APPLYING FOR YOUR TIER 4 VISA PRE-SESSIONAL STUDENTS 2017 International Student Advice Team
Contents Introduction Your CAS Documents to prepare Financial documents Applying online What happens next Refusals Questions! The information in this presentation was correct at the time of writing. However, the Immigration Rules do change frequently. Please do refer to www.gov.uk and www.ukcisa.org.uk for the most up-to-date information.
Who Are We? International Student Advisors part of the Student Advice service We provide advice and support for prospective and current international students studying at King s, including immigration advice, and advice on working during and after studies We are the only staff at King s who are regulated to provide immigration advice by the OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner). We are members of UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs), who provide us with regular training and support. See our website for further details: www.kcl.ac.uk/advice
Student visas for the UK If you are coming to the UK from outside of Europe, you will likely need a visa to study For your Pre-sessional English course, you will need to apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa The visa application form is completed online: www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk You will need to prepare supporting documents, which need to be ready before you submit your online application
Your CAS A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is a certificate created by King s, that confirms that we have unconditionally accepted you for a particular course. It is an electronic document you do not need to print it out. Instead, each CAS has a unique 14-digit number that you need to type into the visa application. It contains important information about you, the way that King s has assessed you, and the course you plan to study. Your CAS will be available to you through King s Apply
King s Apply the CAS This is what your CAS information looks like in King s Apply:
What kind of CAS do you have? As a Pre-sessional English student, there are two types of CAS you may have although both work in the same way. A SINGLE CAS which just covers your Pre-sessional English course. Once you pass your Pre-sessional course, King s will create a new CAS for you to apply for a new visa for your degree-level course. You can make this application to extend your Tier 4 visa in the UK, and we will help you with this. A COMBINED CAS which covers your Pre-sessional English course + your degree. You will only be able to have a combined CAS if you have already met all of the offer conditions for your degree including English language. If passing the Pre-sessional course is a condition of your offer, then you are not able to have a combined CAS.
What documents will you need? Depending on the type of CAS you have, you will need some, or possibly all, of the following: Proof you meet the financial requirements Proof you meet the academic requirements Your CAS number from King s (check application portal) Your passports(s), and 2 passport-sized photos Completed application form (online) Payment for visa application (usually online, may be at VAC) Payment of Immigration Health Surcharge, or IHS You may need a TB certificate You may need an ATAS certificate All documents must be ORIGINAL no photocopies are allowed!
What documents will you need? TB certificate ATAS clearance Proof of finances Proof of academic qualifications Your CAS number Your passport Photographs Payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge SINGLE CAS COMBINED CAS Maybe Maybe
TB Certificate A tuberculosis (TB) test is required if coming to the UK for more than 6 months, and citizen in one of countries listed in Appendix T of the Immigration Rules https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-t-tuberculosisscreening If TB screening is required, it has to be taken at a Home Office approved clinic in your country. https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa/countries-where-you-need-a-tb-test-to-enter-the-uk Once you have your TB certificate, it is valid for 6 months. Make your visa application within this time.
ATAS ATAS: Academic Technology Approval Scheme Certain Science and Engineering courses above degree level will require an ATAS certificate in order to study certain subjects in the UK. Your offer conditions and CAS will confirm if ATAS is required for your course. If you need to apply for ATAS, apply in good time. ATAS clearance is normally issued within 20 working days, but during busy summer periods it can take up to 2 months. If you need ATAS for your main course, even if you have only got a single CAS now, you should still apply for ATAS before travelling to the UK. The ATAS application is an online form: https://www.academic-technology-approval.service.gov.uk/ Guidance from UKVI to completing the form is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme
Passports and Photographs Passport(s) and photographs are both part of the mandatory documents for your visa applications. A valid passport Passport number needs to match information stated on CAS If your passport has been changed or renewed after receiving CAS, please inform King s ASAP UK passport-sized colour photos 2 identical photos less than 1 month old against a light grey background specific size instruction:
Academic Qualifications You will need to provide the qualifications that you showed to Admissions in order to meet your offer conditions. These qualifications should match the ones listed on your CAS. All qualifications must be original certificates or final transcripts. No provisional certificates, and no photocopies! These certificates / final transcripts must show your name, and title of award, and date your qualification was awarded, and name of awarding institution.
