This category includes two sub-categories:

• General Student – for those who are coming to the United Kingdom for the post-16 education;
• Child Student – for children between 4 and 17 years old coming to the UK for their education to study at independent schools.

Students of 16 or 17 years old should agree with the chosen educational establishment either to apply for General Student or Child Student visa. It depends on the course level. If the course is considered as NQF Level 3 or above, the educational provider should advise a student on the applicable sub-category.

Educational provider means any educational establishment in the UK that is approved by UKBA and has been given a licence to bring overseas students to the United Kingdom under Tier 4 of PBS.

Scoring Sections - Attributes

The applicant should successfully claim 40 points in total i.e.:

30 points – for having a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Your approved education provider (sponsor) must provide a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) which is a unique reference number electronically issued by a sponsor via the Sponsor Management System to an applicant for entry clearance, leave to enter or remain as a Tier 4 Migrant 

10 points – for having enough money to cover your course fees and monthly living costs (also known as maintenance or funds). You must show that you have held the money for at least a consecutive 28 day period (i.e. the funds must not fall below the required amount in this period). The end of that 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of your application.

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

Your approved education provider will provide a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) which is an official and unconditional offer of a place on a course of study.
Courses accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) will be restricted to sponsors accorded platinum or gold status by the ACCA.

The CAS must be issued no more than six months before you apply.
Having a CAS does not guarantee the application will be successful. The applicant must meet all the requirements of the immigration rules and policy guidance in respect of the Tier 4 category.

Maintenance or Funds

The money you need to show covers your course fees for your first year of study and living costs for up to a maximum of nine months. The amount you will need depends on whether you are applying as a child or adult and also whether you will be studying in or out of London.

You must show that you have held the required amount of money every day for at least 28 days. The end of that 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of your application.  There is a declaration on the visa application form requiring students to declare they hold and will continue to hold the required maintenance funds to cover their course fees and living costs, and that these funds will remain available to them to support themselves in the UK while they study and to pay for their course.
If you are using overseas currency, you must clearly mention the exchange rate applied and money in GBP.

Your study is in London if the majority of your study (more than 50% of your study time) will be in any of the following London boroughs: Camden, City of London, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster. If you are not studying in any of these boroughs, you will be considered as studying outside London. The address given in your CAS will be used as proof of your main study site.

You must show the following amount of money to meet basic living costs (not including fees):

• £800 per month if you are living in London;
• £600 per month if you are living outside London.

You can prove you have the money if you have:

• cash in an account in your name (this includes joint accounts with your name); or
• a loan in your name; or
• official financial or government sponsorship.

Adult and child students can use an account in their parent or legal guardian’s name.
If you have already paid some of your fees or accommodation before applying for your visa, this amount will be taken away from the total amount of money you need to show. For accommodation, this only applies if you are staying in university or college arranged accommodation.

English language

In general, where the course is below degree/foundation degree level or below NQF/QCF level 6 (and where the student is not from one of the English-speaking countries listed in the Immigration Rules at Appendix A) a student will need to show a knowledge of English language equivalent to level B1, or above, of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework for Language Learning (unless coming to study English, in which case the course must be at level B2, unless the CAS was assigned before 23rd July, 2010, in which case the course level need only be A2).  For those coming to study at degree level, foundation degree level or NQF/QCF level 6 or above will need to show a knowledge of English language equivalent to level B2, or above, of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework for Language Learning.  For those students studying at Higher Education Institute (HEI), the Institute can decide how it assesses the student’s English language ability and vouch that the student has attained the necessary English level – a Secure English Language Test (SELT) certificate need not be supplied.

Dependants

Only those students studying at postgraduate level at HEIs on courses lasting more than 12 months, or more than 6 months for government-sponsored students studying at any level, are permitted to bring dependants with them.

Those dependants already in the UK before 4th July 2011 with leave in line are allowed to stay until the end of their leave.  Dependants with existing leave granted before 4th July 2011 wishing to extend their stay will be able to do so subject to existing restrictions, provided they apply at the same time as the Tier 4 (General) Student applies to continue their studies, and within three months of the expiry of their existing leave.

Right to Work for Dependants

If the main applicant’s grant of leave is for less than 12 months, the dependants will not be allowed to work in Great Britain, unless the main applicant is sponsored by Government.

