Immigration Guide for applicants applying from outside of the UK 2017-18 Tier 4 (General) Visa Tier 4 (General) Visa
> 04 Introduction Visa Processing Times Priority Visa Service 05 What is a Visa? Entry Clearance Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) Who needs a visa? Medical Elective Students 07 Tier 4 (General) Application - Flowchart Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) 08 Screening for Tuberculosis (TB) Credibility Interviews 09 Low Risk Nationals 10 Tier 4 (General) Visa Points Based System 10 30 points CAS number What is a CAS number? How do I use my CAS number to apply for my visa? When will I receive my CAS statement? How long is the CAS valid? 11 10 points Finances Basic Rule Course/Tuition fees Maintenance/Living cost How much money do I need? Deductions 13 Preparing your financial documents Key documents General principle 28 day rule Bank letter Parental / Legal Guardian funds Birth certificate Permission letter Official Financial Sponsorship US Federal Aid Loan 15 When should I apply? When should I apply? What Supporting Documents do I need? Biometric Data Decision 16 Dependents Can I bring my family members with me to the UK? 16 Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to register with the police? What is an ATAS Clearance Certificate? When can I travel to the UK? How long can I stay? What do I do when I receive a decision? What should I do if my visa is refused? 18 Links and Contacts
Introduction The purpose of this guide is to give you an overview of the process of applying for a Tier 4 (General) visa from outside of the UK. If after reading this guide you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Elizabeth Witter (Senior Compliance Officer) at ewitter@sgul.ac.uk Elizabeth Witter (Senior Compliance Officer) Please note: (i) Issuing a CAS: A Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) which is needed to support a Tier 4 (General) visa application will only be issued once a student has fulfilled ALL conditions of offer (both academic and non-academic) including (if applicable) payment of the tuition fee deposit. Any questions regarding your offer should be directed to the Admissions Team at admissions@sgul.ac.uk (ii) Tuition Fee Deposit: All international students will be expected to pay a 3000 tuition fee deposit (in the first year of study only) before a CAS is issued. This will be offset against the first year s tuition fee. Instructions on how to pay the deposit will only be emailed once a student has met all conditions of their offer. Any bank charges incurred when making tuition fee payments will need to be met by the student. Deposits will only be waivered if a student is due to receive official financial sponsorship from their home government or a US Federal Aid loan for the full tuition fee amount. (iii) Visa Refusals: The main reason given by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for Tier 4 visa refusals is students failing to meet the maintenance (financial) requirements so please read the section below on finances very carefully. The University will only issue a second CAS to support a fresh visa application in exceptional circumstances, taking all factors into account including the reason for refusal, visa processing times and course start date. (iv) Low Risk Nationals: Nationals of some countries do not need to submit evidence of finances or previous qualifications with their application because they are considered low risk by UKVI. See the section below on Low Risk Nationals for more information including which countries this applies to. Visa Processing Times > Visa processing times vary from country to country but on average UKVI advise that decisions should be made within 15 working days (excluding weekends and public holidays). This timeframe does not include the return of documents. You can use the UKVI s visa processing times tool (https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times) to check how long you ll have to wait for a decision in your country. When using the tool, you need to select the location you are making your application from, the visa category (Points Based System Visas) and visa type (PBS Tier 4). We strongly recommend that you do NOT book any non-refundable tickets for travel to the UK until you have obtained your Tier 4 visa as the process may take longer than you anticipate, especially in peak season. 04
Priority Visa Service > Some countries offer a Priority Visa Service for Tier 4 visa applications whereby the application is expedited and on average a decision is made within 5 working days (excluding weekends and public holidays). The additional cost for this service varies from country to country but is approximately 185 GBP. Unfortunately, UKVI do not provide a full list of the countries which offer this service so you will need to make enquiries at your Visa Application Centre prior to submitting your application. What is a Visa? Entry Clearance > A visa is a travel document (also referred to as Entry Clearance ) which is awarded by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), and gives you permission to enter the UK. You must apply for the Tier 4 (General) visa in your national country or the country where you have existing formal residency rights. In most countries visa applications are made online and processed at a Visa Application Centre (VFS or TLScontact). The decision whether to award or refuse your visa will be made by UKVI and not the visa application centre. The visa you will initially receive will be in the form of a sticker (vignette) which is placed inside your passport and is valid for 30 days only. The purpose of this visa is to allow you entry to the UK as a Tier 4 student. If you do not travel to the UK within this 30 day period, your visa will expire and you cannot use it to travel to the UK. If there is any incorrect information on your Entry Clearance visa, you should request that it is corrected as soon as possible, and before you travel to the UK. Details on how to do this will be included in the decision letter/email. Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) > Once you have entered the UK, you will need to collect your full-length visa. This is known as your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). A BRP holds your biographic details (name, date and place of birth) and biometric information (fingerprints and facial image). It also shows your immigration status and conditions of your stay while you remain in the UK. The BRP should expire after the end of your programme. Please note: students studying on a course less than six months (for e.g. Medical Elective Students) will not be issued a BRP as their Entry Clearance Visa (within the passport) will cover the duration of their programme and stay within the UK. The visa decision letter/email you receive from UKVI will include details about collection. This collection should take place within 10 days of your arrival in the UK, although this can be longer if you are collecting it directly from the University. If there is an error on your BRP (for e.g. expiry date is incorrect), you must contact us immediately. If you do not apply for a correction within 10 days of issue, you may be charged a replacement fee. 05
You must bring your passport, visa decision letter and BRP to enrolment so that copies can be taken from the originals and placed on your student file which is kept by the university and available for the Home Office to check in the event of a Tier 4 audit. If you are collecting your BRP at enrolment, then you must bring your passport and visa decision letter. If your BRP has not yet arrived or is not available at enrolment, you will only be permitted to enrol provisionally. If your BRP is not available for collection by enrolment, you will only be provisionally enrolled. This will be updated to fully enrolled once a copy of the BRP has been taken. Who needs a visa? > Non EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals All students who are from outside of the EEA (and Switzerland) and wish to study a course that is longer than six months (or a Medical Elective that is less than 6 months) will need to obtain a Tier 4 student visa before they come to the UK to study. > Dual Nationals This includes people who have an EU/EEA/Swiss passport, in addition to a non-eu/eea/swiss passport. You must use your EU/EEA/ Swiss passport to arrive in the UK as this will place you outside of immigration requirements. > EU/EEA/Swiss passport holders: You do not need a visa and are not subject to UK immigration control. On arrival, you should enter through the EU/EEA channel passport control. For information and advice about being a EU/EEA/ Swiss national in the UK, please go to the UKCISA website at: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/. Medical Elective students > Non EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who wish to undertake a medical elective at the University must obtain a Tier 4 (General) visa before travelling to the UK. The university will not be able to enrol a student who has entered the UK as a visitor, even though the elective is for a period of less than 6 months. The reason for this is that the time spent in hospital is deemed to be work (paid or unpaid) which is prohibited as a visitor and the supervision provided is deemed to be participation in studies. 06
Flowchart Meet ALL conditions of offer & pay deposit Obtain Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) Check the visa process in your country of residence and the visa processing times Complete application form online (Refer to our Guide to completing the online Tier 4 application Form ) * pay Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) * pay application fee ( 335 in local currency) Prepare supporting documents and check financial documents are in the exact format required Book and attend appointment at Visa Application Centre or Embassy * submit passport and supporting documents (financial and educational) * provide biometric information * attend credibility interview (if requested) Visa is granted / refused Update University of decision Documents and passport are returned by post or collected Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) If you are applying for a visa to study in the UK for more than 6 months, you will be required to pay an immigration health surcharge (IHS) as part of your visa application fee. The surcharge gives Tier 4 students free of charge access to NHS care in the same way as a UK resident at a hospital, Healthcare Centre or Doctor s surgery. However some exceptions exist for expensive discretionary treatments. Some dental or optical treatment and medicines prescribed by the doctor may need to be paid for. Cost IHS is charged at 150 per year for Tier 4 students and is mandatory regardless of whether or not you take out private healthcare insurance. Part years of less than 6 months will be charged at 75. To calculate the exact amount you will be expected to pay, go to https://www.immigration-health-surcharge.service.gov.uk/checker/ type 07
