Documents Required for a Student Visa Application: In order to support your visa application, you must provide the supporting documents listed in the table below. Supporting documentation must meet certain criteria in order to avoid a visa denial. Originals or copies of supporting documents are acceptable.
Documents Required for a Student Visa Application
International Passport
In order to support your visa application, you must produce an original, valid passport.
If you are a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland, or if you are applying for a visa in the United Kingdom, you may be able to use an app called ‘ID Check’ to verify your identity during the application process. This eliminates the need for a face-to-face appointment at a visa application centre. Your passport will be electronically validated if you utilize the ID Check app, and you will not be required to send your passport along with your supporting documents.
If you are unable or ineligible to use the app, you must submit an actual passport in support of your visa application. Your passport must include at least one complete page that is blank on both sides in this situation.
Your passport does not need to be valid for a specific period of time, but it must be valid at the time you apply for a visa. If your passport will expire soon after you arrive in the UK, you may find it easier and less stressful to renew it before applying for your visa and travelling to the UK.
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
Before you apply for a Student Visa, you must obtain a CAS from a qualified university. Check that the information on your CAS is valid and that your personal information matches your passport exactly. From the time it is issued, your CAS will be valid for 6 months.
With each visa application, a new CAS must be submitted. You must apply for a new CAS if you are continuing your education at the University or if you have completed your course and are applying to study a new course. If your previous visa application was denied, you’ll need to get a new CAS before applying again. Please see the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) website for additional information on the procedure and how to apply for a CAS.
Academic Qualifications
You do not need to present documentation of your previous qualifications with your visa application if you are studying at degree level (RQF level 6) or higher because your CAS will include details of your qualifications. If you are 16 or 17 years old and not a national designated under the ‘Differential evidence requirement’ under paragraph ST 22.1. of Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules, you should present these documents. Unless you are a national specified under the ‘Differential evidence requirement’ as described in the paragraph above, you must provide any papers listed on your CAS with your visa application if you are studying below degree level (below RQF6).
The following are examples of acceptable evidence:
- Degree certificate
- Academic transcript
These qualifications will be listed on your CAS.
English Language Evidence
If you are applying to study a degree-level or higher course (undergraduate, master’s, or PhD), the university may assess your English language skills in their own way.
Some of the ways they may confirm your evidence of English language are:
- WAEC
- NECO
- Proof of English Language Proficiency from your higher institution
If the University has conducted its own assessment, it will be noted on your CAS as “Higher Education Institution (HEI) has conducted assessment,” and this is also the option you must select on your visa application form when describing how you met the English language requirement. There is no need for more evidence in this case.
Financial Evidence
For financial evidence, the Home Office has particular maintenance obligations. You must provide evidence that fits these requirements, often demonstrating that money was held for 28 days in a row and that the evidence was not older than 31 days.
If you are reliant on the funds of your parents, you must also include the following:
- a letter from your parent giving his or her permission (s)
- A copy of your birth certificate
If you are going with a dependent, note that your dependent will also need a consent letter from you allowing him/her to use the funds in your account. To get a sample of the consent letter, feel free to reach us on WhatsApp.
TB Certificate
If you are travelling to the UK for more than 6 months and have lived in one of the countries listed by the Home Office for at least 6 months, you must take a tuberculosis test and submit your TB test certificate with your visa application. It doesn’t matter what nationality you have; it’s about where you’ve lived. The test must be done at a TB test clinic that has been approved.
You must submit a TB test certificate if you plan to submit your Student Visa application in a country that is not on the TB test list and you have lived in a country where TB testing is required for more than six months. The challenge you will confront is that only nations on the list have accredited TB test clinics. It is critical that you visit a TB test centre before travelling to the nation where you intend to apply for a visa.
If your test results reveal that you do not have tuberculosis, you will be given a certificate. The validity of this certificate is six months. This authentic certificate must be submitted with your visa application.
On the Gov.uk website, you can learn more about the TB test.
If you are applying for a visa extension from within the UK, you do not need to provide a TB test certificate.
Completed Visa Application Form
You must fill out the relevant student visa application form online. Please note that the application forms for students applying from outside the UK and those applying from within the UK are different. Make sure you fill out the form that is appropriate for your situation.
Once you’ve paid the IHS fee and visa application cost, your application will be submitted. Following that, you may be required to provide additional supporting documents and/or attend a biometrics appointment at tlscontact. Please make certain that you include all of the required evidence.
After you’ve submitted your visa application form, you might be able to obtain your visa application checklist. The checklist will include key details regarding your visa application, as well as the documents you’ll need to provide in support of it.
Visa application turn around time is usually 3 weeks or 15 working days, which starts counting after you have done the biometrics at the tls contact center. Other issues, avoidable or beyond your control can extend this time range.
Benostech International Study Consult provides full support for your UK visa application. Feel free to use our service and we’ll make sure that you got all the Documents Required for a Student Visa Application.
