Student Visa for UK – Requirements, Process, Fees & More

Applying for a student visa for the UK is not complicated if you carefully go through the guidelines in place and have your documents ready. Here is all you need to know about how to get a student visa for the UK.

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UK Student Visa From India

Students mostly need to acquire the Tier 4 or General Student Visa for the UK from India. It has two categories – Tier 4 (General) Student Visa for applicants above 16 years of age and Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa for applicants aged 4-15 years.

If you’re studying a short course and are over 18 years old, you can opt for short-term study visa. This is valid up to six months for most short courses and can be extended for a stay of up to 11 months for English language courses.

You can apply for the visa up to three months in advance of the start date of your course. UK student visa applications are processed within 3 weeks (15 working days) of the application. 

Enrolling in any bachelor’s degree course or higher program at an institution in the UK listed in the UKBA Sponsor List or recognized body list will enable you to work full-time during the holidays and up to 20 hours each week in general. There is also a two-year after-study work visa which has been reinstated by the Government for all international students.

Student Visa for UK from India- Applicable Costs 

The student visa fees for the UK (Tier 4 General) are approximately £348. Payments can be done through Visa or MasterCard or even via demand draft at the application centre and select Standard Chartered branches. Cash payments are also accepted at these locations. 

Important Resources 

Why Do Student Visas Get Rejected | How to Check Visa Status

How to Get Student Visa for UK – Necessary Documents

There are several UK student visa requirements for Indian students. You will have to furnish these below documents at the time of application: 

1. Passport
2. Filled up form for visa application. 
3. Letter of acceptance to the course in the UK or CAS along with the visa letter. The visa letter must be used for a maximum of 6 months before applying. The applications where letters are more than 6 months old will be rejected. 
4. You should furnish proof of funds or guaranteed money for covering tuition fees and living costs for the first year and a maximum of nine months, respectively. The amount will depend on the location and course. You should demonstrate proof of holding this money for a period of 28 days. The conclusion of this tenure should not be a month prior to the application date. You should furnish proof of £12,006 in London for 9 months or £9,207 if you are studying outside London approximately. This does not include tuition fees.
5. Passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider that include PSI Services (UK) Ltd, IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert and Pearson for those outside UK.
6. Other Essential Documents- Payslips, confirmation receipt of visa fee payments, original mark sheet or provisional certificate and score sheet for examinations such as IELTS, GMAT or TOEFL. 
7. Depending on your country of origin, you may also be required to have certain medical vaccinations or undertake a tuberculosis test.

Country-Wise Student Visas

• Germany Study Visa
• Student Visa for the USA
• Student Visa for Australia
• Student Visa for UK
• Student Visa for Canada
• Ireland Student Visa
• France Study Visa
• Student Visa for Singapore
• Student Visa for New Zealand
• Switzerland Study Visa
• Study Visa for Spain

Student Visa for the UK- Application Procedure

Here are the steps for applying for a UK student visa: 

1. Apply online for the UK student visa at the official UK Visa portal. 
2. Upon completing the application form, print it out and sign it. Thereafter, book your appointment at the application centre. The application number will be sent to you via email. 
3. Pay the visa application charges. You can pay through four methods, i.e., paying at Standard Chartered Bank (select branches and a demand draft will be issued in favour of The British High Commission by the institution) or a demand draft from any foreign or nationalized banking institution. The charges will vary for this service. The draft should again be in favour of The British High Commission. You can also pay the fee at the application centre along with submitting your documents. You can pay online through MasterCard or Visa debit/credit cards as well. 
4. Go to your application centre on the appointment date and at the time scheduled. You should book your appointment and turn up for submitting the facial photograph, application, and fingerprints. 

UK Point-based Visa System

The visa system for the UK is based on points and you should adhere to all Immigration regulations with 40 points in all. There are 30 points for students possessing a confirmation of acceptance for their studies which is valid and comes from a suitably licensed sponsor (Tier 4). There are 10 points for possessing ample money for covering costs of tuition and living expenditures alike. 

Read More: Why you should study in Europe | Top Business Universities in UK 

The UK Visa Application- Dependents and Their Procedures

The applicant’s children and spouse will be eligible for dependent visas for the same tenure as him/her. This applies only to master’s degree courses in the UK. Undergraduates are not allowed to take dependents along with them. The dependent applications will be done in the form of dependent on a Points Based System migrant. Every dependent will have to fill up a dedicated application form and pay fees separately. An additional amount of £845 (in London) or £680 (outside of London) will have to be shown per dependent for every month for a maximum of 9 months. Scholarships may be used for covering these funds for dependents if they have already been obtained. 

Read More: Best Countries to Study Abroad for Indian Students | How to study abroad?

Student Visa for UK – Where to Apply

You can apply for a student visa for the UK online and the link in the following- https://www.gov.uk/student-visa. You will have to visit the following VFS Global Visa application centres in Delhi for the biometrics interview: 

VGS Global Services Pvt. Ltd, Shivaji Stadium, Metro Station, Mezzanine Floor, Baba Kadak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi.

Here are the contact details of the Consulates and Embassies of the UK where you can apply: 

1. British High Commission- Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021
2. British Deputy High Commission-20 Anderson Road, Chennai-600006 
3. British Deputy High Commission- C/32, G Block, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Bandra East-400051
4. British Deputy High Commission- 1A, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata-700071

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