Student Visa for UK
If you are a national of an EEA country (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland then you can enter the UK as a student without a visa. At customs you may be asked to provide documentation that you have been accepted onto a course and you will need your passport.

If you are from a country outside the EEA, you are called a visa-national and will need to apply for a student visa at the British Embassy/Consulate/High Commission in your home country. The relevant embassy can provide a full list of the documents required to complete the application. Student visa applications take between 24 hours and 10 days to process.

To travel to the UK as a student
• You must be able to show that you have been accepted on a course of study at an educational establishment that is on the UK’s Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Register of Education and Training Providers

• You must also be able to show that you are going to follow a recognized full-time degree course, or

• A course run during the week involving at least 15 hours of organized daytime study each week, or

• A full-time course at an independent fee-paying school.

• You must also be able to pay for your course and support yourself and any dependants, and live in the UK without working or needing any help from public funds,

• You must also be able and intend to follow your chosen course, and

• Intend to leave the UK when you complete your studies, if your course of study is below degree level.

Documents required to apply for a student visa
• Application form – VAF1

• Application fee of £99 in local currency. Extending your stay in the UK for further study costs £250.

• Unconditional offer letter from the University. Submit original copies of documents with your application (faxed and emailed copies are not acceptable).

• Evidence of funding to cover tuition fees and living costs (e.g., evidence of a scholarship or a letter and bank statements from your family). If you have paid any deposits in advance to the University you should include evidence of this as the British High Commission will not contact third parties for confirmation of your circumstances.

• Evidence of previous qualifications and proof that you have met any conditions attached to your offer (eg, English language requirements) Certificates indicating clearing of exams like IELTS etc.

• Evidence of term-time accommodation (if available). If your family is coming with you to the UK, you will need to show that adequate accommodation arrangements have been made for them.

• TB test certificate if applicable (see below)

Nationals of some countries are required to undergo an examination specifically for Infectious Tuberculosis (TB) before applying for a student visa. The test costs approximately £30 and must be conducted at a clinic accredited by the Embassy. Please check with your nearest British Embassy/High Commission to see if this requirement affects you, what the local procedure is, and how long it will take.

Visa application procedure
You can apply in a number of ways – for example, by post, by courier, in person and online. (Some visa sections will only accept online applications.)

For more information, visit the UK visas website. If you cannot apply online you will need to fill in a visa application (VAF 1 – non-settlement).

You can apply for a visit visa or EEA family permit at any full service visa-issuing office. If you are applying from within the EEA, you will need to show that you are living legally in an EEA member state. ’Living legally’ includes having a visit visa for the member state. For all other types of visa you should apply in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.

Work permit during the course on a Student Visa
You can take part-time or holiday work, but

• You must not work for more than 20 hours a week during term time unless your placement is part of your studies, has been agreed with your educational institution and leads to a degree or qualification awarded by a nationally recognized examining body

• You must not do business, be self-employed or provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or

• You must not work full-time in a permanent job.

If you are coming to the UK as a student for six months or fewer, you must ask the Entry Clearance Officer (or the Immigration Officer if you do not need an entry clearance) for permission to work.

Work permit in the UK after completion of course
Students from EEA countries do not need special visas or permission to stay in the UK after their studies.
The International Graduates Scheme enables students from non-EEA countries who have successfully completed and obtained a bachelor’s degree (second-class honors or above), postgraduate certificate or diploma, master’s degree or PhD on or after 1 May 2007 to stay in the UK to look for, or to take, work for an additional year after their degree course finishes without getting a work permit. If you want to remain in the UK beyond this time, you can switch into an appropriate immigration category to pursue your career (provided you meet the relevant requirements).

If you successfully complete a course at degree level or above awarded by a Scottish institution, you may be able to apply to live and work in Scotland for up to two years after achieving your qualification under the ’Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland’ Scheme.

For more information, see the ‘Permit-free employment’ guidance on the UKvisas website or from your nearest British mission overseas where there is a visa section .

To extend your stay you will need to apply for a residence permit at the Border and Immigration Agency.