Low-risk Nationals Nationals of countries on this list are subject to different documentary requirements under Tier 4. Students from these nationals need to tick Differentiation Arrangement when filling Tier 4 applications so that your visa application will be considered under this category. As long as you are applying from your home country, you will NOT need to submit academic qualifications or financial documents. However, you do still need to prepare all documents as required, as the UKVI can request them. Argentina Australia Barbados Botswana Brunei Canada Chile Japan Malaysia New Zealand Oman Qatar Singapore South Korea Trinidad and Tobago UAE USA British National (Overseas) Hong Kong Taiwan (those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan including the number of the identification card)
Financial documents The most common reason for student s visa applications to be refused is because the financial documents are not suitable. Please pay close attention to this section. You will need to show bank statements in your name, your parents / legal guardians names, AND / OR a scholarship letter from an Official Financial Sponsor confirming that they will cover your full tuition fees and living costs. OTHER RELATIVES, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, CANNOT give you bank statements for your visa application their bank statements will lead to your application being refused.
Financial documents Bank statements need to show ALL of the following details: Your name or your parent s / legal guardian s name The account number The bank s name and logo The date the bank statement was printed The amount of money available If you use electronic bank statements that have been printed out by the bank, then you either need a cover letter from the bank confirming that the statements are genuine, or the statement needs to be stamped by the bank on every page.
How much money do I need? In your bank statements, you need to show: Any unpaid tuition fees for the first year of your course + Money for your living costs in London The UKVI has decided that you need 1265 per month to live in London. For your living costs, you should therefore prepare: 1265 x the number of months of your course, up to a maximum of 9 months. Due to currency fluctuations, it s always best to prepare a little bit more.
How much money do I need? PRE-SESSIONAL COURSE LENGTH SINGLE CAS COMBINED CAS 20 weeks (5 x 1265 =) 6325 Not eligible 15 weeks face to face at King s (4 x 1265 =) 5060 Not eligible 15 weeks including 4 weeks online (4 x 1265 =) 5060 Unpaid tuition fees + 11385 10 weeks (3 x 1265 =) 3795 Unpaid tuition fees + 11385 5 weeks (2 x 1265 =) 2530 Unpaid tuition fees + 11385 6 weeks including 4 weeks online Not eligible Unpaid tuition fees + 11385
How long do I need this money? 28 days. The total amount needs to be held for at least 28 consecutive days leading up to the last date on your bank statement. (Longer than 28 days is ok!) It cannot drop below the required amount at any time during this period. The bank statement that you use must be less than 1 month old when you pay for your visa application.
An example bank statement
Certificates of Deposit
But my bank statement isn t in GBP If your financial documents are in a currency other than GBP, you will need to convert the closing balance on your bank statement into GBP. You have to use the OANDA website: https://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/ Convert the closing balance into GBP using the exchange rate on the date that you submit and pay for your visa application. Print out the currency conversion and add it to your documents.
Now I m getting worried it s so confusing! If you re not sure whether your bank statements are suitable, you can scan and email them to us: advice@kcl.ac.uk It may take us a couple of days to reply to you, so please be patient we will get back to you as soon as we can! We would prefer to check your documents, than your visa application end up being refused.
