a husband, wife or child) you bring with you to the UK. You are studying in "London" if at least half of your study time is in one of these boroughs (the white area in the map below): Camden, City of London, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster. - if you are studying outside London: maintenance funds of £600 per month [£5,400 for a course of 9 months or more], plus maintenance funds of about £400 per month [£3,600 for a course of 9 months or more] for each dependent (usually a husband, wife or child) you bring with you to the UK You will need to show that you have the necessary amount of money in your account during the 28 days before you make your application. Your account balance must have been above the necessary level on every single day during that period [previously minimum amount of money was not fixed, although it needed to be enough to support yourself without any help from the UK government] |
| Visa application process You will be able to check for yourself if you have enough "points" to be able to get a student visa (to avoid wasting your time and money making an unsuccessful application). You will need to obtain your student visa before arriving in the UK. You will need to give your fingerprints and to obtain a biometric identity card. You need to obtain a visa letter from your place of study [ in future you will need to obtain a document called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your school, for which you will pay £10 - this has not yet been introduced ] You will need to pay a student visa application fee |
| Attendance reporting Your school will check if you are attending classes, and may report you to the Home Office's UK Border Agency if you are not going to school (normally you will be reported after an unauthorised absence of two weeks, or 10 missed "contact points") [ after the "Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies" scheme has been introduced, your school must report your absence to the Home Office ] [previously a school did not have to have a formal process to check and report attendance] |
| Changing schools If you wish to change your school within the UK, you will need to inform the Home Office's UK Border Agency before you change. If the new course finishes after your current visa expires, you will need to apply for an extension. [ in future you will need to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your new school - this has not yet been introduced ] [previously it was possible to change school without informing the Home Office, although students were supposed to inform the Home Office about such changes] |
| Extending a student visa while in the UK The period for a student visa will depend on the course length. The new course must start no more than 1 month after the expiry date of your previous visa. You will need to show you have money for tuition fees for the first year of your course, and also that you have maintenance funds for at least 2 months (based on the minimum amounts shown above - ie at least £1,600 if you are studying in London, or £1,200 if you are studying outside London, plus extra if you have dependents). You will need to obtain a biometric identity card if you don't already have one. |
 Under Tier 4 rules your course is "in London" if the majority of your study (more than 50% of your study time) is in the boroughs shown in white above |
- What are the visa rules if I am an EEA or Swiss national?
If you are an EEA (European
Economic Area) or Swiss national you will not need a visa to come to
the UK, because you have the right to live and work in the UK provided that
you do not require the help of public money. Nationals of Switzerland
were given the same rights as EEA nationals in June 2002.
The UK Visas website has more information for EEA and Swiss Nationals: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf18eeaswissnationals
UKCISA produce guidance notes on "EEA and Swiss students studying and living
in the UK": http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php.
The UK Visas website has a "Do I need a UK visa?" questionnaire which
you can use to find out if you need a visa before coming to the UK: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk.
If you need a visa, this site lists which forms you need to complete, provides
electronic copies of these forms (you can print them and use these for your
application), and tells you where you need to apply. Depending on where you
apply, you may be able to apply in person, by post, through a courier, or online.
Check very carefully that you provide all of the necessary documents. You will
have to pay an application fee (in your local currency). Note that it can take
several weeks to obtain a visa. You may need to travel to your nearest UK Visas
office for an interview and to give biometric data (your fingerprints may be
scanned, and a digital photograph of your face may be taken).
UKCISA produce guidance notes on "Student immigration before you come to
the UK": http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php.
- I am in the UK at the moment, and am not from the EEA or Switzerland. How
can I extend my visa?
See the section: Visa extension.
Back to top
When you enter the UK (for example, at a port or airport) you will have to go through immigration controls. If you have to join a queue, you will be asked to remain behind a line before you go to see the immigration officer, so that the other visitors can have some privacy while they are being interviewed.
The immigration process is usually simple if you have a passport from a country
in the EU (European Union) or in
the EEA (European Economic Area)
or Switzerland. If you come from another part of the world, you may be asked
a lot of questions or be asked to provide some official documents. You may feel
that the questions you are asked are personal, but you should try to be helpful.
Some of the questions which are often asked are:
- What is your reason for coming to the UK?
- Are you intending to work in the UK?
- How much money do you have? You may be asked to show your cash, travellers'
cheques or bank account statements to prove you have enough money.
- Where will you be living?
- Do you have any known medical problems?
If you are refused entry, try to remain calm and do not get angry with the immigration
officer - remember that this person is doing his or her job. Some of the reasons
the immigration officer may not allow you into the UK are:
- You do not have enough money to live here without receiving public money.
- It is believed that you are coming to the UK to work illegally.
- You needed a visa before coming to the UK from your country, but you haven't
got one (make sure that you check before travelling).
- You are breaking the conditions of your visa.
- A doctor believes you may be carrying a disease which you may spread to other
people.
- You have a known medical problem and the officer believes that you are coming
to the UK to use the British public health service.
You may be asked to have a health check or x-ray before you can enter the UK.
