UNITED KINGDOM Short Term Student Visitor Visa Instructions For UK Summer programs
Overview WHERE DO I START? Start gathering necessary documents at least three weeks before departure. Visit campus offices for some of the documents. Be aware of office closures for holiday breaks and summer. Obtain documents before offices close. IMPORTANT: If you are not a US Citizen, read information for Non-US Citizens first. WHEN DO I APPLY FOR AND GET MY VISA? You will get the visa stamped in your passport upon arrival in the UK. Do not apply for this visa before departure. ARE THERE ANY TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS? Do not fly through Ireland! You cannot travel to (or through) Ireland on your way to the United Kingdom or book with Aer Lingus flights, which stop in Dublin on the way to the UK. 1
Applying for a Student Visitor Visa STEP 1: GATHER DOCUMENTS 1. US PASSPORT 2. OFFICIAL UC TRANSCRIPT Does not need to be in a sealed envelope. Request official transcripts before the registrar office closes. 3. PROOF YOU WILL DEPART THE UK BEFORE THE VISA EXPIRES This can be a flight or other travel itinerary ticket. 4. HOST UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE LETTER If you receive a hard copy Acceptance Letter, bring this document. If you receive it as an email, bring a printout of the email. 5. EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT Proof that you have enough funds ( maintenance ) to cover your expenses while in the UK. See next 2 pages for details. IMPORTANT: ENSURE THAT ALL INFORMATION ON YOUR DOCUMENTS IS CORRECT! This includes, but is not limited to: your name, dates of your program, country of citizenship/nationality, birthday, etc. If you notice an error, contact the provider of the document immediately. Tip: the UK format for birth dates is day/month/ year. 2
STEP 2: PROVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT Evidence of Financial Support ensures you have enough funds, per UKVI standards, to cover your expenses in the UK. How much money do I need to show I have? UKVI estimates a minimum of 1265/month for London and 1015/month maintenance funds for any cities outside London. Maintenance includes both housing fees and day-to-day living expenses. How can I provide this proof? Any combination of the following documents will work. If one document shows you meet the minumum, you do not need additional documents. (Stocks, bonds, market funds, etc. are not acceptable.) Include a note (on each document) showing the current currency conversion rate using www.oanda.com/convert/classic. PERSONAL BANK STATEMENT Request a current statement, no more than a month old, with your name and account number (if it is a joint account, you must be listed as a joint account holder) The funds must have been in the account for a full month Must be an original statement (not a printout of your online account) FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTER Request a letter from your campus Financial Aid Office that is no more than one month old Must state that you will receive $xx,xxx (not that you are eligible to receive) IMPORTANT: Get this letter before your campus Financial Aid Office closes for breaks or school holidays PARENTAL BANK STATEMENT: Same requirements as personal bank statement, plus: Letter from parent/account-holder confirming that they will provide the funds to support your stay Documents confirming they are your legal guardians (i.e., birth certificate, adoption certificate, court document) BANK LETTER Request a letter on official bank letterhead including your bank s logo Includes: your name, account number, date of the letter, amount of money in the account, confirmation that the money has been in the account for a minimum of 28 days Housing Payment Deduction You can subtract the amount you have paid for housing from the total amount you must prove (up to 1265). Print and carry it with you in your carry-on luggage when you go abroad. LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS SUMMER, PEMBROKE/KING S SUMMER, GLASGOW SUMMER: You will need a receipt from your host university showing the amount paid for housing. This may be included in your acceptance letter or email from the university. If it is not, request proof of payment from the host university (email, statement from host university billing account, etc.). SUSSEX SUMMER, EAST ANGLIA SUMMER, ST. ANDREWS SUMMER: Your acceptance letter will state your course and accommodation fees are paid through the University of California to your host university. This letter is your proof of payment of housing fees. 3
STEP 3: ARRIVE & PRESENT DOCUMENTS What happens at customs when I arrive in the UK? Upon arrival, you will go through Immigration and present the documents to the immigration officer so that they may determine your eligibility for a Student Visitor Visa. When the Immigration officer asks you the purpose of your stay, tell them you are a student visitor. Be sure to mention that you are a short-term (less than 6 months) student. REMEMBER: keep your documents with you in your carry-on luggage so they are easily accessible. More questions? If you have questions beyond these instructions, please contact UK Visa & Immigration. Email: Follow this link https://ukvi-international.faq-help.com/ Telephone: Speaking directly to an advisor costs 1.37 per minute on top of the cost of the call. The phone number from within the United States is 1-888-683-9699, 7 am 4 pm EDT (4 am 1 pm Pacific time). Good luck and happy travels! 4
UNITED KINGDOM Visa Information for non-us Citizens For UK Summer programs