When completing the IHS application, you must enter the course start and end dates exactly as noted on your CAS statement, unless you are a medical elective student (see below). Payment must be made by debit/credit card. Once payment is made, you will receive a unique IHS reference number which should automatically be inputted into your visa application. MEDICAL ELECTIVE STUDENTS do not have to pay IHS because they are studying in the UK for less than 6 months, however they will still need to go through the online IHS process when making their Tier 4 application so that a IHS reference number is generated. The system will recognise that no payment is required because of the course dates entered. Please note: The online IHS system will only recognise courses that are at least 1 month long, therefore if your elective is less than a month you will need to change the course end date to increase the course length to one month. This only applies to the IHS application; the course start and end date on your Tier 4 application must be the same as on your CAS statement. Screening for Tuberculosis (TB) You will need to have a tuberculosis test (TB) if you are coming to the UK for more than 6 months and are resident in any of the countries on the tuberculosis screening list published by UKVI. You will need to check whether your country is on the list and the location of an approved testing clinic (https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa) in your country. If required, you ll be given a chest x-ray to test for TB. If your test shows you don t have TB, you ll be given a certificate which is valid for 6 months. You must include this certificate with your Tier 4 visa application. Credibility interviews All Tier 4 applicants overseas can expect to receive a short credibility interview at the same time as biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) are taken at the embassy or visa application centre. The interview will be conducted via Skype with an immigration officer in the UK. The process should take around 15-20 minutes. Failure to take part in an interview when invited may result in your visa application being refused. 08
The purpose of the interview is to test the credibility or genuineness of a student by asking a series of mandatory questions, such as: 1. Why have you chosen to study in the UK? 2. Why did you choose to study at St George s, University of London? 3. Why did you choose your course? 4. How do your studies fit into your career plans? 5. How do you intend to fund your studies in the UK? 6. If the costs of pursuing your course of study are higher in the UK than in your home country, why have you decided to incur the extra costs involved with studying in the UK? 7. If you have previously studied in the UK - why have you chosen to return? You may also be asked if you plan to work in the UK. The main purpose for being in the UK is your studies so, if you do hope to work, you must be clear that this is incidental to your studies. You also need to demonstrate an understanding of the hours you are allowed to work and typical rates of pay. We would recommend that you think about how you would answer these kind of questions, although we would warn you against preparing scripted responses as your answer may sound rehearsed and therefore possibly not genuine. Where an initial interview raises concerns, a student may be required to attend a second, in-person interview at the visa application centre before a decision can be made on their application. If an immigration officer is not satisfied that a student is credible or genuine, their application will be refused. In this situation, the university reserves the right to not issue a second CAS to support a new visa application. Low Risk Nationals Nationals of the countries (listed below) do not need to submit evidence of their qualifications or finances when they apply for a Tier 4 visa in their home country or when extending an existing Tier 4 visa in the UK. The reason for this is that UKVI considers these nationals to be low risk and not subject to the same level of scrutiny as other nationals. This is known as the differentiation arrangement. Argentina Australia Barbados Botswana British National (Overseas) Brunei Canada Chile Hong Kong Japan Malaysia New Zealand Oman Qatar Singapore South Korea Taiwan Trinidad and Tobago United Arab Emirates USA 09
