Start Phone Assessment Start Online Assessment Our Service Call 0203 384 4389 Explore a different family visa Tier 4 Student Visas You can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if you’re 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 yourself and pay for your course – the amount will vary depending on your circumstances are from a country that’s not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland meet the other eligibility requirements There will be no change to the rights and status of EU citizens living in the UK until 2021. You and your family can apply for ‘settled status’ to continue living in the UK after June 2021. The scheme will open fully by March 2019. Speak to our assessment team now to confirm your eligibility and options for free on 0203 384 4389. Further Information Documents You'll Need To Provide As part of the application process, you need to provide proof of your name, age and nationality. For example your: valid passport birth certificate national identity card from the European Economic Area (EEA)or Switzerland certificate of registration certificate of naturalisation biometric residence card or permit travel document If you’ve changed your name, you must bring proof – eg a copy of a deed poll. The registrar also needs proof of your address, for example a: valid UK or EEA driving licence gas, water or electricity bill from the last 3 months bank or building society statement from the last month council tax bill from the last 12 months mortgage statement from the last 12 months current tenancy agreement letter from your landlord confirming you live there and including your landlord’s name, address and their signature dated within the last 7 days Some local register offices require a photo ID but we will advise you if this is the case. You might need other documents if you don’t have a valid passport and you were born after 1983 but we will check and confirm this for you. You each need to pay a £35 fee when you attend the register office to give notice. It can be more if you or your partner are from outside EEA or Switzerland. If you’ve been divorced or widowed If you’ve been married or in a civil partnership before, you need to take either: a decree absolute or final order the death certificateof your former partner Overseas divorces and annulments A divorce will usually be recognised in England and Wales if it was valid in the country where it took place. You need to take your divorce or annulment documents to the register office if they were granted outside of the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. The registrar may need to get in touch with the General Register Office (GRO) to confirm whether your marriage or civil partnership can go ahead. If they do, you’ll have to pay a fee of between £50 and £75. The fee will be confirmed once GRO have seen your documents. When to apply The earliest you can apply for a visa is 3 months before you start your course. How long you can stay You 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 months How long you can stay depends on the kind of course you’re doing and what study you’ve already completed. What you can and can't do You can: study work as a student union sabbatical officer apply from inside or outside the UK apply to extend your stay work in most jobs – depending on what level your course is and what kind of sponsor you have You can’t: get public funds work in certain jobs, for example professional sportsperson or 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). Eligibility You 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 circumstances Your course You can do a course that’s one of the following: full-time leading to a qualification that’s at least level 6 on the Ofqual register part-time leading to a qualification that’s at least level 7 on the Ofqual register an overseas course of degree level study that’s equal to a UK higher education course and is being run by an overseas higher education institution full-time, with at least 15 hours per week of organised daytime study, leading to a qualification which is at least level 3 on the Ofqual register a recognised foundation programme as a postgraduate doctor or dentist Postgraduate doctors and dentists You can apply for this visa if you’re sponsored to do a recognised foundation programme and you’ve: 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 UK Confirmation of acceptance for studies Your education provider will send you a reference number called a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) once they’ve offered you a place on a course. You’ll need to enter this on your visa application. You must apply for your visa no more than 6 months after you receive theCAS. If you’ve studied in the UK before You can only get a CASin certain situations if you’re applying from within the UK. If you’re continuing your studies You can get a CAS if you’re: re-sitting exams or repeating modules applying for the first time to a new institution to complete a course you started at an institution that lost its Tier 4 sponsorship applying to extend your stay to complete your studies because you’ve done (or want to do) a work placement or study abroad programme completing a PhD or other doctorate that you started studying under your last Tier 4 (General) student visa applying after working as a student union sabbatical officer to complete a qualification you started studying under your last Tier 4 (General) student visa continuing your medical, dentistry or medical science degree after completing an intercalated course If you’re starting a new course You can get a CAS if your course is one of the following: at a higher academic level than your previous course at the same level and related to your previous course or career aspirations – it must be degree level or above at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) intercalated to a medicine, dentistry or medical science course you started studying under a Tier 4 (General) student visa If you’re applying to work in the UK You can get a CAS if you’re applying to either: work as a student union sabbatical officer stay in the UK to look for work after you’ve finished your PhD or doctorate – the ‘Doctorate Extension Scheme’ (DES) Knowledge Of English You must prove your knowledge of the English language when you apply. This usually means passing a secure English language test (SELT). HEIs