Visa Information for Non-US Citizens For Non-US Citizens, the next step is finding out if you need to apply before departure or upon arrival with the immigration officer. Check out this UKVI tool for non-us citizens to see if there are any restrictions or additional requirements for your country of citizenship. THE UKVI VISA TOOL WILL PUT YOU INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES: You do need a Visa This means you are a Visa National and you will need a visa prior to departure. 1. Click only on the Visa4UK link to start the application process. Register an account. 2. Complete the registration process, referencing the sample screen shot below. 3. Click Go To Application and complete the sections as directed. You will be taken to a new page that shows your application status (incomplete). 4. Schedule and attend your Biometric Screening. All UK visa applicants are required to provide biometric data as part of the application process. This includes a 10-digit electronic finger scan and a digital photograph. 5. Collect the required documents to mail to the UK Consulate in New York. 6. Mail all of your documents to the UK Consulate in New York. If you are applying 1 month or less before your program starts, you need to EXPEDITE your visa. You must pay for priority service online BEFORE you submit your application. See here for information on the priority service. You do not need a Visa This is misleading. You do need entry clearance (visa), but you are considered a Non-Visa National - so since you are only in the UK for 6 months or less, you can follow the Student Visitor Visa instructions for US Citizens as listed earlier in this document. IMPORTANT: Once your biometrics have been taken, you will receive a deadline to submit your application and all required supporting documents to the UK consulate in New York. This is typically a deadline of 5 to 10 days. Your biometrics confirmation letter will note your exact time frame. If you wait longer than the indicated time, you will have to begin the application process again (including fee payment). Read through the following instructions carefully and ensure you will have all required documents prepared by the time of your biometrics appointment to avoid repeating this process. 6
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS You must submit these with your visa application: 1. US PASSPORT Signed and valid for your entire program length. Do not send a photocopy of your passport as your visa will be affixed to a page in your actual passport. 2. PRINT-OUT OF YOUR SIGNED ONLINE APPLICATION FORM If you made any errors on the form, you can correct them by hand on the print out. 3. STAMPED CONFIRMATION OF YOUR BIOMETRICS APPOINTMENT 4. SELF-ADDRESSED VFS GLOBAL ENVELOPE The British Consulate will use this envelope to return your passport and any relevant documents to you. You may choose the level of service you need, depending on how quickly you need your visa returned. 5. HOST UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE LETTER If you receive a hard copy Acceptance Letter, you must bring this document. If you receive it as an email, you may bring a print out of the email. 6. TWO PASSPORT STYLE PHOTOGRAPHS Click here for more information. NOTE: Please do not contact UCEAP to ask if there are additional requirements or restrictions for your country of citizenship; UKVI policies can change frequently and UCEAP can monitor only the requirements for US citizens. NOT REQUIRED UNLESS REQUESTED: Do not submit these items unless specifically requested (via email) by the UKVI. However, be prepared to submit them in case they are requested. Submitting them without a request may delay processing time. OFFICIAL UC TRANSCRIPT Does not need to be in a sealed envelope. EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT See next page for details. IMPORTANT: ENSURE THAT ALL INFORMATION ON YOUR DOCUMENTS IS CORRECT! This includes, but is not limited to, your name, dates of your program, country of citizenship/nationality, birthday, etc. Remember, the UK format for birth dates is day/month/year. If you notice an error, contact the provider of the document immediately. 7
EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT Evidence of Financial Support is not required unless requested. If requested, submit one or more of the documents below, as long as the total amount of the funds reaches the minimum you must show. If one document provides the total, you do not need additional documents. Include a note showing the current currency conversion rate using www.oanda.com/convert/classic. UKVI lists the minimum amount for maintenance to be 1265/month if studying in London and 1015/month if studying outside London. PERSONAL BANK STATEMENT Request a current statement, no more than a month old, with your name and account number (if it is a joint account, you must be listed as a joint account holder) The funds must have been in the account for a full month Must be an original statement (not a printout of your online account) FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTER Request a letter from your campus Financial Aid Office that is no more than one month old Must state that you will receive $xx,xxx (not that you are eligible to receive) IMPORTANT: Get this letter before your campus Financial Aid Office closes for breaks or school holidays PARENTAL BANK STATEMENT: Same requirements as personal bank statement, plus: Letter from parent/account-holder confirming that they will provide the funds to support your stay Documents confirming they are your legal guardians (i.e., birth certificate, adoption certificate, court document) BANK LETTER Request a letter on official bank letterhead including your bank s logo 8
Includes: your name, account number, date of the letter, amount of money in the account, confirmation that the money has been in the account for a minimum of 28 days QUESTIONS How do I mail my documents to the UK Consulate in New York? VFS WAYBILL OPTIONS Return courier $34 Round trip courier (recommended if applying 4 weeks or less before departure date) $53 Mail your passport, application, and other documents to the UK Consulate in New York with VFS Global. Do NOT use FedEx or USPS. The consulate will not accept these and it will delay visa processing. How do I know when the consulate has received my documents and made a decision? When the consulate opens your documents, they will email you confirming receipt. When the consulate makes a decision about your visa application, they will email you the decision. What do I do once I receive my passport with the visa back in the mail? Check that all the information on your visa is correct, especially your name and birthday (the UK uses a Day/Month/ Year format). If there are any errors, contact the consulate immediately. MORE QUESTIONS? For questions regarding these instructions, please contact your UCEAP program advisor. These instructions are written by UCEAP staff and are not offered in place of information provided by the UK Visa & Immigration. UCEAP is not able to advise beyond these instructions. If you have questions beyond these instructions, please contact UK Visa & Immigration. They can be reached through email, webchat, and telephone. Email and Webchat: go to the UK Visa & Immigration contact us page. PRICE Telephone: Speaking directly to an advisor costs 1.37 per minute on top of the cost of the call. The phone number from within the United States is 1-888-683-9699, 7 am 4 pm EDT (4 am 1 pm Pacific time). 9