If you are a low risk national, you will be required to confirm on the application that you meet the requirements set out in the Policy Guidance and that you hold the documentary evidence (qualification certificate, bank statements etc.) in the format required. UKVI reserves the right to request these documents at any stage in the application process. If you are applying outside of your home country you will need to provide all the evidence as required with your application and you will not benefit from the low risk concession. Tier 4 (General) Visa To obtain a Tier 4 (General) visa, a student must be sponsored by an education provider who has a sponsor license. St George s, University of London (SGUL) has held a Tier 4 Sponsor License (DQ0J2TKE0) since 2009. The university does not sponsor Tier 4 (Child) students. Points Based System > The UK has a Points Based immigration System (PBS); to be issued with a Tier 4 visa you will need to score 40 points, these are awarded as follows: 30 points - Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The CAS is created by the university and emailed to a student once they have fulfilled all conditions of their offer and (if applicable) paid the 3000 tuition fee deposit. 10 points - Money. You must provide evidence that you have enough money to cover course fees and monthly living costs (also known as maintenance or funds). 30 points CAS number What is a CAS number? > Once you have an unconditional offer, the University will provide information about you and your studies to the UKVI. This will include information about any previous study undertaken in the UK, how we have assessed your ability to complete the intended course of study and your English language proficiency. UKVI will then generate a unique 14 digit CAS reference number which will be a combination of letters and numbers. How do I use my CAS number to apply for my visa? > Once the CAS number has been generated, the University will email you a CAS Statement. The CAS statement is a PDF document which includes your unique CAS reference number and other information you need to complete your visa application forms. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to notify us as soon as possible (and before you submit your visa application) if there are any mistakes in your CAS statement or if your situation changes,for example, if you obtain a new passport. 10
You must enter the details contained within the CAS statement accurately onto your visa application as any discrepancies may result in your application being refused. The immigration officer who processes your application will use your CAS number to access your file on their IT system. All the details about your studies and what original documents they will need to inspect will be listed. Although it is not a requirement, you can submit your CAS statement together with your other supporting documents. When will I receive my CAS statement? > Your CAS statement will only be emailed to you once you have met all conditions of your offer (academic and non-academic), including (if applicable) payment of the tuition fee deposit. We recommend that you return all necessary documents to the Admissions Team as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary delay. We aim to email your CAS statement within 48 hours of the admissions team confirming you are an unconditional offer holder and the finance team confirming receipt of your tuition fee deposit. How long is the CAS valid? > The CAS is valid for six months but can only be used to support one visa application. If you visa application is refused, you will need to request a new CAS to reapply. A second CAS will only be issued in exceptional circumstances and at the university s discretion. If your visa refusal is based on incorrect finances then the University reserves the right to inspect all supporting documents prior to deciding whether to issue another CAS. 10 points Finances It is extremely important that you understand how to meet the financial requirements of a Tier 4 application, as many students are refused a visa because the amount of money they have available or the financial documents they submit do not exactly meet the UKVI s requirements. Basic Rule Course/Tuition fees > In order to claim 10 points for your finances, you need to show that you have enough money to pay your tuition fees and a specific amount of money to cover living expenses. The money needs to be held for at least 28 consecutive days and the financial document you submit (e.g. bank statement) needs to contain specific information (bank account number etc.) and not be more than one month old. > You must show that you have enough money to pay the first year s course fee (or for the entire course if it is less than a year). The course fee will be stated on your CAS statement as will any advance payments you have made towards the course fee (e.g. tuition fee deposit). 11
Maintenance/Living cost The amount of money you need to show for maintenance will depend on the length of your course. SGUL is situated in the London Borough of Wandsworth and is classified as Inner London. How much money do I need? Courses of 9 months or longer You will need to show that you have a minimum of 11,385 available for living costs. This is 1,265 per month of study up to a maximum of 9 months. Courses less than 9 months You will need to show that you have 1,265 available for living costs for each month of your study. If the length of your course includes a part of a month, this will be rounded up to another month. For e.g. if a course is seven months and two weeks, you must show that you have enough money for eight months. Deductions > (i) Tuition fees any advance payments (including tuition fee deposit) made towards your tuition fees will be noted on your CAS statement and can be deducted from the overall amount you need to show you have available. (ii) Accommodation any advance payments you have made towards