My parents are funding me If you want to use your parents / legal guardians bank statements for your Tier 4 visa application, you ll need to provide some additional documents: An original birth certificate / certificate of adoption / court document showing the names of your parents / legal guardians. The spelling of these names should match the bank statements. A letter from your parents / guardians confirming that: You are their child, and They give you their consent to use their money for your studies in the UK
I m getting a scholarship If you have been awarded a scholarship, you can provide a letter confirming the details of your scholarship. You can be sponsored by an international company, government, scholarship provider or university. The letter must contain: your name the name and contact details of your official financial sponsor the date of the letter; the length of your sponsorship; and the amount of money the sponsor is giving to you or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs. the official stamp of the organisation
Translations Any original documents that are not in English will need to be accompanied by a translation. The requirements for translations are: The date of the translation The translator s full name and signature The translator s qualifications (to be precise: what qualification do they have that allows them to translate English professionally?) The translator / translation company s contact details. A sentence confirming that it is an accurate translation of the original document
Applying online for your visa To apply for your Tier 4 visa from outside the UK, you will need to fill in the form at www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome Allow yourself an hour to complete the form. Make sure that you have your CAS and all of your documents ready! Use our online guidance on completing the form: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/student-advicesupport/ags/pdfs/immigrationadvice/entry-clearance-guidet4.pdf
Paying for your visa application Once you have completed the visa application form, you will need to pay for it online using a credit card. The cost is 335 (the equivalent in your home currency) If you hold a combined CAS, you will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge in order to access healthcare in the UK. The Immigration Health Surcharge costs 75 for every 6 months of the length of your visa. Students with a single CAS won t need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge this time. Instead, we recommend that you take out private health insurance to cover you in the UK during your time on the Pre-sessional course.
What happens next? Book an appointment at the nearest Visa Application Centre When you go to your appointment, bring your printed visa application form + all of your supporting documents (unless advised to send them in by post) During your appointment at the Visa Application Centre, you may have a short interview with a UKVI officer. Don t worry about this! The interviewer just wants to confirm that you are a real student. After some days, you will go to collect your visa documents and the decision letter. Check your visa sticker carefully! If you have any questions about it, or something doesn t look right - let us know.
Arriving in the UK Get ready to travel to the UK! When you travel, carry a copy of your CAS and recent bank statements in your hand luggage just in case an officer at the UK border asks you questions about your reason to travel to the UK. Try to avoid travelling into the UK via Ireland there are no border controls between the two countries, and so your Tier 4 visa sticker may not be stamped which can occasionally cause problems. If you have a combined CAS, you will need to pick up your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which is a pink card that shows the full details of your visa for the whole of your time in the UK. You can choose to collect the card at King s by entering Alternative Location code: 2HE432 (If you have a single CAS, don t worry about the last two points!)
For students under 18 You can travel to the UK and live independently, but you need written consent from your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) that they agree to this. If you are 16 or 17, your visa application must include a letter from your parent(s)/legal guardian(s), confirming: the relationship between you and them; they give their consent to your application; they give their consent to you living independently in the UK; and they give their consent to your independent travel to the UK. The letter must confirm if your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have legal custody or sole responsibility for you, and it must be signed by each parent or legal guardian. If you have got a combined CAS, please use Alternative Location Code (given in the previous slide) to collect your BRP card from King s College London. Otherwise, you will need to have a responsible adult to collect the card with you.
Arriving in the UK WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Police Registration National Health Service (NHS) treatment Work during studies Renewing your visa in the UK BRP card SINGLE CAS Not applicable Not eligible: we recommend obtaining private medical insurance 10 hours per week during term time Have to renew your visa before your current visa expires Not applicable COMBINED CAS Register with the police within 7 days upon on your arrival, if police registration appears on visa sticker IHS paid when applying for visa, therefore NHS included 20 hours per week during term time Not required Should collect BRP card within 10 working days upon your arrival
Refusals In the unlikely event of your visa application being refused, DON T PANIC As soon as you can, scan and email us every page of your visa refusal. If you think you have documents that would help you to avoid being refused if you apply again, scan and email these documents too. We will get back to you as quickly as we can. Don t just apply again, as you will need a new CAS for each new visa application. You can email us at advice@kcl.ac.uk.
THANK YOU WE HAVE SOME TIME NOW FOR QUESTIONS! OR YOU CAN EMAIL US: ADVICE@KCL.AC.UK