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Immigration Support Service

Student Visa Requirements

Student Visa Requirements
What documents do I need to prepare for my visa application?

There are a number of requirements you will need to meet to apply for a Student visa. The information on this page will help explain these requirements and the evidence you need to prepare to meet the requirements of the Student visa route.

  • CAS Statement

    Before you can apply for your Student visa, you will need a CAS Statement issued by Queen's University Belfast. 

    When you receive your CAS Statement, please check it carefully and ensure that all the information on the CAS is correct.  Your CAS Statement will be valid for 6 months from its issue date.  

    Please note a new CAS Statement must be provided for each Student visa application.   If you attempt to apply for a Student visa using a CAS Statement that has already been used, your visa application will be refused.

    You can find more information about receiving your CAS Statement in the section Student Visa Eligibility

  • Passport

    You must provide your original, current passport with your visa application. 

    There is no requirement that your passport must be valid for any certain period of time, but it must be valid at the time of your visa application.  

    It is important that the passport you provide with your visa application matches the passport detailed on your CAS Statement.  If you are in the process of renewing your passport before you travel to the UK, please ensure your new passport details match the details on your CAS Statement. 

    If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national or are applying for your visa outside the UK, or you are applying for your visa inside the UK, you may be able to use the 'UK Immigration: ID Check app'.  If you can use the app, you will not be required to provide your original passport with your application as your passport will be verified electronically. 

Evidence of Finances
  • Do I need to show evidence of my finances?

    You do not need to provide evidence of your finances with your visa application if:

    • You are applying for your visa in the UK and you have lived in the UK, with a valid visa, for longer than 12 months.  
    • You are applying as Student Union Sabbatical Officer

    Differential Evidence Arrangement

    Under UKVI's 'differential evidence arrangement', students from some countries are not required to provide evidence showing they meet UKVI's financial requirement at the time of submitting their visa application.  

    You can find a list of differential evidence arrangement countries on UKVI's website. 

    Even if you are not required to provide your supporting documents to UKVI at the time of your visa application, we recommend that you prepare evidence you meet the financial requirement as UKVI can request these from you at any time during the decision making process. 

  • How much money do I need?

    To meet UKVI's financial requirement, you must have enough money to pay the fees for the first year of your course (or your entire course if it is less than 12 months) as well as enough money for your living costs.  

    Course fees

    You must have enough money to pay the course fees for the first year of your course.  If your course is less than 12 months, you will need to have enough money for your whole course. 

    Your course fees will be listed on your CAS Statement.   If you have paid any money towards your course fees, this will be confirmed on your CAS Statement. 

    You can deduct any money already paid towards your course fees from the total amount of money you need to show you meet UKVI's financial requirement. 

    Living Costs

    You will need to show you have £1,023 for each month of your course up to a maximum of 9 months. This means that the maximum amount of money you will need to meet UKVI's financial requirement is £9,207.  

    If you are living in Queen's University accommodation and you have already paid money to the University for your accommodation, you can deduct up to a maximum of £1,334 from the total amount of money you need to have to meet UKVI's financial requirement.   

    If you are living in private accommodation you cannot deduct any fees paid from the total funds you need to demonstrate you meet UKVI's financial requirement. 

    Example:  

    Course fees for first year £21,500
    Living costs requirement + £9,207
    Deductions  
    Course fees already paid to the University - £2,000
    Accommodation fees already paid to the University -£1,334
    Total amount of funds required £27,373
  • How can I show I meet the financial requirement?

    You can show you meet UKVI's financial requirement using:

    • Your own money
    • Your parent/ legal guardian's money
    • Your partner's money if they are in the UK or applying for their visa at the same time as you
    • Official Financial Sponsorship 
    • A Student loan from a government, government sponsored loan company or a regulated student loans scheme
  • Using your own funds or your parent(s)'/ guardian(s)' funds

    If you are using your own money or your parent(s)'/guardian(s)' money, this must be held in a personal bank account eg. 

    • a current account
    • deposit account
    • savings account
    • investment account. 

    You must have immediate access to the funds in the account.  

    You must show that you have held the funds required for your visa application in a bank account for at least 28 days.  The account holder (you/ your parents) must have full control of the money in the account. 

    The document you provide to UKVI to show you meet the financial requirement must not be older than one month before the date you submit your visa application.   

