Tier4 studentgeneral visa guide.docx

1、Tier4 studentgeneral visa guideGOV.UK Tier 4 (General) student visaNotes1. OverviewYou can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if youre 16 or over and you: have been offered a place on a course can speak, read, write and understand English have enough money to support yourse

2、lf and and pay for your course - the amount will vary depending on your circumstances are from a country thats not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland meet the other eligibility requirements When to applyYou can apply from 3 months before the start of your course. Youll usually get a

3、decision on your visa within 3 weeks. You can check visa processing times for your country. FeesIt costs 322 to apply for this visa from outside the UK. You must pay 322 per person for any dependants.Youll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much youll ha

4、ve to pay before you apply.How long you can stayYou can arrive in the UK before your course starts: up to 1 week before, if your course lasts 6 months or less up to 1 month before, if your course lasts more than 6 monthsHow long you can stay depends on the kind of course youre doing and what study y

5、ouve already completed.What you can and cant doYou can: study work as a student union sabbatical officer apply from inside or outside the UK apply to extend your stay work - depending on what level your course is and what kind of sponsor you have You cant: get public funds work as a professional spo

6、rtsperson, including a sports coach study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school) You may be able to bring in family members (dependants).Read the full guidance to find out how long you might be able to stay and what you can and cant do.2. EligibilityYou

7、must have: an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed Tier 4 sponsor enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - the amount will vary depending on your circumstancesRead the guide and appendix for the full list of documents and how much money youll need.Your courseY

8、ou can do a course thats one of the following: full-time leading to a qualification thats at least level 6 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) an overseas course of degree level study thats equal to a UK higher education course and is being run by an overseas higher education institution

9、a full-time course with at least 15 hours per week of organised daytime study leading to a qualification below degree level but at least NQF level 3 a recognised foundation programme as a postgraduate doctor or dentistPostgraduate doctors and dentistsYou can apply for this visa if youre sponsored to

10、 do a recognised foundation programme and youve: finished a recognised UK degree in medicine or dentistry received that degree from a registered Tier 4 sponsor spent your final year and at least 1 other year of studies leading to that degree in the UKConfirmation of acceptance for studiesYour educat

11、ion provider will send you a reference number called a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) once theyve offered you a place on a course. Youll need to enter this on your visa application. You must apply for your visa no more than 6 months after you receive the CAS.Further study in the UKYou

12、can only get a CAS for a new course if youve studied in the UK before and youre: re-sitting exams or repeating modules applying for the first time to a new institution to complete a course you started at an institution thats lost its Tier 4 sponsorship applying to complete a PhD or other doctorate t

13、hat you started studying under your last Tier 4 (General) student visa studying for a new qualification at a higher academic level studying for a new qualification at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) thats at the same level of study and related to your previous course, or career aspirations 3. K

14、nowledge of EnglishYou must prove your knowledge of the English language when you apply. This usually means passing a secure English language test (SELT).Where youre studyingWhat youre studyingKnowledge of English neededLevelHigher education institution (HEI)Degree level or aboveReading, writing, li

15、stening and speakingEquivalent to CEFR (Common European Framework for languages) level B2Institution thats not HEI Degree level or aboveSELT in reading, writing, listening and speakingCEFR level B2Any institutionBelow degreeSELT in reading, writing, listening and speakingCEFR level B1HEIs can choose

16、 how to assess a students knowledge of English. They must still be at: CEFR level B2 if youre studying at a degree level or higher SELT in reading, writing, listening and speaking and CEFR level B1 if youre not studying at a degree levelYour test needs to be from an approved provider.Check the full

17、visa guidance for detailed information.ExceptionsYou dont need to prove your knowledge of English if youve recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in: Antigua and Barbuda Australia the Bahamas Barbados Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Ireland Jamaica New Zealand St Kitts and Nevis

18、 St Lucia St Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago UK USAYou also dont need to prove your knowledge of English if one of the following apply: youre a national of Canada or any of the countries in the list above you have studied in the UK before as a Tier 4 (Child) student you applied to stu

19、dy the UK as a student before 31 March 2009 and you were under 18 when granted leave4. Documents you must provideWhen you apply for the visa you must provide: a current passport or other valid travel documentation one passport-sized colour photograph with your name written on the reverse side proof

20、that you can support yourself and pay for your course - this will vary depending on your circumstances proof of parental or other legal guardian consent if youre under 18 your tuberculosis test results if youre from a country where you have to take the testYoull need to have a blank page in your pas

21、sport on which to put the visa.You may also need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.Your documents will usually be sent back within 14 days.Read the guidance and appendix for the full list of documents and how much money youll need according to your situation.5. ApplyYou

22、 should read the full guidance before you apply.Youll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much youll have to pay before you apply.You must complete your visa application by 5 July if youve already paid the immigration health surcharge or you might have to

23、 pay it twice. Youll get a refund for your first payment.Apply outside the UKYou must apply online for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. Youll need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of your application. Youll have

24、 to collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of when you said youd arrive in the UK (even if you actually arrive at a later date).You may be able to get your visa faster or other services depending on what country youre in - check with your visa application centre.North KoreaYou cant a

25、pply online if youre living in North Korea.To apply from North Korea you must: download the form and appendix read the instructions on how to applyApply in the UKYou can only extend your existing visa or switch to this visa if youre already in the UK.6. Extend your visaYou should include any dependa

26、nts who are on your current visa on your application to extend - including children who have turned 18 during your stay.You should apply before your current visa expires.You may be able to apply to extend your stay to continue your course or study a new course. You must: meet the eligibility require

27、ments of this visa be in the UKYou should read the full Tier 4 guidance before you apply.FeesIt costs 439 to extend your visa.You must pay 439 for each dependant.Youll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge for each person as part of your application. Check how much youll have to pay before you a

28、pply.How to extend your stayCheck how to apply to extend your stay.How long it takesA decision will be made: within 8 weeks for online applications usually on the same day if you use the premium serviceYoull be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example because: your

29、supporting documents need to be verified you need to attend an interview of your personal circumstances (eg if you have a criminal conviction)Once youve applied you can stay in the UK until youve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your last visa expired.Biometric informationYou mus

30、t also provide your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo).You can give your biometric information at: at certain Post Office branches if you applied online (this costs 19.20) at a premium service centre if you applied in personYoull get a biometric residence permit if your application to

31、extend your visa is successful.7. Switch to this visaYou may be able to change (switch) from another visa to a Tier 4 (General) student visa.You should apply before your current visa expires.Youll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much youll have to pay before you apply.EligibilityYou can apply to switch into this category if youre in the UK under any of the following visas or schemes: Tier 1 (Post-study work) Tier 2 (General) Tier 2 (Intra-comp