UK Visa Guide

Important: The information contained below is for guidance only. Although every effort is made to ensure its accuracy, we strongly recommend you visit the UKVI website for up-to-date information.

There are four routes for students who wish to study in the UK. You can find more information about each one in the sections below.

TYPES OF STUDY VISA:

Student visa and Child Student Visa

These visas are the standard ones for students who want to study in the UK (usually for over 6 months). Anyone applying for a Student or Child Student visa will need to be sponsored by a registered sponsor. Bosworth College is on the Sponsor Register and is approved by UKVI to sponsor international students. The Sponsor Register can be found here.

Applications can be made up to 6 months (outside the UK) before the course start date, or up to 3 months before the start date from inside the UK.

The maximum length of stay under the Student Route is 2 years for courses below degree level (from student’s 18th birthday).

A Child Student Visa is for under 18’s and is more flexible and some course changes are allowed. Where possible we recommend that a Child Student application is made. Students wishing to join University Foundation courses will have to apply under the Student route even if they are under 18.

Student Visa applicants cannot change course without making a new visa application and will generally require a formal English test for the visa application.

Standard Visitor visa

This visa is for courses under 6 months. For non-visa nationals this means that you do not need to apply in advance for entry clearance. You can find more information in our Standard Visitor Visa guide or our Application Guide.

Study English in the UK (Short-term study visa)

This visa is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months and is not an option for Bosworth College students.

Most student visa refusals under the Student route are due to errors in financial documentation. Please read this section carefully and check the UKVI website for up to date advice.

Depending on the length of the course and your accommodation, the amount of finance required to satisfy the points-based assessment will vary as follows:

You might not need to provide financial evidence if you’re from an exempt country but you should still make sure you have enough funds. UK Visas and Immigration may ask you to show that you have them.

Types of funds you can rely on

You can show you have enough money using:

• your own money
• your parent’s money (if they provide a letter confirming they agree to you using it this way)
• an official financial or government sponsorship or grant
• a student loan from a government, government sponsored loan company, or a regulated student loans scheme

Evidence of Funds

Evidence of your own funds (not loan or sponsorship) can be provided in the following ways:

• bank statements
• building society passbook
• certificates of deposit
• a letter from your bank or building society

For bank statements, they must:

• Be dated no more than one month before the visa application submission date;
• Show that the entire amount required (as per above) has been in the account for 28 consecutive days (and has not fallen below the required amount throughout the 28 days)
• Be for a cash account
• Show the date it was issued, account holders name, name of bank or building society and the balance over the 28 day period

Fees Paid to Institutions

Fees already paid to the College towards student’s tuition or boarding fees can be deducted when calculating how much money a student needs to meet the finance requirements for a Student or Child Student visa application.

Applying using your parent’s documents

If parent’s bank statements are used in the visa application, submission of the following to prove the relationship between parents and the applicant is also required:

• Original legal documentation from parent/legal guardian who are financially supporting the applicant. The documentation should confirm the relationship between the parent/legal guardian and the applicant. This could include the following:
  • Birth certificate showing the applicant and the parents’ names;
  • Certificate of adoption showing applicant and the parents’ names;
  • Court document showing the applicant and the legal guardian’s names;
  • A letter from parent/legal guardian confirming the relationship between the applicant and the parent/legal guardian and that parent/legal guardian consent to using their funds to pay for the tuition and maintenance during the applicant’s studies in the UK.

Download and read our quick reference guide to evidencing your finances to ensure you satisfy the UKVI requirements.

Student

Students applying for Student Route must complete and pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT). The current list of approved tests can be found here.

All students requiring a SELT will need to take one of the approved tests at an approved SELT centre.

Please note that students progressing from a Child Student visa to a Student visa are exempt from the SELT requirement if they have successfully completed a GCSE or A Level in English Language or English Literature.

Child Student

There is no need for a Secure English Language Test (SELT) as Bosworth College can assess English level and recommend the appropriate course for each student’s needs. Students can sit the internal test to assess English level.

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will include information about the student, their sponsor (educational provider), their course, the evidence used to obtain the offer and the fees.

The admissions team will send out CAS statements to those who need to apply under the Student route. This is conditional upon the student fulfilling the terms set out in their offer letter and having confirmed their place(s) by returning the required deposit or sponsorship letter. The CAS statement should then be included with their visa application.

The CAS statement from our admissions team will include:

• The sponsor’s licence number, address, contact details and ACL code for BRP collection.
• The student’s name, date of birth, nationality, country of birth and passport/travel document number.
• Course details such as name, level, start and end date, hours per week, address of student’s main place of study.
• Documents used to obtain the offer: this will give a brief description of our assessment of the student’s academic level and English proficiency, including details such as student’s previous courses/qualifications and Secure English Language Test results. If a student has previously studied in the UK under the Student route, an Academic Progression statement on how the new course of studies represents academic progression is also included here.
• Course/boarding fees for the first year and any payments already made.

Students will need to:

• Complete the appropriate visa application form
• Pay the visa application fee
• Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
• Students will need to provide the following:
  • a valid passport or travel document
  • a CAS statement from a licensed sponsor
  • documents to show they can pay boarding fees, or course fees and maintenance requirements (such as a bank statement featuring the student’s name (or parent or legal guardian, with evidence of relationship) or a loan in their name or government sponsorship and financial consent (if the account belongs to the parent or legal guardian)
  • Documents listed by their sponsors in the CAS statement assigned by their sponsor, such as academic transcripts and IELTS certificate.
  • Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) Card (if applicable)
  • TB certificate (click here to see if you are required to provide a TB certificate before submitting your application for your UK student visa)