University-provided accommodation (i.e. Horton Halls) will be noted on your CAS statement and can be deducted from the overall amount you need to show for living costs. Please note: > The maximum amount that can be deducted for university accommodation is 1,265, even if you have paid more than 1,265 in advance for accommodation. > You cannot deduct money you have paid for private accommodation. > You will need to contact us before applying for the visa if any payments made towards tuition or university-provided accommodation have not been noted on your CAS statement. Example 1 A student studying a 5 year medicine degree: 30,000 (tuition fee) + 11,385 (living costs) = 41,385 Deduct 3,000 (tuition fee deposit) 600 (university accommodation deposit) = 3,600 Total amount to show in your account (for at least 28 days): 41,385-3,600 = 37,785 Example 2 A student undertaking a 4-week elective: 300 (tuition fee) + 1,265 (living costs) = 1,565 Deduct 300 (tuition fee paid in full) 560 (advance accommodation payment) = 860 Total amount to show in your account (for at least 28 days): 1,565-860 = 705 12
Preparing your financial documents Key documents The evidence of money that you use must be: > Cash funds in the bank (includes savings and current accounts); or > A loan letter - the loan must be provided by your national government, state or regional government, or by a government sponsored student loan company or be part of an academic or educational loans scheme (e.g Federal Aid Loan)); or > Official financial or government sponsorship. General principle 1. Make sure that you are holding the correct amount of money necessary. Details of the amount you need are outlined above. Most students studying 9 months or longer will need to show 11,385 for their living costs plus any remaining course fees that have not already been paid and which are mentioned in their CAS statement. 2. Make sure that your financial evidence clearly shows that the funds have been in the account for at least 28 consecutive days prior to application. During this 28 day period, the money cannot drop below the required amount. 3. The bank statement or letter you provide must be original and dated no more than one month old when you submit your visa application. 4. You cannot use financial documents from any family member except your parent. This must be a personal and not business account. Using documents from an uncle, brother, sister or close family friend is unacceptable and will result in a visa refusal regardless of how much money they have available. 5. If you are using your parents bank statements, make sure you also include: your original birth certificate and a permission letter from them confirming that they will be financially supporting you whilst you are studying in the UK. 6. Make sure that your financial documents are from a reputable financial institution and are not on the UKVI list of those that are unacceptable (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules). UKVI do not recognise a number of financial institutions in certain countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Ghana and Iran. 7. Make sure that any educational or other loans are only in your name or the name of your parents. 8. Make sure you are checking the current exchange rate if the money you have is not held in British Pounds (GBP). UKVI will use the OANDA currency converter (https://www.oanda.com/ currency/converter/) on the date you made your application. If the money converted to GBP does not meet the required amount on that day your application will be refused on the grounds of insufficient funds. 13
28 day rule > If you are submitting a bank statement, the running balance (ending no more than 1 month before the date of the application) must show that the money in the account has not dropped below the required amount for a consecutive 28 day period. Bank letter: If you are submitting a letter from your bank/building society, it must contain a statement expressly confirming that the money in the account has not dropped below the required amount for a consecutive 28 day period. Suggested wording should be: The balance today is [insert balance] and we can confirm that this balance has been held for a consecutive minimum 28 day period up to the date of this letter. OR This is to confirm that the balance in this account has not dropped below [xxx] from [DATE] to [DATE]. Parent/Legal Guardian Birth Certificate Permission letter Official financial sponsorship > You can use money held in an account owned by you or by your parents or legal guardian. If you are using funds held by your parent(s)/legal guardian(s), you will also need to provide: > your original birth certificate showing the name of your parent(s). > an original signed and dated letter from your parent(s) confirming their relationship to you and that they give permission for the money in their account to fund your studies in the UK An official financial sponsor is defined as the UK government, your home government, the British Council, an international organisation or company, a University or a UK Independent School. If you are receiving sponsorship from an official financial sponsor you must provide an original letter of confirmation stating how much they will contribute towards your tuition and maintenance. The letter must be on the organisation s official letter-headed paper or stationery, and must bear the organisation s official stamp. It must show: > your name; > the official financial sponsor s name and contact details; > the date of the letter; > statement confirming they are giving their permission for you to enter (or re-enter) the UK to study; > the length of the sponsorship; and > the amount of money that the official financial sponsor is giving to you, or a statement that it will cover all of your course fees and living costs. If your financial sponsor is only covering some of your course fees or living costs, you must provide evidence that you have the rest of the money needed. 14
