The United Kingdom student visa is one of the most sought-after types of visa among students in the World. Studying in the UK is a great destination for a lot of Nigerians and people all over the World.
The UK provides good education with world-class facilities that attract a lot of students globally. If you are looking to study abroad, then the UK would be a good idea.
However, applying for a student visa could be a challenge for some prospects. In this article, we are going to give you a guide on how to apply for a UK Student visa.
UK Student Visa application
There are instructions and guides that you need to follow to apply for a student visa. Below we have broken down the application process into five steps;
The first step of this process is to confirm if you are eligible to apply for a student visa. To qualify for applying for a student visa, you need to provide evidence of the following;
Confirmation of acceptance from the school, university, or college where you want to study. This is known as a confirmation of acceptance of studies (CAS). You can also apply for a Canada visa lottery application form
You will also provide proof that you have enough money to cover your fees and other expenses of living in the UK
The next thing to do after you have confirmed that you qualify is to prepare your documents. Certain documents are required to apply for a student visa. Later in this article, we will give you the list of all the articles you will be needing.
Proceed to start the online application
To do this, create an account and fill out the online application form.
The next step is the payment stage. The UK student visa application fee payment can be done in any of the following ways;
- Make payment at a Standard chartered bank branch and you will be issued a demand draft in favor of the British high commission
- You can also make payment by a draft from a local or international bank. The payment will be made concerning ‘The British High Commission’s
- Alternatively, you can make your payment at the visa application center
- The final and most common way of making this payment is by online payment. You can use a Mastercard or credit card to make payments
- When you are done with the application form and payment, print out the completed online form and the payment slip. Your application number will be sent to you via Email address.
- Finally, you can book an appointment with the visa application center.
In the simple five steps above, you can finish the online application for the UK student visa.
UK student visa fees 2023
The cost of the student visa for Tier 4 (General) is around 348 pounds. As we mentioned earlier, you can pay via a Mastercard or credit card; through a demand draft; or via the application center through cash payment.
Types of UK student visa
The student visa is categorized into two depending on the duration of your study. The two types of student visas in the UK are; the short-term student visa and the Tier 4 student visa.
Short-term student visa
This type of visa is for a student who is taking a short language course or staying in the UK for a brief research program. This type of visa mostly has a duration of 6 to 11 months.
Tier 4 (General) Student visa
The Tier 4 visa is mostly for students who are studying for a bachelor’s degree, Master’s program, or doctorate. This visa does not have a specific date of expiration as it runs till the end of your study course.
Required Documents for the study visa application
Study visas require a lot of documents compared to tourist visas and some other visa types. Compulsory requirements of your financial and educational background need to be provided to make sure your visa is approved.
Before attending the interview, you should make sure you have the following documents available;
- A copy of the completed online application form
- The Institution, University, or College will provide a letter of acceptance into the course of study. You will also receive a visa letter and you are to apply at least six months after the issuance of the visa letter
- You must also meet all the requirements of the immigration rules
- Your financial status is also very important in getting a student visa. You will need to provide evidence that you can cover your fees and the general cost of living in the UK. The funds must have been with you for not less than 28 days.
- Visa fee payment receipt
- Payslips
- Original certificates
Note; English proficiency tests like TOEFL, IELTS, etc will be needed in the future.
These are the required documents that you need to apply for a UK student visa. You can get more information on the subject via www.gov.uk/student-visa
The student UK visa application process is very easy to complete. However, a successful application does not guarantee that your visa will be approved. On your path, you will have to strictly follow the guidelines and provide the necessary documents to stand a chance.
Also Read: USA Student Visa For International Students
There are some criteria that you will have to reach to qualify or to be eligible for a student visa.
Below, we are going to highlight some things that will qualify you for a student visa;
- For the Tier 4 (General) student visa, you must be 16 years and above to be able to apply for the student visa. However, Tier 4 also has a category for children between 4 and 15
- You must be able to speak, read, and understand the English language. This is the reason why proficiency tests like TOEFL and IELTS are taken.
- To be eligible, you should have an offer from a University that is licensed.
- Sufficient money for self-support and tuition fee is also very important.
- You will also need parental approval or consent. This applies if the applicant is below the legal age.
- Eligibility to get approved is based on the information we have just provided in the paragraph above.