If the main applicant’s grant of leave is for a course of study below degree level, the dependants will not be allowed to work in Great Britain, unless the main applicant is sponsored by Government.

Additional documents and proof for students under 18 years old

All students under 18 years old will need to get their parent(s) or legal guardian’s written consent to the care arrangements for their travel to, reception and care while in the United Kingdom, before permission to enter or stay will be given.

Extra studies

As a child or adult student, you are allowed to do extra courses, for example, evening courses or other course relevant or irrelevant to your main course of studies. You do not need permission from UKBA to do extra studies, and you do not need to tell your approved education provider but you must make sure that the extra course does not get in the way of the course that you have permission to stay for.
Working
Only those students at studying at higher education institutions (HEIs) and publicly funded further education colleges will be allowed to work.

What is a higher education institution (HEI)?

An HEI is a recognised body, or a body in receipt of public funding as an HEI from the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales or the Scottish Funding Council. This is essentially Recognised Bodies, University Colleges and small number of other institutions. Institutions, including further education colleges, which receive some public funding to deliver higher education courses do not fall within this definition of an HEI.

Recognised bodies are all those institutions or bodies, including universities, which have their own UK degree awarding powers.

How many hours can a student work?

Those studying at an HEI at degree level can work no more than 20 hours per week during term time and any hours during holidays. They must not fill a full-time permanent vacancy.
Those studying at an HEI below degree level can work no more than 10 hours per week during term time and any hours during holidays. They must not fill a full-time permanent vacancy.

Those studying at any academic level at a publicly funded further education college can work no more than 10 hours per week during term time and any hours during holidays. They must not fill a full-time permanent vacancy.

All other students, i.e. those at privately funded colleges, are not permitted to work.

Switching Rules

You can switch in to the adult student category if you have, or were last given, permission to stay in the following categories:

• Tier 4 (General) student
• Tier 4 (Child) student
• Tier 2 Migrant
• Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) migrant
• prospective student
• student
• student re-sitting an examination
• student nurses
• students writing up a thesis
• Student Union sabbatical officer
• Work Permit holder
• a postgraduate doctor or dentist
• participant in the SEGS
• participant in the IGS
• participant in the FT: WISS

Extension of staying

You can apply to extend your permission to stay while you are in the United Kingdom, or you can apply to extend your permission from outside the United Kingdom.
You may need a lower amount of money for your living costs. The money you need to apply for a further course of study or to complete an existing course of study will depend on the length of your course and where you will study.  If you have an ‘established presence’ you will have to show only two months’ maintenance funds (as opposed to nine months).
You have an established presence if, at the date of application, you have current leave and you have finished within your last period of leave a course of study in the United Kingdom of at least six months, or you are applying for continued study on a single course where you have already completed at least six months.

Appeals (In country Applications only)

 If your application for permission to stay is refused, you may be able to appeal. Details on how and if you can appeal will be included with your reasons for refusal letter.
It is strongly advised to take independent professional assistance to lodge an appeal against the decision of the UKBA.

Administrative Review (Entry clearance applications only)

If the entry clearance application is refused by the ECO in the British Diplomatic post, the applicant will be given a right of making a request for a review of the decision that must be exercised within 28 days of the date of service of decision. The applicant will only be able to rely on the information / documents already submitted with the application and will not be allowed to submit any fresh documentary evidences with the review request.

It is therefore strongly advised to take professional help while making grounds for making review request.

What services we can offer?

• We can advise on the procedure of getting a sponsor license for educational providers.
• We can find a proper educational establishment for your education.
• We can arrange an interview and testing at the selected educational establishment(s).
• We can carry out the enrolment procedure.
• We can advise on the law, procedure, requirements and merits of making an application to the UK Border Agency / British diplomatic post.
• We can provide assistance in completing the application forms.
• We can advise and represent our clients in making representations in support of their immigration matters.
• We can advise and represent our clients’ dependants to seek dependant visas in line with the visa of the main applicant.
• We can lodge an appeal (in-country only) or make a request for an administrative review if the applicant`s leave to remain or entry clearance application, respectively, is refused.

Whatever the case, we are here to help, assist, advise and represent our clients in relation to any aspect of the immigration matters of our clients.