If you qualify as a low risk student you do not need to submit evidence of financial sponsorship with your application but this can be requested at a later date. US Federal Aid Loan St George s, University of London is eligible to certify loan applications for the Direct Loan Program (a US federal loan scheme, available to US citizens only). Once your federal loan has been processed, you will receive an award letter from the university s Finance Policy Officer. This letter is acceptable evidence of funding for UKVI purposes although you need to ensure that the loan is sufficient to cover both the tuition fee and maintenance. If there is a shortfall, you will be expected to provide financial evidence that you can cover this. Please note: as US Nationals are low risk they will not need to submit the award letter with their visa application but should have it available in case it is requested. When should I apply? When should I apply? > You cannot apply for a Tier 4 visa more than 3 months before the start of your course. If you apply earlier than this your application will be rejected. What supporting documents > You should include all of the documents (exception: low risk do I need nationals ) listed in the application forms and Guide to supporting documents. This includes: > original copies of all qualifications that are listed in the Evidence used to obtain offer section of your CAS; > financial evidence in your name or your parent(s); > translations of any certificates or transcripts that are not in English or Welsh; > evidence of English Language (as noted on your CAS). However, if it states on your CAS that the university has made a selfassessment of your English language, you do NOT need to include any evidence of English language ability (e.g IELTs certificate). If it states on the CAS that you have completed an academic qualification (at degree level or above) which was taught in a majority English speaking country, you must submit evidence of this qualification. > ATAS certificate this only applies to postgraduate students studying certain subjects at Masters or PhD level. > birth/adoption certificate and signed permission letter from your parent/legal guardian if you are submitting financial documents in their name(s); > consent letter from your parents if you are under 18 years old; > consent from current or previous official financial sponsor - their sponsor letter (which you will need for evidence of your money) should specifically state that they consent to your Tier 4 (General) application; > 2 passport sized colour photographs; and > a valid passport 15
Biometric Data Decision > As part of the Tier 4 application, you are required to provide your biometrics (your facial photograph and fingerprints). Keep a record of the date you provide your biometrics for future visa applications. > If your application is successful, you will receive a 30-day Entry Clearance visa which will be placed as a sticker (vignette) inside your passport. You will also receive a letter confirming that your visa application for the UK has been successful and provide the start/expiry date of your visa. If there is anything incorrect, you should ask to have it changed as soon as possible and preferably before you travel to the UK. Dependants Can I bring my family members with me to the UK? > 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. Full details on the application process for dependants including the documents required can be found on the GOV.UK website and in the PBS Dependant Policy Guidance. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Do I need to register with the Police? > Nationals from certain countries may be required to register with the police within 7 days of arrival in the UK. This requirement will be written on the letter you receive notifying you that you have been awarded the visa. If you are required to register with the Police, you will need to visit the Overseas Visitors Records Office (OVRO) in person. There is a registration fee which is currently 34.00. Afghanistan Algeria Argentina Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Belarus Bolivia Brazil China Columbia Cuba Egypt Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordon Kazakhstan Kirgizatan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Moldova Morocco North Korea Oman Palestine Peru Qatar Russia (including Chechnya) Saudi Arabia Sudan (including South Sudan) Syria Tajikistan Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Ukraine Uzbekistan Yemen 16
