Applying for your visa inside the UK
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Firstly, we would recommend you familiarise yourself with the information on our Student visa page.
You may be able to switch to a student visa from inside the UK if you hold the correct immigration permission.
You cannot switch if you have one of the following visas and are based in the UK:
- Visit visa
- Short-term student visa
- Parent of a child student visa
- Seasonal worker visa
- Domestic worker in a private household visa
- Leave outside the immigration rules
If your current visa is listed above, you will need to apply for your Student visa in your home country. If your current visa allows you to switch to the Student visa route inside the UK, you must ensure you meet all the other requirements.
The 28-day Gap rule
There should not be more than a 28-day gap between your current visa expiring and the start of your new course. If the gap between the expiry date of your current visa and the course date is more than 28 days, then you should seek further advice from the ISA team.
Academic Progression
If you have previously studied in the UK, there may be certain factors you need to consider before applying for a new student visa. The UKVI limits the time you can study an undergraduate programme.
Academic Progression is a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirement that has been put in place to ensure all students are progressing academically. There are exemptions to the Academic Progression requirement, more information can be found on our Student Visa page.
The rules for the academic progression requirement for a student can be found in Appendix Student ST 14.1 to 14.5.
Before you apply for your visa you should ensure you have the required supporting documents. You should refer to the Student Visa Government and Home Office Student and Child Student Guidance for full details on applying for a Student visa.
The more prepared you are before making your visa application the less risk there is of making a mistake. To become more familiar with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements you can also refer to the advice from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.
Passport
You must provide a current and valid passport.
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
If you have a BRP card you are required to provide this as part of your application.
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
You must have a CAS, for the University of East London, before you make your Student visa application. When you receive your CAS check that the information is correct, and your personal details match your passport.
More information about 'What is a CAS' can be found on our student visa page.
Qualification documents
Your CAS will state any qualifications used as part of the assessment for your admission to your course.
As the University of East London is a Higher Education Provider (HEP), if you are applying to study a course at degree level (RQF 6) or above you are not required to provide evidence of your qualifications.
As the University of East London is a Higher Education Provider (HEP), if you are applying to study a course at degree level (RQF 6) or above you are not required to provide evidence of your qualifications. If you are studying a course below degree level, you must provide any qualification documents listed on your CAS with your Student visa application, unless you are from a country listed under the ‘Differential Evidence Requirement’.
Differential Evidence Requirement
If you are from a country under the 'Differential Evidence Requirement', you don’t need to submit qualification documents with your Student visa application. The list of counties covered by this is in paragraph ST22.1 of the Immigration Rules.
English Language documents
Your CAS will state any English language document used as part of the assessment for your admission to your course, which you need to submit to make your Student visa application.
If your CAS states that you are a national from a majority English-speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) or the University, as a Higher Education Provider (HEP), has assessed your English language ability and it is at the required level, you are not required to submit evidence of your English language document.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate
You may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if you are undertaking certain courses in subject areas such as, but not limited to, engineering, technology and science at the Master's or PhD level. Your offer letter and your CAS will tell you if you need an ATAS certificate.
The ATAS certificate is issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for permission to study the course. You must be issued an ATAS certificate before you make your Student visa application.
Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an ATAS certificate.
You will be sent an ATAS certificate by email from the FCO. You can find more information about the ATAS certificate on the UK Government website.
Under 18
A letter of consent from your financial sponsor to continue your studies in the UK if, in the last 12 months before the date of application, you have completed a course of studies in the UK for which you received funding from a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs.
If you are under 18 years old at the time of application, you will need to provide a letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to show that they support your application. You will also need to provide a copy of your birth certificate (or another government-issued document) that shows the names of your parents.
You can find more information under the 'Parental Consent of Students and Child Students under 18' section of the Student Route Caseworker Guidance.
Translations
If your documents are not in English, you will need to submit the document in your language and include a fully certified translation by a professional translator or translation company of these documents.
The translation must provide the following:
- A statement from the translator or translation company confirming that it is an accurate translation of the original document
- The date of the translation
- The translator or an official of the translation company's full name and signature and,
- The translator or translation company's contact details.
If you are in the UK and have been living in the UK for 12 months or more on the date you submit a valid Student visa application, you will not need to provide your financial documents with your visa application.
However, you must ensure you have the required funds available to you in line with the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements, as the financial requirement is part of the Immigration Rules and UKVI can request this evidence as part of the decision-making process and will refuse your application if you are unable to provide it by the given deadline.