can choose how to assess a student’s knowledge of English. They must still be at: CEFR level B2 if you’re studying at a degree level or higher SELT in reading, writing, listening and speaking and CEFR level B1 if you’re not studying at a degree level If you have to pass a SELT, it must be from an approved provider. Exceptions You don’t need to prove your knowledge of English if you’ve 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 St Lucia St Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago UK USA You also don’t need to prove your knowledge of English if one of the following apply: you’re 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’re applying to come to the UK for a study abroad programme as part of a university degree course in the USA Documents you must provide When you apply for the visa you must provide: a current passport or other valid travel documentation proof 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 you’re under 18 proof of your relationship with your parent or guardian your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test You need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa. You may also need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances. Your documents will usually be sent back within 14 days. Extend your visa You may be able to stay longer to continue your course or study a new one. You must: meet the eligibility requirements of this visa be in the UK have a sponsor Who can sponsor you You can only apply to extend your leave to study if your current sponsor is: a higher education institute (HEI) an overseas HEI an embedded college offering pathway courses an independent school You must include your dependants in your application if they’re on your current visa, including children who have turned 18 during your stay. Switch to this Visa You may be able to change (switch) to a Tier 4 (General) student visa if you’re in the UK under any of the following visas or schemes: Tier 2 (General) Tier 2 (Intra-company transfer) Tier 2 (Minister of religion) Tier 4 (Child) You should include any dependants who are on your current visa on your application to extend – including children who have turned 18 during your stay. Family Members Your family members (dependants) might be able to apply to join or remain with you in the UK if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)or Switzerland. A dependant is either: your husband, wife or civil partner your unmarried or same-sex partner your child under 18 years old – including if they were born in the UK during your stay You can apply to bring a dependant to the UK if you’re: sponsored by a higher education institution on a course at level 7 on the Ofqual register or above that lasts 9 months or more a new government-sponsored student on a course that lasts longer than 6 months a Doctorate Extension Scheme student They’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application. Check how much they’ll have to pay before they apply. Savings You must show that your dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK. Each dependant must have a certain amount of money available to them – this is in addition to the money you must have to support yourself. The amount of money you need depends on: the length of your course where you’re studying in the UK whether you’ve finished a UK course or are currently studying You must have proof you have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 28 days before you or they apply. Dependants applying in the UK You should apply for your dependants’ visas at the same time as you extend or switch your own visa. If you can’t do it at the same time, your dependants can apply to extend or switch their visas at a later date. Rated excellent by our clients on: Start Online Assessment Now Get a FREE phone assessment How we work in 3 simple steps Call us or submit your details online h Receive a FREE no obligation assessment You decide if you want our assistance What is the benefit of using UK Immigration Solicitors? Immigration rules are complex and subject to regular changes and revisions. This itself presents problems as it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of and have complied with any changes to the routes, processes and evidence requirements. Failure to meet strict rules is likely to result in the application being refused which, in turn, is likely have an emotional and financial strain on you and your family. It is our job to ensure we are fully aware of the latest immigration rules, policies and procedures. We don’t leave matters to chance. Once you become a client of ours, we explain our strategy and tell you exactly how we propose to get you the right result. We will pinpoint the positives and negatives of your circumstances and explain where issues may arise and what would need to be done to fix them. We provide step by step guidance and advice throughout the entire process professionally. Our vast experience allows us to foresee problems before they arise and pro-actively adopt a strategic action plan. Our legal fees are always agreed and fixed with you right at the beginning of your case, so you have complete peace of mind and control over the costs to ensure there are no restrictions or unpleasant surprises. There are many online agencies, advisors and marketing companies who claim to be immigration experts but, provide very little expertise. Let us be very clear here, if you are paying for someone just to fill in the forms for you, you should think about how you can put that money to better use and avoid gambling with your future by using inexperienced and ineffective companies. We are a fully regulated nationwide, multi award winning law firm that specialises in immigration. Having more than 60 years of combined expertise and having handled more than 8,000 cases we have unrivalled experience and expertise to ensure you get the right result first time around – Don’t take our word for it though, check out our reviews to see why our clients trust us with their futures. We are rated 5* across the board and 98% of our clients have confirmed that they would recommend us to others. * We have illustrated our typical scope of service below so you can understand what we do for you as paid of our service: Our immigration specialists carry out a free detailed assessment with you to understand your circumstances and needs. The collated