UK Student visa: requirements, money and application steps

You need an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor and the CAS reference it issues; apply within 6 months of receiving the CAS. Eligible courses include full-time degree-level study (RQF 6 to 8), full-time courses below degree level (RQF 3 to 5) with at least 15 hours of daytime study a week, part-time postgraduate study at RQF 7 or above, and English language courses at CEFR B2 or above. Some postgraduate subjects require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. Students aged 4 to 17 at independent schools use the Child Student visa.

Degree-level students need English equivalent to CEFR B2; below degree level, B1 through a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider. Universities may assess B2 themselves using their own test. A degree taught in English outside the UK can be used with an Ecctis confirmation.

You must show the unpaid first-year tuition fee stated on your CAS plus living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months (up to £13,761 or £10,539). Each dependant needs an extra £845 a month in London or £680 elsewhere. The money must have been held for 28 consecutive days, with the last day no more than 31 days before you apply. Unless you are a national of a country on the differential evidence list, you must submit the bank evidence; official loans or sponsorship letters can be used instead. You are exempt if you have been in the UK with a visa for 12 months.

The application fee is £558 per person, and the immigration health surcharge is £776 for each year of the visa (half that for a remaining part-year of 6 months or less). For example, a 3-year degree visa with extra time usually means about £2,716 surcharge. Paid faster decisions may be offered when you apply.

You may arrive up to 1 month before a course longer than 6 months starts. Work rights depend on the course and are printed on your eVisa: degree-level students at a higher education provider can usually work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in vacations, while below-degree students have lower limits; self-employment, professional sport and permanent full-time jobs are not allowed. After a UK bachelor’s or master’s, you can apply in the UK for the Graduate visa (2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, 3 years after a PhD) or switch to Skilled Worker.

Partners and children can join only students on a postgraduate research degree such as a PhD (for courses starting from 1 January 2024) or government-sponsored students on courses of more than 6 months. For the Child Student visa (ages 4 to 17), money depends on living arrangements: boarding fees for boarders; £570 a month from a foster carer or close relative; £1,560 a month for a child living with a parent who holds a Parent of a Child Student visa; or £1,334 (London) and £1,023 (elsewhere) for 16 and 17-year-olds living independently.

If the application is refused you can usually ask for an administrative review within 28 days of the decision if you were outside the UK (14 days inside) where you think UKVI made a caseworking error; it costs £80 and the result usually takes 28 days or more. You can also simply make a fresh application.