There must not be a break between the 12 months spent in the UK and the date of the visa application. Holidays and short absences from the UK do not break the 12-month period. However, if you have not been based in the UK for a significant part of the 12 months, for example for at least 3 months, you will be required to provide evidence of your funds with your visa application.
If you need to provide evidence of your financial documents in line with UKVI requirements, you will need to show living costs of £12,006 plus any unpaid tuition fees, for a maximum duration of 9 months. You may be exempt from this if are a national covered under the 'differentiation arrangements'.
Differential Evidence Requirement
If you are from a country under the 'Differential Evidence Requirement', you don’t need to submit financial documents with your Student visa application. The list of counties covered by this is in paragraph ST22.1 of the Immigration Rules.
However, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may request this evidence during the application process, so it is important to have your qualifications available and in the required format.
Further information on financial requirements and documents you require can be found on our webpage: Applying for your visa.
Before you start your Student visa application you should make sure you are familiar with the requirements.
The more prepared you are before making your visa application the less risk there is of making a mistake. In order to become more familiar with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements you should read advice from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.
You should also read the Home Office Student and Child Student Guidance before applying for a Student visa.
When you are ready to start your Student visa application, please see our Applying for a Student visa inside the UK Guide to help you.
Completing your visa application form
Once your CAS has been issued, please check it carefully to ensure all details are correct.
It is advised you apply as soon as you receive your CAS so you can receive a decision as early as possible and before your current visa expires.
If you leave it too late to apply, your visa may not be granted in time, and you will be unable to start your course. The University of East London cannot permit students to join their course after the latest date on enrolment as stated on your CAS.
You can start completing the online Student visa application form once you have received your CAS using our guide linked above to help you. Your visa application will not be complete until you pay the visa application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
The cost of the standard Student visa application is currently £490. You should usually get a decision within 8 weeks (standard only) once you've applied online to switch to or extend a Student visa.
You may be able to pay to get a faster decision at a high cost – you will be notified if this option is available to you during the visa application process.
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory charge that you must pay. This entitles you to access the National Health Service (NHS) if you become unwell or have an accident during your stay in the UK. You must pay for the IHS even if you have private medical insurance.
The current charge is £470 per person for each year of the visa that you are applying for. The UK Government has announced plans to increase the IHS fee to £776 per person per year of the visa, and the increase will apply to visa applications made on or after 6 February 2024. How much you pay overall will depend on how much leave you are granted.
- Where the length of leave granted is six months or less, the amount you would pay will be half the annual surcharge.
- Where your application includes part of a year that is for more than six months, you will be required to pay the full year (For example, if your length of leave is one year, six months and two days you will have to pay the surcharge for two years).
You can calculate your Immigration Health Surcharge on the UK Government website.
UKVI will contact you if you are required to pay a further surcharge after you submit the visa application. You must ensure that you make the payment before the deadline that they give you.
Travelling whilst the application is pending
You are advised not to leave the country whilst your visa application is pending. If you do leave the country, you are automatically treated as having withdrawn your application. There is a high chance that this will have serious visa implications for you.
What happens once your Student visa application is granted?
- If you submitted your Student visa application using the UKVI ID Check app and you are a national listed on the visa national list, you will receive a new BRP and a digital status where you can view and prove your immigration status online.
- If you attended a biometric appointment instead of using the UKVI ID Check app, you will receive a new BRP.
- If you submitted your Student visa application using the UKVI ID Check app and you are a national that is not listed on the visa national list, you will only receive a digital status where you can view and prove your immigration status online.
Check your visa for errors
It is important to check your visa carefully to ensure the length and conditions are correct.
If there is an error you must report it within a specified timeframe. If you receive a new BRP and notice an error, you must report it within ten days otherwise you may have to apply and pay for a replacement.
If you receive a digital immigration status, you should read the accompanying letter that you receive from UKVI confirming the grant of your immigration permission. This letter should contain information about what you should do if you notice any errors.
If you feel there are errors on your visa, please contact the International Student Advice (ISA) service to support you with reporting the error to UKVI.
You may also wish to view further information about this on the UKCISA website.
What do I need to do if my visa is refused?
If your Student visa application is refused, it is important that you contact us immediately. You must contact the International Student Advice (ISA) service to discuss your next steps.
If you think the refusal decision was incorrect, you can apply for an administrative review. You must apply for an administrative review within 14 days of the date you receive the refusal notice.
Your refusal letter will detail why you are refused and provide instructions for requesting an administrative review. It costs £80.
If your visa is refused your visa application fee will not be refunded, however, if you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your application, this will be refunded automatically.