If you are a woman, you may be asked if you are pregnant. You may be asked to
have a personal examination by a doctor - this may involve taking off some or
all of your clothing. It is usually best to do what you are asked, but make
it clear as soon as possible if you are asked to do something which you cannot
accept for personal or religious reasons.
Back to top
Check the stamp in your passport as soon as it has been issued. Make sure that
you understand what it means. The language which is used is often complicated.
If you think that a mistake has been made, tell the immigration officer politely.
Some of the phrases you may find on your passport stamp are explained below:
Leave to enter is permission to come into the UK ("leave"
means "permission" in this case)
Leave to remain is permission to stay in the UK
The holder is the owner of the passport
To enter employment means to get a job
The Secretary of State for Employment is the head of the government department
which is responsible for jobs
The Secretary of State for the Home Department is the head of the Home
Office (a government department)
Without recourse to public funds means without receiving money (welfare
benefits) from the British government
Your passport stamp will tell you how long you can stay in the UK; for example: "leave to enter until …".
Your passport stamp will tell you if you need to register with the police soon after you have entered the UK. For example, it may say: "the holder is required to register at once with the police". Information about how to register with the police is shown in Prepare/Arrival.
Your passport stamp will also tell you if can work.
If you cannot work it might say: "leave to enter … on condition that
the holder … does not enter employment paid or unpaid" or "no
work".
If you can work, but only under the rules for students, it may say something
like "leave to enter … on condition that the holder does not enter
or change employment paid or unpaid without the consent of the Secretary of
State for Employment" or "work (and any changes) must be authorised".
 Visitor visa |
 Student visa (sticker/vignette) |
 Visa extension |
- What do I do if I have a student visa but my school closes or I want to change my school?
If you already hold a student visa you can change your course or university as long as the new course still meets the immigration requirements. It must be:- What do I do if I am refused a visa/entry clearance, or refused leave to enter the UK?
If you are coming to the UK as a student and you are not given a visa / entry
clearance or leave to enter the UK, contact your UK school for help as soon
as possible. If you need further information you may wish to contact UKCISA
(see: Personal/Advice) or
the nearest office of the British Council.
- What do I do if I am in the UK and my passport is about to expire?
Your government will require you to renew your passport regularly (for example,
every 5 or 10 years), so check the expiry date carefully. If your passport is
about to expire while you are in the UK, contact your country's embassy or high
commission in the UK (for contact details, see: Links
and choose your country). You should keep the old passport, as you may need
to show both your old and new passports to British immigration officers.
Back to top
New UK visa fees were introduced on 1 April 2007. Some of the new charges
are shown below:
| Class | Type of application |
New fee
|
| Visitor | entry clearance (application in home country) |
£63
|
| Student | entry clearance (application in home country) |
£99
|
| leave to remain (postal application in the UK) |
£295
|
|
| leave to remain (personal application in the UK) |
£500
|
|
| Post-study work (previously SEGS/Fresh Talent) | entry clearance (application in home country) |
£205
|
| leave to remain (postal application in the UK) |
£400
|
|
| leave to remain (personal application in the UK) |
£600
|
|
| Highly Skilled Migrant Programme | application fee |
£400
|
| entry clearance (application in home country) |
£200
|
|
| leave to remain (postal application in the UK) |
£350
|
|
| Work permit | application fee |
£190
|
| entry clearance (application in home country) |
£200
|
|
| leave to remain (postal application in the UK) |
£350
|
|
| leave to remain (personal application in the UK) |
£550
|
|
| Worker Registration Scheme | application fee |
£90
|
| Settlement | entry clearance (application in home country) |
£500
|
| indefinite leave to remain (postal application in the UK) |
£750
|
|
| indefinite leave to remain (personal application in the UK) |
£950
|
There are proposals to increase the UK visa fees in 2009. Some of the
new charges will be:
* Student visas *
- Tier 4 (student) entry clearance [ie a "visa" obtained in your home
country before coming to the UK]: new charge will be £145, instead of
£99 now
- Tier 4 (student) leave to remain application [ie a "visa extension"]
made by post: new charge will be £357 plus £50 for each dependent,
instead of £295 now (there is currently no charge for dependents)
- Tier 4 (student) leave to remain application [ie a "visa extension"]
made in person: new charge will be £565 plus £50 for each dependent,
instead of £500 now (there is currently no charge for dependents)
* Post-study work visas *
- Tier 1 (post-study work) entry clearance [ie a "visa" obtained in
your home country before coming to the UK]: new charge will be £265, instead
of £205 now
- Tier 1 (post-study work) leave to remain application [ie a "visa extension"]
made by post: new charge will be £500 plus £50 for each dependent,
instead of £400 now (there is currently no charge for dependents)
- Tier 1 (post-study work) leave to remain application [ie a "visa extension"]
made in person: new charge will be £700 plus £50 for each dependent,
instead of £600 now (there is currently no charge for dependents)
Back to top
Visting the Home Office building in Croydon: Prepare/Croydon
Home page: Home
Back to top
© UK Student Life 2002-2009
|
|
|