information is then reviewed by a senior immigration solicitor who will have no less than 8 years’ immigration experience. Based on the information collected, the senior solicitor will then confirm what your options are and will also confirm if we are able to help you. We will offer you an Agreed Fixed Fee quotation for us to handle your entire case until initial conclusion without obligation. If we have officially taken your instructions, we will create a client file for you and collect detailed initial information. We will then ensure you receive a personalised one-to-one legal consultation with a senior immigration solicitor who will take your full instructions by exploring your circumstances in detail and advise you on the best way to meet your objectives. The solicitor will explain the relevant legislations and provide you with advice on the steps that we would need to take to get a successful result. The senior solicitor who carried out your legal consultation will then send you detailed written legal advice explaining everything that needs to be done and which documents will be required as part of the process. We will tell you about any problem areas and formulate a strategy to overcome/mitigate these. We will carefully review any documents that you have provided in support of the application. These documents are then validated and formatted to ensure that they meet the UKVI specified evidence requirements. Where they do not, we will explain what needs to be done to address the issues. Where required, we will prepare any necessary written legal arguments or representations that are required to support your application and gain an approval. Often, we may be required to make discretionary submissions. We will complete a draft application and share this with you to ensure that all parties are happy with the representations that will be submitted to the Home Office. We advise you on what application processing routes are available. In some cases, there are fast track or premium processing routes available. We may be required to book a Home Office appointment on your behalf. Will also be able to confirm typical processing times for any processing centre in the world. We explain all options, routes and fees comprehensively allowing you to make the best choice. We lodge the application on your behalf using our secure authenticated processes. Whilst your application is pending, we continue to ensure you receive maximum legal protection and ensure that your rights and allowances are upheld throughout the processing stage. We ensure that you are aware of and remain compliant with the immigration rules and regulations during this period. We will also keep you updated on the progress of your matter. If any follow up work is required in response to any queries raised by the UKVI, we will also deal with these as part of the comprehensive service. We secure a decision on your matter and further advise you on the relevant implications of that decision. If required, we will also confirm if any secondary applications are required and brief you on the necessary process and procedure for those also. Why should I use UK immigration solicitors to help me? Here are just some of the reasons to choose us: * We are the UK’s #1 Immigration Specialist Law Firm * We are a fully SRA regulated law firm so you are working directly with our in house legal team * No agencies, middlemen or outsourcing * We have achieved 99% success rate across all application types * We have a 24 hour helpline that operates 7 days a week – 365 days a year * We have multiple offices across the UK but 90% of our clients are not required to visit in person * We have more than 60 years combined immigration expertise * Our team have handled more than 8,000 cases * We offer a free initial assessment which will explain your options and check your eligibility for your chosen route * We operate a 100% Agreed Fixed Fee model with all fees fixed and agreed before work is started * 98% of our clients would recommend us to family & friends * Our average rating is 4.6/5 across major review platforms (based on over 300 reviews). What is a free needs assessment? If you have an immigration related problem or question, you can have a free assessment with a member of our assessments team. The assessor will establish why you are calling and what you are looking for assistance with. The assessor will ask you a series of questions to determine your circumstances in relation to your objectives. The assessment is 100% private and confidential. As we are a private law firm, we work with our clients to overturn Government decisions daily. We do not share any information with any third party. Although the assessor will be a trained immigration specialist, they are not solicitors and therefore will not give you detailed legal advice or guidance. If you want to establish what your options are and the best way forward for you, your assessor will collate the necessary information and then speak with one of the resident senior solicitors at the firm to determine what your options are, if and how we could assist and confirm whether we would be prepared to take your case. If we can assist, you will be provided with an Agreed Fixed Fee quotation which is a single legal fee to cover the firms cost of representation agreed from the outset and binding for all parties. The free assessment is no obligation and you are merely given clarity on your position and options to move forward. If you have a complex matter or require legal advice regarding a specific issue, you will most likely require a legal consultation. This is a separate service and is chargeable at the prevailing rates. Please note, UK Immigration Solicitors are a private law firm and are not part of the Government. We do not accept legal aid instructions. Although we are happy to assist genuine callers, we are not a directory service and sadly are unable to provide you with Government telephone numbers. To get started you can either call us on 0203 384 4389 or complete the assessment form and one of the team will call you What do you want to do next? I want to speak with a specialist now for a free assessment I want you to call me back to discuss my needs I want you to look at my refusal and call me back with a solution I want you to provide me with a free quotation I want to start a free online assessment I want to know more about your firm