What is an Academic > Certain subjects studied at postgraduate level (Masters or PhD) Technology Approval Scheme require a student to obtain an ATAS clearance certificate issued by (ATAS) Certificate? the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). These subject areas relate to where the knowledge gained may have application in the development of weapons of mass destruction (for example, certain science subjects and medicine). Students studying on the International Graduate Medicine programme do not need to obtain an ATAS certificate. Both your offer letter and CAS will state whether you need to apply for an ATAS certificate. More information about ATAS including how to make an online application can be found on the GOV.UK website. When can I travel to the UK? > You can travel to the UK on or after the start date of your visa. If your course is 6 months or more, your visa will start either one month before the course starts OR 7 days before the intended date of travel (as recorded by you on your Tier 4 online application), whichever is later. If your course is less than 6 months (e.g. Medical Elective Students), your visa will begin 7 days before the course starts. How long can I stay? > The end date of your visa will depend on the length and type of course that you will be studying: > Four months after the end of the course, if your course lasts 12 months or more > Two months after the end of the course, if your course lasts six months or more, but less than 12 months > Seven days after the end of the course, if your course will last less than six months and is not a pre-sessional course (for e.g. Medical Elective student) For example, if your 3-year degree ends on the 19th July 2017, your visa will end on the 19th November 2017. The additional time is granted to allow students to attend their graduation, look for work, apply for a new visa or organise their move back home. What do I do when I receive a decision? What should I do if my visa is refused? > You must update us as soon as you receive a decision on your visa application. You must keep a copy of the decision letter/email to show immigration officials when you arrive in the UK. The letter/ email will contains important information about your visa including conditions of your stay, for e.g. work restrictions and whether you need to register with the police. You must bring this letter to enrolment. If you receive a visa refusal, you must email us a copy of the refusal decision as soon as possible and confirm whether you will be applying for Administrative Review of the decision. Full details of how to do this will be given in the decision letter. As a Tier 4 sponsor, we have a legal duty to report visa refusals to UKVI within 10 days of the decision. The University will only provide a second CAS in exceptional situations, taking all circumstances into account including: reason for refusal, visa processing times and course start date. 17
Links and Contacts If you have any questions regarding the visa process please contact our: Contact: Links: > Senior Compliance Officer Elizabeth Witter ewitter@sgul.ac.uk > For full detailed information on making a Tier 4 (General) application, please refer to the Tier 4 Policy Guidance and websites below: > Tier 4 Policy Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-onapplication-for-uk-visa-as-tier-4-student) > GOV.UK website (https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa) > UKCISA website (http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/) Please note that this information is correct at the time of going to print and is subject to change. 18
The University of London comprises 40 institutions. St George s is now the only stand-alone medical school within the federation; combining all the benefits of a small, friendly university with those of one of the UK s largest and most diverse. We hope this prospectus opens a window onto who we are and what we do. In short, you can undertake a specialist undergraduate degree here on a hospital site in a thriving London location, leading, we trust, to an extraordinary future in the health professions. International applicants visiting London are welcome to come in a take a look around. Contact our International Office to make an appointment. You can also take a virtual tour of the campus and halls of residence at http://www. sgul.ac.uk/about-st-georges/ virtual-tour www.sgul.ac.uk/international E global@sgul.ac.uk T +44 (0)20 266 6877 mysgul St George s, University of London Cranmer Terrace London SW17 0RE Designed and printed by Media Services Job No: 103376(A) The material contained in this prospectus is a guide only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that its content is correct and up-to-date at the time of printing, St George s, University of London reserves the right, without prior notice, to cease to offer programmes of study, or to amend curricula, methods and modes of teaching and assessment, entry requirements and any other details. St George s, University of London confirms its commitment to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities and endeavours to avoid discrimination against any person on the grounds of religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, marital or parental status or politics. We strive to ensure that all members of the institution behave with courtesy towards each other and that students and staff can work in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We encourage applications from members of groups that are currently under-represented.