    You can provide the following documents to show you meet UKVI's financial requirement:

    Bank statements / Certificate of Deposit

    Bank statements must show the following details:

    • You or your parents’/legal guardians’ name;
    • The account number;
    • The date of the statement;
    • The financial institution’s name and logo;
    • The amount of money in the account over a 28-day period ending not more than 
      one month before the date of your application;
    • That there is enough money in the account to cover your course fees and living costs.

    Letter from the bank

    If you intend to submit a letter from your bank which confirms that you have held the 
    amount in your account for the required time, the letter must show:

    • You or your parents’/legal guardians’ name;
    • The account number;
    • The date of the letter;
    • The financial institution’s name and logo;
    • The amount of money in the account over a 28-day period ending not more than one 
      month before the date of your application;
    • That there is enough money in the account to cover your course fees and living costs.

    Bank account in your parent/ legal guardian's name

    You can use a bank account in your name or your parent(s)' or legal guardian(s)' names.  In addition to a bank statement, you will also need to provide:

    • A letter from your parent or legal guardian confirming you have their permission to use their funds to support your study in the UK
    • Your birth certificate/ adoption certificate/ court document confirming your relationship to your parent/legal guardian

    You cannot use funds held in any other person's account (for example, sibling, aunt, uncle or grandparent) to meet UKVI's financial requirement. 

  • Official Financial Sponsorship

    If you are receiving official financial sponsorship from

    • His Majesty’s Government
    • your home government
    • the British Council
    • an international organisation
    • an international company, 
    • a university
    • a UK independent school

    You must provide a letter confirming your sponsorship on official letter-headed paper or stationery of the organisation of your sponsor.  The letter must be stamped with the official stamp of the organisation. 

    The letter must show: 

    • your name;
    • the name and contact details of your official financial sponsor;
    • the date of the letter;
    • the length of your sponsorship;
    •  the amount of money the sponsor is giving to you or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs.

    If you will receive a scholarship from Queen’s University Belfast this will be confirmed on your CAS Statement.

    If you have received Official Financial Sponsorship in the last 12 months

    You will need to provide a letter from your Sponsor confirming that you have your Sponsor's consent to make a Student visa application.  

     

Additional documents that may be required
  • Evidence of Qualifications

    If you are studying at degree level or above (and are over 18), you are not required to provide evidence of your qualifications with your visa application.  Your CAS will confirm that the University has assessed your qualifications.

    If you are studying at below degree level, you must provide any documents listed on the 'Evidence used to obtain offer' section of your CAS Statement with your visa application, unless you are a national of a country listed under paragraph ST 22.1, the 'differential evidence requirement' of the Immigration Rules.

  • Evidence of English language ability

    Queen’s University Belfast is required to confirm English language ability on your CAS statement. If you are required to provide proof of your English language ability, this will be stated in the ‘Evidence used to obtain offer’ section of your CAS statement. 

    If your CAS statement states ‘Higher Education Institution (HEI) sponsor has made assessment' in the ‘Evidence provided’ section of your CAS, you will not need to provide this evidence of English language ability. 

    You can find more information about the English language requirements on our International Students website.

  • ATAS Certificate

    Students from certain countries who will be studying a postgraduate course in particular science, engineering or technology disciplines may need to obtain an ATAS certificate before applying for their Student visa. 

    Your offer letter from the International Admissions team and your CAS statement will confirm if ATAS is a requirement of your course.   

    If you are required to have an ATAS certificate you are advised to apply for your certificate as soon as possible. The application is online and free of charge. The average processing time is four weeks, however this will increase during the busy time of April to September, when it can take more than six weeks.

    You can find more information about the ATAS requirement in our Additional Support section.

  • TB Test Certificate

    Residents of certain countries will need to take a TB test if they are coming to the UK for more than six months. You can find out if you need to take a TB test on UKVI's website.

    If you have recently studied or lived in the UK, and you have been outside the UK for less than six months, you will not have to take a new TB test. However, if you have been outside the UK for more than six months, you will need to take a new TB test.

    You do not need a TB Test Certificate if you are applying to extend your visa from inside the UK

  • Translations

    If any of your documents for your visa application are not in English or Welsh, you must provide a fully certified translation by a professional translator/translation company that can be independently verified by the Home Office.

    This translation must include all of the following details:

    • the translator/translation company’s credentials
    • confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the document
    • the translator/translation company’s contact details
    • the date of the translation
    • the signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company

     

  • Under 18 - Letter of consent
  • Current UK immigration permission

    If you are applying for your visa in the UK and you currently have a BRP card, you will need to submit a copy of this with your visa application. 

Further Information

Further information about the documentation requirements for the Student visa route can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) websites:

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website