Barbados student visa

For students under 18, the parent or guardian completes Form H-2 and adds a notarised consent letter where applicable. The provisional and final visa follow the same steps; the final visa for minors is issued for three years, and at renewal the parent must show that all school fees have been paid.

Submit the Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status (Form H-1), completed by a school official and certified by the Ministry of Education; the Certificate by Non-Immigrant Student (Form H-2), completed by the student; the original or notarised birth certificate; two passport photos; the marriage certificate where applicable; a copy of the passport bio-data page; evidence of financial support for school, living and medical expenses, such as scholarships, balances at a bank recognised by the Central Bank of Barbados or a legal document of support from an adult with proof of that adult's means; police certificates of character from each country lived in for at least six months in the past three years; the acceptance letter from a school registered with the Ministry of Education; the timetable and course outline; proof of accommodation; and the BDS$300 fee.

Laminated documents and scanned or copied police certificates are not accepted, and incomplete applications are refused at vetting.

The visa is not approved unless the security clearance is favourable. A refusal is communicated in writing within 10 working days of acceptance of the application. If clearance is favourable, a provisional student visa of up to four months is approved within 10 working days; at this stage only an entry visa stamp is placed in the passport, and the provisional visa states that extension depends on favourable security clearance and financial support.

The Department then assesses whether funds cover tuition and living costs for the period of study. If both are satisfactory, a final student visa for the remainder of the course is issued, with the decision communicated within 60 working days of acceptance.

Renewal requires Form H-3, a copy of the passport bio-data page, one photo, the previous student visa, the current school report and the BDS$300 fee. A student who changes institution must first obtain a new student visa, presenting letters showing the discontinuation at the old school and acceptance at the new one. Schools must inform the Immigration Department within two weeks if a student stops attending, and the visa is then cancelled.